About the Program

The WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program is a high-quality online leadership training program specifically designed for WISE members in middle management across the U.S. and Canada. Learners gain critical exposure to bigger picture topics outside of their typical areas of focus — such as business operations, strategic planning and finance — based on real-world case studies and examples.

The program is designed around a robust six-module curriculum focused to maximize each learner’s time. It is delivered in a constructive and supportive learning environment where women have the opportunity to build relationships with others in different facets of the business of sports across North America.

Who Should Attend

Middle managers, defined as supervisors, project leads, managers, senior managers and directors (depending on organization/company structure and size). Learn more.

Schedule and Format

• Five weekly classes on Wednesdays — April 30, May 7, May 14, May 21 and June 4 (no class on May 28), at 2p.m. ET.
• Each class is approximately one hour and 45 minutes (105 min.) long.
• Strategic Networking joint session with the Fall cohort. Date to be announced.
• Most virtual classes are facilitated by Leading NOW, a WISE professional development partner.
• Workbooks, exercises and case studies provide ample opportunity for reflection and for putting learnings into practice.
• Throughout the program, you will be asked to complete an assessment to ensure knowledge transfer and are expected to actively take part in the group exercises.

Registration

Program fee is $1,800 per person. Cohort size is limited to 100 participants.
Be sure to log in before you register.

Many WISE members are reimbursed in part or in full by their employer. Professional development is a common employee benefit to which you may already be entitled. Speak to your manager or HR Department to ask if your organization will support you. Because in your career, you’ll never get what you don’t ask for.

No scholarships are offered for this program.

Curriculum and Key Business Outcomes

April 30 at 2p.m. ET
Think Like a CEO™
It's never too early or too late to enhance your business talents, but without action, women's careers plateau. Learn the four key business outcomes that executives monitor, and understand how your work drives these outcomes. Also, gain insight into how aligning work to business outcomes differentiates talent for career success.

May 7 at 2p.m. ET
Speak the Language of Power™
The Language of Power is the language of outcomes, and communicating effectively in this language is a vital success factor. Showcase your business, strategic and financial acumen and communicate using the language of the C-suite.

May 14 at 2p.m. ET
Strategy Execution: Connecting Teams to Organizations
Managers are central to execution of an organization's strategy, but successful strategy execution is one of the most challenging and underappreciated roles for rising executives. Learn how to break down an organizational strategy to identify its core elements and then align those elements with your team's work and performance measures.

May 21 at 2p.m. ET
Sports Finance
Financial acumen is a critical competency for all employees, not just business leaders. Learn basic financial terminology and how to read and interpret three key financial statements: the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement.

June 4 at 2p.m. ET
DiSC Assessment and Training Session
Leveraging the Everything DiSC® Workplace assessment, explore your personal style, including your priorities, motivators and stressors. Discover how your DiSC® style connects with other styles and develop strategies to strengthen your effectiveness in building relationships in organizational environments.

Date TBD
Strategic Networking (joint session)
While networking is important for success, not all networks are created equal. Lean what makes a network strategic, analyze your current networks and identify opportunities for strengthening them.

Class Duration: One hour and 45 minutes (105 min.)

Eligibility

This is a member-exclusive program offered to WISE professional level members in good standing. Your membership must remain current for the duration of the program. There are no other eligibility requirements. If you are a student member and need to upgrade your membership, please contact us. Not a member? Join now.

NOTE: If you need to join or renew, please do so as soon as possible. The system takes about 30 minutes to update before you can then register for this program. If you are not able to add the program to your cart, please log out, close your browser and then try again.

Registration and Payment

You must have a WISE account and be logged in to register. You may only register for yourself; registrations are not transferable and program participation is limited to the registering WISE member only. Full payment of the program fee is required at the time of registration.

Registration deadline is April 16, 2025 or when sold out, whichever comes first. You will receive a confirmation email upon registration, including instructions on how to access the program. If your company has prepaid for you to attend, please enter the discount code in your cart during checkout.

Cancellation

Seventy-five percent (75%) of the total program fee will be assessed for cancellations received no later than April 16, 2025. All cancellation requests must be sent in writing to elcp@wiseworks.org. If a cancellation request is received after April 16, 2025, the entire program fee will be forfeited. No substitutions or replacements of accepted registrants may be made at any time. No refunds will be granted for partial participation in the program.

Attendance

The program is intended for participants to attend all live sessions to maximize learning. It is a very different experience to watch the recordings as they do not include learning through interactive elements, such as the breakout exercises. While you can still earn the certificate if you pass the quizzes, enrollment is not recommended if you cannot participate fully.

Program Access, Structure and Prerequisites

All modules and program materials will be accessed through the WISE Learning Center. You will be sent email reminders before each module. You must have a Zoom account to participate; a free basic account is sufficient.

IMPORTANT: Please add the learning@wiseworks.org and elcp@wiseworks.org email addresses, and the wiseworks.org and connectedcommunity.org domains to your safe senders list. If your company has stringent firewall settings, you may need to contact your IT department. You will need to be able to receive program emails and to access Zoom through the WISE Learning Center. If you do not receive an immediate confirmation email after you register, please check your SPAM or promotions folder, or contact your IT department.

• The WISE Emerging Leadership Certificate Program includes six modules. Each module is scheduled for one hour and 45 minutes (105 min.), but may run a little longer if there are many questions. Classes begin at 2p.m. ET.
• Be prepared to actively participate. Each module will include interactive elements such as breakout groups, polls and annotations in Zoom. The breakouts provide an opportunity to interact with your peers and participate in an exercise where you will apply what you have learned. You may also be called upon to share your experience.
• Quizzes will be available at the end of the class date. You must pass the quizzes to access the materials for the next class date and to complete the program.
• Recordings are usually available the following day.
• All coursework must be completed by June 13, 2025 to receive full credit and your certificate. No exceptions.

Questions? Contact us.