Through activities, discussions and stories, develop the competencies to better lead yourself and others.

What You Will Learn in This Program

Level 1 - Leading Yourself

1. Intro to Leadership and Self-Awareness

Begin your leadership journey by creating your definition of leadership, evaluating leadership styles and identifying the personal qualities of the leaders you most admire

Develop your self-awareness, a foundational leadership competency, critical to leading yourself and others

Use tools such as introspection and meditation, the Reflected Best-Self Exercise and the dissection of crises and crucible moments

2. The Role of Personality and Personal History

Grow your awareness of others and analyze your most formative relationships

Explore the Myers-Briggs Type personality test and how your personality drives your work and your WHY

Contrast the Hero and the Heroine’s journey as similar but different stages of Jungian personality evolution and locate yourself in the cycle

3. Communication Basics

Compare the strengths and weaknesses of communication styles in your workplace and catgorize your communications with different personality types

Learn to listen not just to what is expressed in words but also to non-verbal messages

Establish a clear communication strategy and practice adjusting your message to the audience and to the culture

4. Leadership, Ethics and Values

Explore your moral compass through personal values and organizational values statements

Distinguish the many shades of grey from the simple black and white of a polarized issue

Distinguish the “right” thing to do in an ethical dilemma and then express the steps required to give voice to your values

Gain the courage to be an ethical leader by taking small steps to act on your values

5. Inclusive Leadership and our Biases

Understand bias as a necessary human survival tool that needs to be deconstructed to approach “objectivity” and begin the journey of identifying your personal biases

Develop cultural intelligence

Investigate code-switching, microagressions, microaffirmations, bystanders and upstanders in work environments

Analyze your strengths and weaknesses as an inclusive leader

6. Vision, Decision Making and Leadership Styles

Compare leadership styles and learn to adjust your style depending on the situation

Strengthen your internal power so that you project confidence

Express your personal vision

Design strategies to carry out your vision

Examine decision making stages, practice making decisions with incomplete information and learn to say no

Level 2 - Leading Others

7. Complexity of teams – Part 1

Examine types of teams and organizational structures

Explore how teams develop over time and the characteristics of “when the sum is greater than the parts”

Illustrate the leader’s role on a team: to adjust and monitor team progress, recognize dysfunction, and master tips for early intervention

8. Complexity of Teams – Part 2

Master how to build and maintain trust and resonate with your team

Build the right team for each job – create the team charter, assign positions and responsibilities and use work plans

Adjust practices for virtual and/or multicultural teams

Define the role of the leader as ambassador of their team in the organizational structure

9. The Spectrum of Conflict

Recognize and resolve conflict by perceiving conflict as an indicator for needed change and improvement

Identify your preferential conflict mode and practice de-escalation of conflict

Apply methods to emotionally disengage from others, build empathy and overcome blocks to dialogue

10.  Influence, Power and Your Path

Master the different influencing styles in order to champion and implement change

Map the power landscape and empower yourself by navigating organizational politics and building power

Plan your leadership journey – Where are you now? What is your destination? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? Which path should you take through this labyrinth?

11. Negotiation – Dos and Don’ts

Discover the art of negotiation, assess your negotiation style and identify the most effective methods to get your way

Identify your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)

Develop the art of re-framing as a tool to overcome resistance to change

Practice a salary negotiation agreement

12. Coaching and Mentoring

Differentiate between coaches, mentors and sponsors

Contrast the different mentoring models and the most effective mentor behaviors in STEMM

Evaluate yourself as a mentor

Practice listening, questioning and reflecting as a coach

Our Leadership Development Courses

Ask your employer to sponsor your training

  • Registration Rates for Virtual Workshops

    Registration rate for all virtual workshops: $950

    AWIS members* pay $475

    Postdocs pay* $300

    Graduate students* pay $200

    *Please submit appropriate documentation with your application and once verified, you will receive a payment link

    Please download course flyer to share with your thesis advisor, department chair or supervisor to get sponsorship

  • Level 1 - Leading Yourself

    Virtual and Interactive - 6 zoom meetings

    Jan-Feb 2025 (6 Wed evenings)

    Wed Jan 8, 15, 22, 29 and Feb 5, 12: 7 pm – 9 pm EST

    Class size: up to 25 (min of 12 required)

    Application deadline: Jan 5, 2025

    Non-refundable registration fee due: Jan 7, 2025

  • Level 1 - Leading Yourself

    Virtual and Interactive - 6 zoom meetings

    Jan-Feb 2025, (6 Fri lunches)

    Fri Jan 10, 17, 24, 31 and Feb 7 and 14: 11 am to 1 pm EST

    Class size: up to 25 (min of 12 required)

    Application deadline: Jan 5, 2025

    Non-refundable registration fee due: Jan 7, 2025

  • Level 1 - Leading Yourself

    Virtual and Interactive - 6 zoom meetings

    Jan-Feb 2025 (6 Saturday mornings)

    Sat Jan 11, 18, 25 and Feb 1, 8, 15: 10 am – 12pm EST

    Class size: up to 25 (min of 12 required)

    Application deadline: Jan 5, 2025

    Non-refundable registration fee due: Jan 7, 2025

  • Level 2 - Leading Others (prerequisite Level 1)

    Virtual and Interactive - 6 zoom meetings

    Feb-Mar 2025 (6 Wed evenings)

    Feb 19, 26 and Mar 5, 12, 19 and 26: 7 pm to 9 pm EST

    Class size: up to 25 (min of 12 required)

    Application deadline: Jan 31, 2025

    Non-refundable registration fee due: Feb 10, 2025

  • Level 1 - Leading Yourself

    Hybrid - dates TBA

    Spring-Summer 2025 (Sat 9-5 pm, followed by three Sat 2 hour zoom meetings)

    In person Sat-Sun at several locations (MA, MI, NJ, CA, IL, TX)

    Class size: up to 25

    Registration rate: $1,995* Scholarships available for graduate students and postdocs

    Application deadline: TBA

    Non-refundable registration fee due: TBA

    Reserve your spot today:

    https://mit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6hgipGz1uWUEPaK

  • Level 1 and 2 - Leading Yourself and Others

    International, intensive and in person

    One week (TBA May 2025 ) at the American College of Greece, Athens, Greece (https://www.acg.edu/virtual-tour/)

    Class size: up to 25

    Registration rate: $3995 - Scholarships available for graduate students and postdocs

    Application deadline: Feb 1, 2025

    Final decision: Mar 1, 2025

    Non-refundable registration fee due: Apr 1, 2025

    Information session by appointment - Email epistimi.org@gmail.com to schedule

  • Custom Workshops

    Epistimi will create a custom in person, hybrid or virtual/interactive program for a group of 15 to 25 participants which can include the entire curriculum or a select subset of the program

    Program fee depends on curriculum covered and specific format requirements



Epistimi’s leadership program is based on the MIT LEAPS (LEAdership and Professional Skills and Strategies) Program which was developed for doctoral students and postdocs in science and engineering at MIT.

*Scholarships are available.  Please fill out the necessary information in the application package.