By women, for women – University of Leicester unveils transformative leadership programme

Women who want to break new ground in their professional lives are being encouraged to sign up for a leadership programme from the University of Leicester.

Beyond Boundaries is designed for women in mid-to-senior level positions who are looking to enhance their leadership skills, build a powerful network, and achieve their career aspirations.

The programme takes places over four days, in two sessions, in February and May 2025 – find out more and sign up on the website.

“Beyond Boundaries is for any woman who wants to truly focus on her professional development and future career,” said Victoria Demery, who is an Organisational Development Specialist at the University and co-facilitator of Beyond Boundaries.

“It has been created by women for women with an emphasis on inclusion and authenticity. Not only will the programme educate you on how to be an effective leader, it will also provide you with an instant tribe of women to be in your corner supporting you on your journey to greatness.”

The programme will also help boost the confidence of those who find networking difficult.

Victoria added: “Networking is an important aspect of career development but is often something many of us shy away from. It takes confidence and an ability to ‘sell ourselves’ to be successful at making purposeful connections and often as women, imposter syndrome creeps in to derail our best intentions. 

“This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to successfully widen your current professional network and will provide you with the opportunity to practice theses skills in real life networking situations.”

Delegates who feel they aren’t a born leader will also benefit for the programme, as Victoria explains. She said: “It’s true that some people appear born to be leaders, to be able to command a room and be heard. Others have to work their socks off to become effective leaders.

“Whether you fit into one of these categories or are somewhere in between, this programme focuses on authenticity and what leadership looks and feels like to you. We aren’t in the business of creating clones of leaders, far from it. We want every woman on the programme to understand their own value, to recognise the power that they have and develop the most effective way of sharing that with the world. We will help you to have a voice and to have this voice heard.”

Beyond Boundaries takes place in person over four days, split into two sessions with a residential overnight stay for each block. This ensures a focused learning experience while fostering strong connections and networking amongst participants. One of the highlights of the programme is the networking dinners, held on the residential nights where you will be joined by guests from various industries, providing opportunities to hear from influential speakers and further build your professional network.

Session A takes place on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 February, followed by session B on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May.

Find out more and sign up on the website. University of Leicester staff can benefit from a discount on the price.