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Female Leadership Accelerator

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Identify, Define and Develop your Leadership Capabilities

For women who want to break the glass ceiling, recalibrate their professional profile or accelerate their careers. Get ready for leadership with this three-month program. Drive your success with cutting-edge leadership skills, a can-do mindset and access to the complete Mannheim Network and all it has to offer. Find the sparring partners and tools you need for your career transition and meet like-minded women in a unique modular program that will fit into your busy schedule.

Female CEOs


16 % of SMEs in Germany are currently led by women

(Source: KFW Research)

Female Management


28 % of middle and senior management jobs in Germany are held by women

(Source: KFW Research)

Female Board Members


23 % of board members of DAX 40 companies are women

(Source: AllBright Foundation)

It is time for a change: Women are equal to men in the eyes of the law and possess equivalent or even higher educational qualifications, skills and leadership competences. However, they still remain underrepresented in management. The causes for this are varied and complex, reflecting the general conditions for reconciling family and career, the lacking role models and the unconscious biases ingrained in corporate culture. Let us change this, starting with you! Our part-time program will enable you to break the boundaries, develop an authentic leadership identity, hone your strengths and prepare for the next step in your career. 

Impact

Key leadership skills and the path to finding your personal strengths and authentic leadership identity

Strategic networking and negotiation skills to win supporters, drive change, increase visibility and manage conflict

Sparring partners and the tools you need for your career transition

MBA level teaching at Germany's #1 Business School

Transformative in-person learning experience with a strong group of like-minded women

The opportunity to network with MBS alumni, program participants and corporate contacts

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This is the program for you if you want to transition your career into a leadership position, re-enter the workforce after a full-time caregiving role or some other break, or make a career in Germany part of your expat experience.

  • Prerequisites are a higher education degree, at least three years of work experience and good English language skills
  • Certificate awarded by Mannheim Business School
  • Three two-day modules on Fridays and Saturdays (only three working days) spread over three months
  • Two individual online coaching sessions
  • Program start: September 5, 2024
  • Course period: September – November 2024
  • Fee: €7,500 including all courses, workshops and materials, two counseling sessions, and meals during the modules. Tax Benefit: You can get back up to 50% of the program fee and travel costs in German taxation. Outside of Germany, please check details with a tax advisor in your country of residence.
  • Early-bird offer: Register by July 21, 2024, to save €1,000!
  • Reduced fee of €6,500 for MBS and University of Mannheim alumni, their wives and co-habiting partners, staff and cooperating companies

Course Overview and Schedule

Courses

  • Strengths-based Leadership

    During this course, you will explore the qualities of successful leadership and discover the unique characteristics that contribute to your authentic leadership. Immersed in a transformative learning experience, you will define and chart a course to your authentic leadership by (re-)defining and developing your leadership identity, honing your leadership skills and preparing yourself to lead in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environment.

    Upon completion, you will be able to:

    • Develop a clear understanding of your inherent leadership identity, strengths, weaknesses and core values, and how to leverage them to effectively lead yourself and others.
    • Gain insights into what science knows about effective leadership and high-performing teams.
    • Recognize and overcome the unique challenges that women in leadership positions face, and develop strategies to navigate these obstacles.
    • Build your confidence as a leader and enhance your communication and collaboration skills to effectively influence and inspire your teams.
    • Understand the importance of work–life integration and develop strategies to balance your personal and professional responsibilities.
  • Corporate Culture and Leadership

    Participants will learn how to analyze and visualize corporate cultures, and how to change corporate cultures through leadership.

    • The onion model of corporate culture. Types of corporate culture. Link to Business Ethics and CSR:
      • What’s the relation between corporate culture and CSR?
      • What’s the relation between corporate culture and the distinction between the shareholder versus stakeholder approach?
    • Understand the difference between management and leadership
    • Deepen the understanding of transformational leadership and new leadership

Workshops

  • Team Building

    An important element of the first module of the Female Leadership Accelerator program is to establish a sense of belonging and psychological safety within the team of participants. This will create enablers of each individual participant’s development and the whole team’s ability to engage in open and honest sparring and discussion.

  • Positive Energy Management

    This workshop will explore the concept of positive energy management, focusing on how to maintain a positive mindset in the face of adversity and chaos. It will also examine how to ensure that you present yourself as a strong and inspiring female leader from your best self.

    The workshop will also address the importance of maintaining good health for female leaders, emphasizing that it is not only about physical health.

    Participants will gain

    • an understanding of the “four batteries” concept and how they can be charged to ensure they are fully engaged and able to perform at their best. This is achieved through a combination of theory and best practices from the facilitator and participants.
    • a deeper understanding of their personal values and priorities, enabling them to connect more effectively with their inner resources and identify ways to enhance their leadership skills.
    • first-hand experience of the effectiveness of selected exercises for recharging the batteries and learn how to perform these exercises independently.

     

  • Negotiation

    This workshop will familiarize the participants with basic negotiation concepts and principles that will guide them to win–win agreements and increase the likelihood of keeping good relations between the parties involved. Building their own negotiation style inventory, participants will practice situations such as saying “no” in a positive way and dealing with power differences, non-verbal behavior and emotions (their own and those of the other party).

 

High-profile Academics and Coaches Contributing to the Program

Mette Nørr Gantzhorn

Mette Nørr Gantzhorn is an experienced corporate leader in topics related to inclusion, diversity, well-being and change management leadership. She holds a master’s degree in psychology from Aarhus University and has previously held several senior leadership positions within People & Organization, garnering extensive experience in consultancy. Before establishing her own business, she was Head of Global Inclusion, Diversity & Well-Being at Ørsted following more than 11 years at Novo Nordisk, most recently serving as Director and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion. Throughout her career, she has focused on ensuring that companies create the context, culture, systems and mindsets where everyone, no matter who they are, will be able to perform at their best.

“As a leader, mother and business psychologist, I am passionately curious about what drives change – in people, between people, in organizations and in cultures. How do we create future fit companies, where people are being respected for who they are, appreciated for what they bring to the table and rewarded equally for what they accomplish while living sustainable lives? Because the best companies are where the best people want to work. This is what excites me and keeps me hungry.” She has also contributed to books, articles and podcasts on diversity, inclusion and change leadership through behavioral design.

Prof. Dr. Regina Raschke

Following roles in the Training and Business Development departments of Robert Bosch GmbH and as an authorized signatory at Mannheim Business School, Regina Raschke has established herself as a trainer, facilitator and coach, supporting organizations in their innovation and change processes.

She specializes in strategic management, leadership, human resource development, team management, soft skills/21st century skills, innovation and change management, and human centered design.

Regina Raschke studied business administration, completed her MBA at Mannheim Business School, Warwick Business School (UK) and ESSEC Business School (France), and received her Ph.D. at the University of Mannheim (under Prof. Homburg). She spent many years abroad (including four years in China) and has worked with people, teams and organizations from various cultures.

Since 2015, she is Professor of Business Administration, esp. Marketing & Human Resource Management at Ludwigshafen University of Applied Science and since 2019, she is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of TSG ResearchLab gGmbH.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Armbrüster

Prof. Thomas Armbrüster heads the research group Knowledge Management, Human Resources and Leadership at the University of Marburg and regularly holds courses in leadership, employee management, corporate culture and change management at Mannheim Business School. As Partner and Senior Executive Trainer of Prof. Armbrüster Leadership GmbH, he has been supporting numerous managers at all hierarchical levels in their professional development as a leadership trainer and leadership coach for more than 10 years.

Prof. Armbrüster holds a degree in industrial engineering from TU Berlin. He spent several years working in management consultancies before completing his doctorate at the London School of Economics and Political Science and habilitating at TU Berlin. This was followed by research stays at the European University Institute in Florence, Stanford University and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, among others. After several years at private universities, some of them in management positions, he was appointed Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Erfurt in 2012 and has been Professor of Knowledge Management and Human Resource Management at the University of Marburg since 2015. His research interests also include management consulting, human resources management, and leadership.

Fieke Harinck

Fieke Harinck, Ph.D., has been in academia since 1990, first as a student of social psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, then as a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and since 2001, as an assistant professor at Leiden University. She studies negotiation and conflict management, and delivers lectures on power, motivation and leadership in organizations. Apart from working at the university, she is an independent trainer and coach in negotiation and communication, with a keen interest in empowering women in these fields.

Katja Müller

In her capacity as a psychology professor for over 14 years, Katja Müller has developed her expertise in understanding and maximizing human potential, as well as her talent for translating complex ideas into easily understood models or tools that have practical wisdom to them.

In addition to owning a Coaching and Leadership Development company, she globally trains other coaches and has a passion for growing high potentials. She serves as a bilingual executive and team coach and workshop leader for the high potentials of KPMG, Porsche, Cisco, BMW, and the Executive MBA programs of the Mannheim Business School and ESSEC Paris.

Prior to her coaching and teaching career, she worked as a team leader for Volkswagen on EU-funded projects. She has since broadened her insights into different industries by coaching leaders and teams in sectors ranging from non-profit to aerospace, medicine, automotive, technology, and banking.  Katja has lived and worked in many countries, which has given her a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and the value of different perspectives. 

All of Katja’s work is in service of making a positive difference in how people are with themselves and others and to empower people to own their unique and soulful leadership style, impact and best version of themselves from the inside out. Her areas of expertise include personal development and authentic leadership, emotional intelligence and communication, strengths-based leadership, female leadership, conflict management and change.

Make the Most of the Mannheim Advantage

Benefit from our proven experience in developing and running leadership and personal development programs.

Gain access to the complete Mannheim Network of more than 4,500 business professionals worldwide offering a huge diversity in terms of professional and personal backgrounds. Since we keep up with our alumni and their careers, we can connect you with the best person for any question you may have.

Introduce yourself to potential employers and learn about the various industries and organizations at our flagship recruiting event, the MBS Career Week.

Mannheim, which is located right in the heart of Europe in Germany’s Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, is easy to reach by ICE train.

Registration

Registration is open. Our Manager Open Programs & Certificates Ramona Delić (delic@mannheim-business-school.com) will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Good to know: Tax offices usually recognize costs for your further education if they are job-related.

Contact Person

MANNHEIM BUSINESS SCHOOL (MBS)

Located in the heart of the German and European economy, Mannheim Business School (MBS), the umbrella organization for management education at the University of Mannheim, is considered to be one of the leading institutions of its kind in Germany and is continuously ranked as Germany’s #1.

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