Are you ready to advance your leadership on your terms?
For women stepping into senior leadership, the journey comes with unique challenges—navigating complex dynamics, unspoken expectations, and traditional leadership norms. But being in power isn’t just about a title; it’s about shaping decisions, influencing outcomes, and driving meaningful change on your terms.
This program challenges you to redefine what it means to be “in power”—moving beyond authority to influence, beyond position to purpose, beyond competition to collaboration. This three-day immersive experience blends interactive learning, group coaching, and hands-on practice to create a holistic and transformative journey.
Through research-backed frameworks, coaching, and a strong peer network, you’ll gain the confidence, strategies, and support to step fully into your leadership with clarity and intention.
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What does being in power mean to you? Expand your leadership narrative.
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What’s holding you back? Identify and overcome self-limiting beliefs.
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Who is in your circle of influence? Build strategic networks to amplify your impact.
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How will you turn power into impact? Make change happen with confidence and purpose.
Being in power isn’t about permission—it’s about presence, influence, and action.
Key facts
Your profile
- You are a female leader or executive with responsibility for a team(s) or large projects.
- You are a senior expert leading global projects or teams in the transition to a senior leadership position.
- You are a changemaker— driving meaningful impact in e.g. companies, government bodies, non-profits, or mission-driven organizations, shaping policies, communities, and societal progress.
Program highlights
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Re-define “in power” on your terms – Explore and reshape narratives to overcome imposter syndrome and lead with confidence and purpose
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Break through self-limiting beliefs – Recognize hidden barriers, shift mindsets, and unlock your full leadership potential
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Build a network of power and allies – Foster key connections, mentors, and peers to expand your influence.
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Turn power into action – Develop tangible action plans to turn your leadership purpose into lasting impact.
Topics
- Redefining power in leadership
- Building strategic networks
- Overcoming self-limiting beliefs
- Crafting your leadership narrative
- Strengthening presence and confidence
- Leading high-stakes conversations
Why ESMT?
- Ranked #1 business school in Germany by the Financial Times Executive Education Rankings
- Combine theory with hands-on experiences to help put new ideas into practice and develop your leadership skills
- Expand your network and learn from the experiences of your peers
Downloads
Factsheet - Women in Power
Application form
Next dates
Program structure
- Challenge traditional leadership narratives and define “in power” on your terms.
- Develop strategies to build a network of power and allies to amplify your influence.
- Identify self-limiting beliefs and patterns holding you back.
- Craft your own leadership and power narrative aligned with your values.
- Strengthen your leadership presence to project power in your way.
- Practice high-stakes conversations to lead and influence with impact.
How you will learn
You will engage in innovative exercises, participate in workshops with peers and faculty, collaborate in pair and group work, and benefit from group coaching sessions.
Interactive lectures, plenary discussions, and networking events will also provide opportunities for learning and connection.
Qiao Zhang
Nora Grasselli
Eric Quintane
Andreas Bernhardt
Stephanie Street
Lara King
The program left a lasting impression on me, and the standout moment was the last coaching day.
...where theater and acting coaches unveiled the significance of body language, voice, and gestures in presentations and conversations. I was amazed to learn that these non-verbal elements contribute to 93% of the overall impact, while the actual content only makes up 7%! We got to practice communication techniques and dive deep into our work challenges. It was a great experience!
But here's the best part: this program didn't just help me professionally, it made a personal impact too. Those three intense days of coaching and exchange are still working their magic in my mind. I'm looking forward to using the techniques I learned and staying connected with the people I met to continue learning from each other.
This program is not intended to be a "girl power" brainwashing experience.
I had a wonderful experience at ESMT Berlin where I attended the Women's Leadership Excellence (WLE) program (now Women in Power). This program is not intended to be a "girl power" brainwashing experience. Rather, it aims to enhance participants' understanding of the necessary qualities of being a forward-looking manager, emphasizes the importance of developing a strong network, and provides the opportunity to benefit from individual coaching. I had the chance to meet wonderful and successful women from whom I learned a lot. In a nutshell, the key elements emphasized in the WLE program are self-confidence, trust, sharing, caring, kindness, and self-disclosure.
Earn Your Postgraduate Diploma
This program can be taken as part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Management curriculum.
Need more information?
Contact our program advisors:
- Fill out our Request Information form
- Phone: +49 30 21231 1490
- Email: bd@esmt.org
