6 months | 20 CPD Points | Online live sessions | Next cohort starts: 19 February 2027
Overview
The Internal Communication Leadership Programme is designed specifically for internal communication professionals who want to increase their impact and strengthen their leadership capabilities.
Combining insights from neuroscience, behavioural science, organisational psychology and communication leadership, the six-month programme will help you better understand how people think, respond to change, build trust and collaborate under pressure.
Through interactive workshops, peer learning, coaching conversations and practical workplace application, you will develop the skills to influence stakeholders, navigate difficult conversations, build stronger partnerships and contribute more strategically to organisational goals.
The programme is built around two complementary frameworks: SHIFT and ALIGN. Together, they guide you from self-awareness and personal leadership development towards stronger influence, collaboration and strategic impact.
By the end of the programme, you will have developed greater leadership confidence, stronger stakeholder relationships and practical tools to increase your influence.
Who is it for?
This programme is designed for internal communication professionals at specialist, manager and business-partner level who want to strengthen their leadership capabilities, influence stakeholders and demonstrate strategic organisational impact.
What you'll gain
By the end of the programme, you will:
- understand how people interpret communication, why resistance happens and the drivers of behavioural change
- apply stakeholder psychology and neuroscience principles to your leadership practice
- use influence to achieve outcomes without relying on authority, and build trust with stakeholders
- regulate yourself under pressure and navigate difficult stakeholder conversations
- develop stronger leadership presence and create cross-functional alignment
- operate as a more confident strategic adviser with greater leadership confidence, stronger stakeholder relationships and practical tools to increase your influence
- develop a network of peers, learning from each other and building collaborative, long-lasting professional relationships.
Delivery & schedule
The programme is run over six months and combines teaching and coaching sessions, on-demand content, group discussion and self-study.
The live two-hour sessions take place monthly and introduce each module. During each session, you will also engage with online materials designed to support individual reflection, collaborative discussion and knowledge sharing.
After each module, you will receive additional reading materials to deepen your understanding, along with practical worksheets to help you apply the models and theories explored during the live sessions.
The course requires a time commitment of around two-four hours a week to include live sessions, online materials and worksheets, self-reflection and study, and practical application of techniques.
Course schedule
All times are UK.
| Module | Date & Time |
| The Leadership Identity Shift | Friday 19 February, 10am - 12pm |
| People-First Leadership | Friday 19 March, 10am - 12pm |
| Leadership Through Influence | Friday 16 April, 10am - 12pm |
| Collaborative Leadership in Action | Friday 14 May, 10am - 12pm |
| From Communication Execution to Strategic Impact | Friday 11 June, 10am - 12pm |
| Leadership Integration and Future Growth | Friday 9 July, 10am - 12pm |
Pricing and booking.
The six-month programme will run between Friday 19 February and Friday 9 July 2027.
Member Price: £2000 +VAT
Non-Member Price: £2400 +VAT
Payment plans are available. Places are strictly limited to ensure each participant has the support and guidance they need.
Your Programme Lead
Ana Maria Thijssen, Leadership Development Consultant and Coach
With a background in Communication and NeuroLeadership Coaching, and over 14 years of experience working closely with managers and teams, Ana-Maria has developed a strong interest in the human side of performance.
She has seen and experienced first-hand, how Internal Communication professionals carry immense responsibility - and how often they are expected to lead in their field and in their companies, without being fully equipped to do so.
Ana's strength lies in building relationships based on trust, openness, and honest reflection. In her training, she combines theory, practical business insights, exercises, and neuroscience-based leadership development to help IC-ers grow into better leaders for themselves and for their own roles.
