Rising Leadership Program

*2025 Rising Information Webinar*

Join us for our 2025 Rising Leadership Program – Information Webinar on Monday 11 November at 5.30pm.

You will learn about the Program from our CEO and Rising Alumni, along with having the chance to ask your questions during our live Q&A.

Discover more and register here.

Rising Leadership Program

The Rising Leadership Program is designed to develop mid-career professionals from all sectors and industries, and equip you with the tools and frameworks to become authentic, courageous and effective leaders.

The experiential Program includes cohort-based learning; experiential by design. Participants advance together through the Program with personal and collective learning, reflections and action.

Selection is a competitive process and candidates are required to complete an online application, which is followed by an interview for those selected to progress to the next stage.

Over the six-month Rising Leadership Program, you will explore a variety of themes through collaborative discussions and unique leadership experiences, specifically tailored to your journey as a leader. This Program provides you with invaluable access to some of Western Australia’s most insightful leaders, as they share their leadership journeys with candour under the confidentiality ‘Chatham House Rule’.

By embarking on the Rising Leadership Program, you will strengthen your leadership skills and broaden your perspectives, alongside a cohort who have been carefully curated to ensure diversity of thought and experience.

“The Rising Leadership Program provided me with the opportunity to reflect on my professional and personal journey, both past and future, and helped me better understand how I could be more effective and impactful through my actions. Rising also provided me with an incredible network of people that I can now call on for guidance.” – Regan Ashley | Senior Project Manager, Vital Images, Rising Leadership Program Graduate

Learning Outcomes

The Rising Leadership Program focuses on developing both the inner and outer game of courageous and authentic Leadership – inner thoughts and emotions and the outer actions at work.

You will receive frameworks, tools and relevant resources.

The Program has 3 foundation pillars:

Leading Me

• Understanding who you are as an authentic leader
• Identifying and building on your existing strengths
• Creating helpful habits to lead with courage, wellness and to flourish

Leading Us

• Understanding what it takes to inspire people and teams to achieve performance goals by focusing on outcomes over outputs.
• Applying human-centered leadership strategies and tools (such as coaching and feedback) to build individual and team performance.
• Building confidence and capacity to lead teams through complex challenges

Leading Together

• Increasing your ability to drive positive change and new ways of working
• Creating collaborative networks and relationships to advance your organisation’s purpose
• Improving your ability to influence and make an impact

Program Overview

The Rising Leadership Program is uniquely structured with carefully designed immersive cohort learning experiences.

Set over 12 unique leadership Experience Days, the Rising Leadership Program combines collaborative group work, opportunities for reflection and diverse experiences with respected WA leaders. Each Experience Day typically runs from 9:00am to 4:30pm and include refreshments and lunch.

Throughout the Program, you will also undertake a collaborative group Community Impact Project, centred around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, under the direction of a mentor from the not-for-profit sector.

Alumni Network

Following completion of the Program. you will join a strong and influential network of almost 1300 Leadership WA Alumni. This network comes together regularly to continue to grow and learn, and to give back by contributing to Leadership WA’s Skillsbank initiative, where Alumni share their expertise and time to support social impact activities across WA, making a real and meaningful difference in the community.

Scholarships Available

We are delighted to offer a number of Scholarships for the Rising Leadership Program, supported by both the Leadership WA Foundation and our partner organisations, including the Mt Burdett Foundation Scholarship for applicants who live in regional WA.

We are also pleased offer again in 2025, Scholarships for those in the construction and building industry:

• Construction Training Fund (CTF) Construction Sector Leaders Scholarships are full Scholarships for those actively working in the WA construction sector, in an area the CTF supports.
• There includes places for a metropolitan participant and a regional participant, the regional Scholarship includes all travel and accommodation.

For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.

Please note that many Government Departments have their own selection processes for the professional development opportunities they support, including for Leadership WA Programs. Please speak with your Organisational Development team ahead of applying, to find out more.