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Leadership Foundations
Develop essential leadership and professional skills, and apply them in a range of different contexts. Apply now for Term 1 2026.
Become the leader you want to follow
Leadership Foundations is AHEGS recognised and freely available to all UNSW students. If you are just beginning your leadership journey or looking to further practice your leadership skills, this program is for you!
Employers are looking for students who can demonstrate excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills as well as resilience; these skills are rated the most desirable skills for graduates entering the workforce. This program is designed to help you develop these essential leadership and professional skills and to be able to apply them in a range of different contexts.
The learning experience is designed to help you discover your leadership identity and develop practical skills including:
- self-awareness
- collaboration and communication
- building effective relationships
- creating safe and inclusive teams
- conflict management
- wellbeing and resilience
- and more...
In joining our Leadership Foundations learning community you will make connections with peers and become part of the Leadership Foundations alumni network.
Term 1 2026
Leadership Foundations is an AHEGS recognised co-curricular program that focuses on foundational interpersonal and self-awareness skills. The program includes a range of online modules introducing different concepts, collaborative group activities, and live workshops.
Each of the four workshops will be two hours long and delivered online via Zoom. The program will run in three different streams. The streams are identical, and you will only have to attend one stream. Below are the key dates and times for each of the Leadership Foundations program streams for Term 1 2026:
Wednesday stream
| Week 1: Moodle learning | Complete in own time during Week 1 |
| Week 2 : Growth Mindset workshop | Wednesday 25 February, 2pm-4pm |
| Week 3: Grit workshop | Wednesday 4 March, 2pm-4pm |
| Week 4: Collaboration workshop | Wednesday 11 March, 2pm-4pm |
| Week 5: Curiosity workshop | Wednesday 18 March, 2pm-4pm |
Thursday stream
| Week 1: Moodle learning | Complete in own time during Week 1 |
| Week 2 : Growth Mindset workshop | Thursday 26 February, 12pm-2pm |
| Week 3: Grit workshop | Thursday 5 March, 12pm-2pm |
| Week 4: Collaboration workshop | Thursday 12 March, 12pm-2pm |
| Week 5: Curiosity workshop | Thursday 19 March, 12pm-2pm |
Friday stream
| Week 1: Moodle learning | Complete in own time during Week 1 |
| Week 2 : Growth Mindset workshop | Friday 27 February, 10am-12pm |
| Week 3: Grit workshop | Friday 6 March, 10am-12pm |
| Week 4: Collaboration workshop | Friday 13 March, 10am-12pm |
| Week 5: Curiosity workshop | Friday 20 March, 10am-12pm |
To be eligible for AHEGS recognition and receive a certificate of completion, you will need to attend all four workshops of the same stream and complete the associated online activities. If you are not able to meet the requirements of the program, you may be instructed to complete additional tasks or invited to return in a future iteration to complete the program.
There will also be opportunities to participate in other Leadership Foundations workshops later in the year, dates and details of these will be communicated separately.
Applications for the Leadership Foundations Term 1 2026 close on Wednesday, 11 February.
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You don't need an official title (e.g. president/manager) to be a leader. Anyone can be a leader, and anyone can practice leadership skills. We believe that this program should be part of every student’s development journey as it reflects the UNSW Graduate Capabilities of becoming a globally focused graduate capable of leadership and professional practice in an international community.
We welcome any UNSW student who is interested in discovering their leadership identity and developing their interpersonal and professional skills.
A key strength of Leadership Foundations is the diversity of perspectives, experience and knowledge within the learning community. We encourage students from all faculties and levels of study to apply to the program.
Please note:
- This program is not suitable for students enrolled in MBA programs. Please contact Career Accelerator @ AGSM for career development support/career coaching support.
- For students in their first year and first term at UNSW, we suggest waiting until later in the year to apply for Leadership Foundations, giving you time to adjust to university life before participating. Upcoming options include the May Intensive (in‑person) and the Term 2 online program. Express your interest here.
Inclusive and supportive program
We are dedicated to fostering a learning environment that is inclusive and supportive for everyone. If you have any specific needs to help you fully participate, we are here to make the necessary adjustments.
These adjustments might include providing extra time, ensuring spaces and processes are accessible, or offering materials in alternative formats. If there is anything we can do to support you, please let us know by emailing us at leadership@unsw.edu.au. Your comfort and ability to fully engage are our top priorities.
Listen here to the accessibility message.
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You will join a learning community of like-minded students to progress through four blended learning modules. This will take approx. 20 hours in total to complete.
Each module contains an online component and interactive live workshop. Participants will reflect on their assumptions, collaborate with peers, and challenge themselves in a range of individual and group activities.
Leadership Foundations concludes with a creative and reflective final task to consolidate the learnings from the different modules and help you discover the next step in your leadership journey.
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On successful completion of this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to:
Adopt a Growth Mindset: Learn how to recognise challenges as opportunities for growth and view mistakes as valuable learning experiences. Practice applying a growth mindset to enhance your leadership in both personal and professional contexts.
Build Resilience and Grit: Identify stress management techniques that work for you. Develop grit by learning how to stay motivated and persevere, while also recognising the importance of self-care to maintain overall wellbeing.
Drive Team Success: Practice effective communication, active listening and trust-building skills. Learn simple conflict resolution strategies to enhance collaboration and develop basic leadership techniques that support effective teamwork.
Foster Curiosity and Inclusivity: Develop an awareness of the value of diversity in teams. Begin developing curiosity and inclusive leadership skills so you can create a team environment of innovation, respect, and creativity.
Reflect and Plan for Growth: Reflect on your personal values and strengths to create a meaningful purpose statement. Evaluate your leadership progress, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for continued development.
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The Leadership Foundations program runs multiple times a year, offering both term and intensive formats.
Leadership Foundations - Term 1 2026
The Leadership Foundations Term 1 2026 program is delivered between Week 1 and Week 5. Workshops are held online. See above this page for full detals.Applications close Wednesday 11 February 2026.
Leadership Foundations - May Intensive 2026
Leadership Foundations May Intensive applications open Monday, 9 March (Week 4, Term 1) and close on Sunday, 12 April (Week 8, Term 1). Workshops are in-person and the program runs for one week.Workshop dates are
- First stream: Tuesday, 19 May and Thursday, 21 May, from 10am-4pm.
- Second stream: Wednesday 20 May and Friday, 22 May, from 10am-4pm.
Express your interest here.
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Upon satisfactorily meeting the program requirements, you will be awarded AHEGS recognition and a completion certificate. We will also provide you with access to the Leadership Foundations LinkedIn Group to continue your professional and personal development as well as a banner to post to your LinkedIn profile to acknowledge your involvement in this program.
Students share their experience
This course has helped me develop skills to foster teams that champion psychological safety. It has honed my ability to practice empathy, allowing me to listen to other people, and understand and relate to their experience.
The Leadership Foundations program has completely changed my perspective of what it means to be a leader. You can ascend to the top, leading empathy towards others, while being kind to yourself.
This self-discovery journey helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses to become a holistic individual. Through workshops, reflections, and peer support, I gained the insights and the tools I need to lead with authenticity.
The program helped me connect with others, forge new relationships and gain valuable insights in leadership. It really helped develop that growth mindset, emphasising daily self-improvement, continuous learning and unyielding ambition.
This program is amazing. You’ll meet a diverse group of individuals from various fields and countries, making it a fun experience. It also enables you to learn many practical skills that prove invaluable in the professional world.
I enrolled in the program with an aim to continually enhance my skills and truly understand the essence of leadership. This course has taught me the importance of empathy, as you never really know what another team member might be experiencing.