Advanced Executive Leadership for Women Training Course – Vienna, 5–16 Jul 2027

Executive Leadership for Women is a 2-week advanced training course for senior women managers and directors preparing for executive roles, and each participant leaves with an executive advancement plan covering presence, sponsorship and negotiation. Organisations now compete for senior talent and are judged on the depth of their leadership benches, so stalled advancement of capable women is a strategic loss. Jupiter Prime Training runs this course for leaders ready for the executive table.

Why Executive Leadership for Women Matters Now

Three forces shape executive leadership for women today. Boards and investors increasingly examine leadership succession and diversity at the top, so organisations need ready candidates rather than promises. Senior roles have widened, demanding enterprise thinking, political skill and public visibility as much as functional expertise. At the same time, subtle bias, scarce sponsorship and the double bind between competence and likeability still slow many women at the step into executive office. Organisations that address these factors widen their succession pool and retain experienced leaders; those that ignore them lose talent at the most expensive point. The course draws on established research on sponsorship, influence and executive presence.

Who Gains Most from Executive Leadership for Women

• Directors responsible for divisions or functions who are next in line for executive appointment
• Senior managers leading cross-functional portfolios and transformation initiatives
• Heads of departments who present regularly to executive committees and boards
• Senior specialists in finance, technology, healthcare or energy moving into general leadership
• Women leaders already in executive roles seeking stronger influence and board exposure

Organisations that send a cohort of senior women together with an executive sponsor gain most, because sponsorship commitments and succession actions can be agreed on return.

Executive Leadership for Women Capabilities

Participants move from strong functional leadership to the enterprise influence, visibility and negotiating strength expected of executives.

• Assess personal executive presence against gravitas, communication and appearance dimensions — succession committees
• Build power maps and coalitions for contested proposals — executive peers and chief executives
• Design sponsorship requests and personal advisory boards — senior advocates in talent reviews
• Apply interest-based negotiation to budgets, role scope and reward — resource and career decisions
• Weigh responses to double-bind and bias situations — reputation and team climate
• Communicate a strategic narrative that links initiatives to enterprise direction — boards and investors

Key Executive Leadership for Women Terms

• Executive presence — The combination of gravitas, communication and appearance that leads others to see a person as ready for senior responsibility.
• Sponsor — A senior leader who uses their influence to advocate for a person's promotion and stretch assignments, beyond giving advice.
• Double bind — A situation in which women leaders are judged as competent but cold, or warm but less capable, whichever style they choose.
• Power map — A visual of formal and informal influence around a decision, showing who decides, who advises and who can block.
• Personal advisory board — A deliberately chosen group of mentors, sponsors and peers who guide a leader's career decisions.
• Second-generation bias — Subtle, often unintentional organisational practices and assumptions that disadvantage women without any explicit exclusion.

Executive Leadership for Women Day by Day

Day 1: The Executive Role and Its Expectations

• Transition From Senior Manager to Executive — Shifts in Scope and Accountability
• Enterprise Perspective and Cross-Functional Trade-Offs — Decisions Beyond One Function
• Executive Leadership Competency Profiles — Gaps Before the Next Appointment
• Representation Patterns at Senior Levels — Where Women Leaders Stall
• Personal Leadership Purpose Statement — Anchoring Choices Under Pressure

Day 2: Executive Presence and Gravitas

• Executive Presence Dimensions of Gravitas, Communication and Appearance — Perceived Readiness
• Composure Under Challenge in Senior Meetings — Credibility With Peers
• Voice, Pace and Silence in Boardroom Exchanges — Authority Without Aggression
• Concise Executive Briefings — Holding Attention of Time-Poor Leaders
• Feedback Loops on Presence From Trusted Observers — Targeted Self-Correction

Day 3: Strategic Thinking at Enterprise Level

• Strategic Narrative Building — Linking Initiatives to Organisational Direction
• Scenario Thinking for Uncertain Markets — Preparing Executive Options
• Portfolio Prioritisation Across Business Units — Allocating Scarce Capital and Talent
• Stakeholder Value Mapping — Balancing Shareholders, Employees and Customers
• Strategic Contribution Statements — Showing Impact Beyond Operational Results

Day 4: Influence and Political Intelligence

• Power Mapping of Formal and Informal Networks — Routes to Decision Makers
• Coalition Building for Contested Proposals — Securing Votes Before Meetings
• Influence Styles and Reciprocity — Choosing the Right Lever per Stakeholder
• Reading Organisational Politics Without Cynicism — Ethical Positioning Choices
• Managing Up With Chief Executives and Boards — Aligning Agendas

Day 5: Sponsorship, Mentoring and Visibility

• Sponsor Versus Mentor Roles — Asking for the Right Support
• Sponsorship Conversations and Mutual Value — Advocacy in Talent Reviews
• Visibility Assignments and Stretch Roles — Selecting Career-Defining Projects
• Board Exposure Through Committees and Presentations — Building Director Credibility
• Personal Advisory Board Design — Guidance Across Career Decisions

Day 6: Negotiating for Resources and Career Moves

• Interest-Based Negotiation Principles — Securing Budgets and Headcount
• Negotiating Role Scope, Title and Reward — Fair Terms for Promotions
• Anchoring and Concession Planning — Stronger Positions in Executive Talks
• Handling Pushback and Likeability Penalties in Negotiation — Firm and Warm
• Walk-Away Options and Alternatives Analysis — Confidence When Terms Stall

Day 7: Navigating Bias and Double-Bind Situations

• Double-Bind Dynamics of Competence and Warmth — Calibrated Leadership Style
• Recognising Second-Generation Gender Bias — Responses That Protect Reputation
• Interruptions, Credit Taking and Meeting Dynamics — Reclaiming Airtime
• Allies and Advocates Among Male Peers — Shared Responsibility for Inclusion
• Resilience Routines After Setbacks — Sustained Performance in Demanding Roles

Day 8: Leading Change as an Executive

• Change Vision and Case for Change — Mobilising Senior Teams
• Resistance Diagnosis Among Executive Peers — Targeted Engagement Choices
• Sequencing Transformation Waves — Momentum Without Overload
• Communicating Change Through Leadership Cascades — Consistent Messages Across Levels
• Measuring Change Adoption at Enterprise Level — Course Correction Decisions

Day 9: Networks, Reputation and Personal Brand

• Strategic Network Audit — Gaps in Reach, Diversity and Influence
• External Profile Through Industry Forums and Media — Reputation Beyond the Organisation
• Personal Brand Narrative for Executive Roles — Distinctive Leadership Identity
• Digital Professional Presence — Consistency Between Online and Boardroom Image
• Reputation Risk Management — Protecting Credibility During Visible Failures

Day 10: Practising the Executive Advancement Plan

• Executive Competency Gap Profile — Priorities From Earlier Assessments
• Influence and Sponsorship Map — Named Allies and Advocates
• Negotiation Script for Next Career Move — Rehearsed With Peer Feedback
• Visibility and Network Commitments — Quarterly Leadership Exposure Targets
• Executive Advancement Plan — Presentation to Peer Advisory Panel

Applying Executive Leadership for Women After the Course

• Hold a sponsorship conversation with one senior leader using the mutual value framing practised in the course, and agree one visibility assignment.
• Run a power mapping session for a current contested proposal and secure two coalition partners before it reaches the executive committee.

Executive Leadership for Women Questions (FAQ)

What is executive leadership for women, and why does it matter now?

Executive leadership for women is the set of capabilities senior women need to reach and succeed in executive roles. It matters now because boards scrutinise succession depth, and organisations lose costly talent when capable women stall before the executive table.

Which roles gain most from executive leadership for women training?

Senior women managers and directors one step from executive appointment gain most. Leaders in sectors such as banking, healthcare, energy and government services benefit when their next move depends on influence, sponsorship and board visibility rather than technical expertise.

How does executive leadership for women training differ from a general leadership development course?

It focuses on the transition into executive office and the specific barriers women face there. You work on sponsorship, negotiation for role and reward, and double-bind situations, which general leadership development courses rarely address in depth.

What do you bring back from executive leadership for women training?

You bring back a written advancement plan with a competency gap profile, sponsorship and influence map, negotiation script and visibility commitments, ready to discuss with your line executive and human resources partner.

Executive Leadership for Women: The Way Forward

The executive advancement plan sets out each participant's priority gaps, named sponsors, negotiation stance and visibility commitments. Its first use is the next career conversation with a line executive or sponsor, where it frames the move being sought. Human resources partners and mentors can use it in succession reviews. After the first quarter, the sponsorship map deserves a fresh look as relationships and opportunities shift.