Half day, online

Career development is about more than skill. For many LGBTQ+ professionals, progression is shaped by confidence, visibility and lived experience.

Drawing on Pride in Leadership’s report, this workshop looks more deeply at how our experiences as LGBTQ+ people influence ambition, courage and self-belief. It considers how identity shapes our instinct to challenge norms, our sense of deserving success and our willingness to be seen.

The session also draws on ideas from Travis Alabanza, David Whyte and Alan Downs, encouraging reflection on the stories we carry about success and belonging, and how to write new ones.

You will:

• Identify how your personal history has shaped your confidence and ambition

• Explore what it means to put your head above the parapet

• Examine the balance between systemic barriers and personal agency

• Build strategies to strengthen courage, visibility and self-trust

Full day, online

Every workplace has power structures. Understanding and working effectively within them is essential for success. For LGBTQ+ professionals, these dynamics can be more complex.

According to the Pride in Leadership report, 27% of respondents experienced discrimination in promotions or assignments, and many avoided senior roles due to fear of bias or visibility. This masterclass helps participants recognise their sources of influence, navigate politics with integrity and sustain confidence under pressure.

You will:

• Recognise your personal sources of power and influence

• Understand the currencies that hold value in your organisation

• Respond effectively to microaggressions and bias

• Build emotional resilience and set healthy boundaries

Full day, online

LGBTQ+ professionals often aim for “safe” rather than “stretch” roles. Pride in Leadership’s research found that many settle for comfort over ambition due to fear of bias or visibility – they then find themselves in a ‘velvet rut’. This session challenges that mindset.

It invites participants to redefine what great leadership looks like, and to lead with authenticity, accountability and purpose.

You will:

• Review and refine your leadership style

• Identify traits of mediocre leadership and how to avoid them

• Explore the benefits of authentic and purposeful leadership

Learn how to build a culture of accountability and excellence.

90 minutes, online

As Niven Postma says, “Some of the most important decisions of your career are going to be made when you are not in the room.” For LGBTQ+ professionals, that makes relationships at work especially important, yet sometimes harder to build.

The Pride in Leadership report found that while 37% of LGBTQ+ professionals said being LGBTQ+ had a positive impact on their workplace networks, many still find mainstream networking spaces challenging. Traditional relationship-building often happens in “boys’ club” settings such as pubs, sports events or informal social circles where LGBTQ+ people can feel excluded or invisible. By contrast, relationships with other LGBTQ+ colleagues are often easier, faster to build and more genuine, described by one respondent as “a superpower.”

This short, focused session helps participants strengthen the professional relationships that matter most for career progression, across the whole workplace, not just within LGBTQ+ circles. It offers space to reflect, plan and act on how to create networks that give energy, support and advocacy.

You will:

• Reflect on your current professional relationships and identify where there may be gaps

• Understand why some workplace connections feel easier than others and how to navigate that confidently

• Learn strategies to build advocacy and allyship beyond your immediate community

• Develop an action plan to strengthen your network so that others can speak for you when you are not in the room

Ongoing

The report identified mentoring as a critical missing piece for LGBTQ+ professionals. Many said that mentoring with other LGBTQ+ leaders would significantly improve confidence, career clarity and leadership readiness, yet few workplaces provide it.

The Pride in Leadership Mentoring platform was created to fill that gap. It is a national online network connecting LGBTQ+ professionals and allies across sectors and career stages. Participants can use it to find mentors, offer support to others and build lasting professional relationships.

While access to the platform is free to everyone, this programme gives participants the insight and confidence to make the most of it — helping them to enter mentoring conversations with clear goals, authenticity and self-awareness.

You will:

• Gain access to a free national LGBTQ+ mentoring network

• Build confidence to seek and offer mentoring effectively

• Continue developing skills, networks and leadership ambition

• Stay connected with a community of peers long after the programme ends