Would you like to get even more out of your SIEF experience? The Leadership Accelerator module within the Spring Institute is designed to help delegates sharpen their leadership skills and supercharge their Institute experience.

Back for 2025 with a refreshed curriculum, faculty members and other senior leaders in the sector will provide delegates with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to begin achieving their long-term career goals.

Please note, that this module requires commitment to four sessions (one during the week before SIEF) and time to review pre-reading materials.
 

How to register

Participation is open to all SIEF delegates, regardless of whether you’re a current or aspiring leader. There is no additional charge, but delegates must pre-register for the module. An enrollment form will be distributed to delegates following registration.
 

Module Objectives

• Access to leaders: Gain invaluable insights on how to lead a team 
• Define your leadership style: Reflect on your own leadership style. Explore what sets you apart and how you can make a bigger impact 
• Navigate tough situations: Leadership isn't always smooth sailing. Learn how to navigate challenges and respond effectively, even in the most demanding situations 
• Take the discussion further: Go deeper into the toughest topics that arise during the rest of the SIEF programme
   

Sessions

1. Pre-Institute Teams call - week before SIEF 2025 (exact date TBC)

Two guest speakers will reflect on their own approaches to leadership, what leadership looks like in a modern university and what early-career fundraisers can do to develop their skills. Delegates will be welcome to ask questions.

2. Tough Calls clinic - Tuesday 29 April, 4:00 PM onsite

President Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, said, ‘In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.’ Every leader faces dozens of difficult decisions, week in and week out. In the second session, delegates will work together to deal with realistic and incredibly difficult scenarios in which HE leaders would need to make tough but critical decisions, and will also learn how Institute faculty would respond to the same challenges.

3. What have we learned? - Thursday 1 May, 4:00 PM onsite

Delegates and faculty members will work through the nine specific skills leaders need to be successful. Delegates will have the chance to assess their progress toward mastering these skills and to share the experiences that have helped them grow and learn the most. Faculty will also offer tips and tricks to presenting yourself as a leader in the sector.

4. Your career path – Friday 2 May, 10:15 AM onsite