UCLA Leadership Programs: Empowering Leaders for a Dynamic Future

UCLA offers a suite of leadership programs designed to cultivate dynamic, inspirational, and empowering leaders across various fields and career stages. These programs aim to equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and self-awareness necessary to excel in leadership roles and contribute to the university's continued success.

The Leadership Mastery Program: Realizing Inner Power

The Leadership Mastery Program is an innovative program designed for industry executives, managers, engineers, organizational leaders, and anyone interested in becoming a dynamic, inspirational, and empowering leader. It focuses on realizing inner power to make a real difference in all aspects of life.

The program introduces a breakthrough paradigm of thinking and a behavioral model based on interdependency, self-reliance, trust, and mutual accountability. Grounded in the philosophy of self-acceptance and self-referral, the course aims to deliver a new concept and view of life, unlocking exciting leadership possibilities that stem from realizing one’s true nature. It promises a true transformation and evolutionary experience.

Leadership Series: A Deep Dive into Leadership Skills

UCLA offers a Leadership Series, broken down into several parts, each focusing on a specific aspect of leadership development. These courses are designed for emerging and advancing leaders seeking to enhance their skills and effectiveness.

Part 2: Emotional Intelligence for Emerging and Advancing Leaders

This course is designed to equip emerging and advancing leaders with the knowledge and skills to develop their emotional intelligence (EQ). Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to achieve your goals and to effectively relate to others.

Dates: Sept 8, 10, 15, 22, 24, 29, 2025Time: 5:00 - 8:00 PM PT (Monday and Wednesday)Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 1.8 (18 instruction hours)Registration Number: 405063Fee: $1,850

This course will employ a blend of interactive lectures, discussions, group activities, and self-reflection exercises to foster emotional intelligence.

Part 3: Leading and Mastering Your Life and Destiny

This course aims to transform your mind, body, and spirit. It takes a theoretical understanding of leadership effectiveness to a practical level, translating the concept of Self-Mastery into a way of living that is happy 88% of the time. Participants will be challenged to confront their limiting belief systems.

Dates: October 18, 25, 2025Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PT (Saturday)CEUs: 1.8 (18 instruction hours)Registration Number: 405064Fee: $1,850

Participants will be prompted to examine their belief systems and identify patterns that may be hindering their effectiveness. Questions will include:

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‘Do I suffer from the Dis-Ease of Perfectionism?
Are my positive intentions resulting in negative impacts?
Is my intent to be good leader and motivator actually having an impact as such?
What are my core belief systems that are keeping me from being an effective leader?
Are my automatic patterns developed as a coping mechanism to avoid pain resulting in sabotage?
What are key value-added leadership behaviors in communication, conflict resolution, team-building and how effective am I?

Part 4: The Science of Leadership and the Genesis of a Great Leader

This course explores the intricacies of the human mind and psyche, examining the biological influences on behavior and thought processes. This understanding will help leaders reach for excellence and become more effective and influential. The course begins with the essence and principles of leadership and how the paradigm of leadership has changed.

Dates: Nov. 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, Dec 1, 2025Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PT (Monday and Wednesday)CEUs: 1.8 (18 instruction hours)Registration Number: 405065Fee: $1,850

The focus will then shift to self-awareness and understanding followers. Emphasizing the neuroscience of leadership, the course analyzes essential traits of the human brain to help leaders understand how to best influence others. Participants will learn to navigate daily challenges and pain to achieve happiness, joy, and bliss by embracing their true nature, appreciating each moment, and gratefully embracing the present.

Part 6: Doorways to Awakening

This course focuses on achieving freedom from self-limiting behaviors and perceptions through awakening. It introduces the practice of conscious awareness in daily life.

Dates: February 14, 21, 2026Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PT (Saturday)CEUs: 1.8 (18 instruction hours)Registration Number: 405068Fee: $1,850

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By exploring the inner being, participants can realize the Self as the source of Unity of Consciousness, leading to freedom from dualities and true Self-Mastery and Leadership. Life challenges are embraced as opportunities for growth.

Professional Development Program (PDP): Grooming Future UCLA Leaders

Launched in 1994, the PDP aims to prepare UCLA staff for leadership positions within the university. This year-long program provides opportunities to enhance professional and leadership skills, build professional networks, and learn about UCLA's structure and culture. It supports UCLA's succession management needs and continued success by grooming future leaders.

Close communication is maintained between participants, supervisors, and the Professional & Career Development team to ensure alignment with the University's needs. Supervisors should expect participants to need approximately 10-12 hours of paid release time each month. There is no cost to either the department or program member.

The PDP is now a hybrid program, with meetings, activities, and events potentially held over Zoom or on campus. Team members will provide consultation, support, and feedback to one another and conduct a final group presentation summarizing their individual capstone project results. Participants will also meet with the program manager at least three times during the year for individualized leadership development and performance coaching.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

The Professional Development Program is committed to providing development opportunities that reflect and support individuals with diverse backgrounds, identities and experiences. The program acknowledges the impact of bias, discrimination, and oppression on professional and career development. It is committed to continually reviewing and assessing curriculum, content, facilitation, administration, and management to foster a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning environment.

Program Information Folder

The program information folder includes descriptions of the program components and expectations for participants, supervisors and the program Professional & Career Development team. The program is dynamic and responsive to university and participant needs, consequently, program components and details may change in 2025-2026.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the PDP, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Full-time career employment at UCLA in the following payroll title levels:
- Professional & Support Staff (PSS) Grades 2-6
- Career Tracks titles in the Professional categories 3-5
- Career Tracks titles in the Supervisory 2 category
At least one year of service at UCLA as of August 1, 2025, is required. At least one year of service in current role is preferred.
Departmental support for participation (direct supervisor and department head).
Selected participants must have access to Zoom, a computer with a camera and microphone, and a private space to participate in remote meetings.
Selected participants must be able to travel to and attend workshops and other events on campus and in person.

A list of eligible titles can be found online. If unsure if your title is eligible for PDP, please reach out to the program manager to confirm. Ineligible titles will not be considered for acceptance.

Program Timeline

Recruitment begins in February 28, 2025.
The selection committee reviews applications and recommends selected staff for in-person interviews.
A final cohort is selected and notified in June.
Orientation and the opening retreats are held in August.
Program activities and events are attended throughout the year and a final celebration is held in June 2026.

Application Submission Process

The PDP application includes the participant application, (applicant’s information, a number of personal response questions and resume), and the supervisor recommendation. The Professional Development Program application can be accessed online. Requests can be fulfilled more effectively if notice is provided at least 10 days before the application deadline.

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