Statue of Apollo, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
About this course
Whether it is a politician guiding a nation through crisis, a visionary tech entrepreneur disrupting the global business landscape, or a changemaker driving positive impact in their community, great leaders have the power to transform the world. But what makes a great leader, and how do you become one?
This intensive three-week course takes you from classical leadership theory to cutting-edge contemporary challenges. You will explore foundational theories from Plato and Machiavelli to modern frameworks, examine diverse leadership styles including transactional, transformational, charismatic, and agile leadership, and tackle 21st-century challenges: political leadership in volatile environments, resilience in extreme contexts (including insights from leaders who transformed crisis into opportunity), purposeful collaborative leadership for building thriving societies, and the impacts of artificial intelligence and sustainability on leadership today. Through distinguished guest speakers, real-world case studies spanning politics, business, and impact organizations, and interdisciplinary insights from Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Management, Sociology, Psychology, and History, interactive seminars and tutorials help you connect theory to practice whilst developing critical awareness of your own leadership capabilities.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand traditional leadership theories and be able to demonstrate awareness of recent research and current models
- Be able to assess critically the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to leadership on an organisational, national, and international scale
- Identify your own leadership traits, style, and skills, developing self-awareness through engagement with assessment frameworks and reflective practice
- Analyse contemporary leadership challenges including political uncertainty, extreme contexts, digital transformation, sustainability imperatives, and ethical dimensions of leadership in complex environments
Who is this course suitable for?
This course would suit students from a range of academic disciplines, but especially those with a background or interest in Business, Management, and Politics, or who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in anticipation of future leadership roles.
Dates and availability
Available as a Residential or Online course on the following dates:
Session 3: 10th August - 28th August 2026
Get in touch
If you have any questions, or would like to know more, please get in touch via the link below.
Course Convenor: Prof Alona Revko
Prof. Alona Revko is an Academic Visitor at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and a British Academy Fellow (2022-2025). Her research examines social entrepreneurship ecosystems in extreme contexts, with particular focus on trust-based collaboration, institutional resilience, and ecosystem orchestration under conditions of institutional fragility. Her collaborative paper won the 2nd UNTFSSE Award (regular researcher category) at the 10th EMES International Research Conference (2025, Netherlands), and she has recently published her article in the Journal of the British Academy https://journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/articles/13/4/a45.
With over 14 years of teaching experience across Ukraine, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK, Prof. Revko brings expertise in leadership development and social entrepreneurship education to diverse international audiences. Her international teaching portfolio spans multiple prestigious institutions and programmes: she has served as Guest Lecturer for the Movetia Spring Module (2021) at the University of St.Gallen, Switzerland, delivering lectures on leadership; as Academic Director for the CII Young Leaders Programme (2025), designing executive education curriculum for Indian business leaders; and at Oxford’s Skoll Centre, where she facilitates Collaborative Leadership sessions for MBA cohorts representing 20+ nationalities through the Impact Lab leadership development programme. Beyond traditional academic settings, she has developed leadership training for military personnel transitioning to civilian roles within the ‘Norway-Ukraine’ Professional Retraining Program and, as facilitator for the British Council’s ‘Active Citizens’ program in Ukraine, has created transformative workshops that equip community leaders with essential tools for driving sustainable social change. She also delivers Theory of Change workshops for Oxford University Innovation, demonstrating her ability to communicate sophisticated concepts clearly to professional audiences from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds.