Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders

WHU’s Leadership Essentials Program explores the foundations of leadership by challenging you to (re-)consider who you are as a leader and why anybody should be led by you. Over the course of three highly interactive days, you will develop a deeper understanding of your leadership identity, and learn how to navigate different team dynamics, as well as how to activate your professional network to enhance your impact as an emerging leader.

We use exercises, group work, and case studies to illustrate the behaviors of high-performing leaders. The program concludes with reflections on what you have learned and a forward plan that will help you apply the insights for your further leadership development.

Personal Leadership Leadership General Management Management Essentials

Suitable for participants with at least:

5YearsWork

Program Faculty

You will start this emerging leaders program by focusing on your personal situation, identifying who you are as a leader, the reasons why you want to be a leader and why others should follow you. Through exploring behavioral patterns that distinguish highly effective leaders, you will develop an understanding of the various leadership concepts and its interplay with different team states, helping you to create your own authentic leadership style.

More specifically, we will consider the emotional states teams can fall into, such as resignation, negativity spirals, or inertia. Using role plays and reflective debriefs, you will learn to recognize these patterns, understand how leaders may unintentionally reinforce them, and practice strategies to shift teams toward productive energy. You will also explore the role of inspirational leadership in creating uplift and momentum.

Moreover, we will also explore inclusion, belonging, and diversity as key drivers of sustained high performance. You will work with practical tools to shape psychologically safe, globally distributed, and diverse teams, concluding with strategies for building strong networks and transferring your learning back into your workplace.

Understand the importance of leadership
Be able to reflect on your own leadership purpose and values
Consider the limitations and challenges of leadership
Understand the do’s and don’ts when leading diverse teams
Develop actionable ideas for motivating and inspiring others.
Recognize and understand how to leverage personal and professional networks

Upon completion, you will be awarded a WHU Executive Education Certificate, a recognized mark of your commitment to growth, leadership, and lifelong learning, issued by one of Europe’s top business schools.

Who benefits most from the program?

Participants who are transitioning into a leadership position, or have done so in the past few years.
Participants moving from an operational into a strategic position.
Participants who lead teams and are seeking to enhance their people-management skills

The minimum number of participants for this program is 12.

This 3-day program runs at WHU Campus Dusseldorf.

Leadership Essentials Program

May 18, 2026 - May 20, 2026, Düsseldorf

Get the full General Management Experience – Special offer

This Program is part of the Management Essentials Program, a package that provides participants, who are transitioning into a leadership position, or have done so recently, with the fundamental skills of General Management. You can choose 3 out of 4 of the following programs: Leadership Essentials, Strategy Essentials, Financial Literacy, and Innovation & Corporate Entrepreneurship Essentials.

In combination with an additional personality profile, the 3 programs can be scheduled flexibly to make them best fit your professional and personal schedule.

Upon completion of the program, participants receive WHU’s “Certificate of Excellence in General Management”. Furthermore, you can choose to gain 6 ECTS credits.

Prof. Fabiola H. Gerpott article featuren on the WHU knowledge website

Rethinking Leadership: Finding and Retaining Female Talent

Despite years of DEI efforts, women are still underrepresented in leadership. In her latest research, Prof. Fabiola H. Gerpott shares actionable strategies organizations can use to close this gap, for good.

Read the full article to discover what actually works.

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Leadership Essentials Program

Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders

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