Leadership in practice
Leadership in practice
28 May 2025, 9h00-17h00
General context
Did you know that most PhD researchers will transition into careers where they'll lead others? Even during your PhD, you'll need to effectively set goals and provide feedback to students, thesis assistants, or colleagues.
This workshop will enhance your leadership competencies by exploring the essence of leadership and delving into the distinctions between managing, coaching, and leading. You'll learn about different leadership styles and identify key competencies and tools for each. Furthermore, you'll discover how to set clear, achievable goals for others and effectively communicate them. Finally, you'll learn the science of effective feedback and gain practical experience in providing and receiving constructive feedback.
- Understand the distinctions between managing, coaching, and leading.
- Understand different leadership styles and identify key competencies and tools for each.
- Learn how to set goals for others and effectively communicate them.
- Understand how to give effective feedback and put the theory into practice.
This workshop emphasizes practical application. You'll engage in interactive exercises, including role-playing, to practice your skills in real-world scenarios. While grounded in evidence-based theory, the primary focus is on developing and refining your leadership abilities.
VIB PhD students.
This training is for VIB participants only.
Trainers
Robin Lefebvre
Robin Lefebvre, PhD, offers the academic community over 10 years of evidence-based leadership development expertise, with a proven track record of empowering researchers and professors across leading Belgian universities (VIB, UGent, UA, VUB, and others). He translates his extensive experience as an R&D Leader and corporate trainer at Procter & Gamble into highly hands-on training approaches that effectively bridge theory and practice. Drawing on his background, which includes leading significant innovation programs for global brands and contributing to organizational restructuring, he delivers leadership training focused on inspirational leadership, adaptive leadership, and cultivating collaborative innovation. Robin is dedicated to equipping academic leaders with essential skills to maximize their impact and foster an environment of continuous growth.
Program
- Training opener
- Have participants introduce each other
- Set key expectations for the training
- Discuss the flow of the training
- Session 1: Managing, Coaching, and Leading
- In breakout groups, what are managing, coaching, and leading, and what skills are required for each?
- Group discussion: How can you apply these in your current role?
- Session 2: How to grow as a leader?
- Short introduction to different leadership styles
- In breakout groups: what are some of the key skills and tools you know that are used in:
- Visionary leadership
- Individualised leadership
- Participative leadership
- Group discussion: how can you get more experience with these tools and competencies?
- Session 3: Setting goals
- How to ensure that the right work is done by setting goals
- SMART goals + individual exercise
- Process goals + individual exercise
- CLEAR learning goals + individual exercise
- Per three: role-playing how to set and communicate goals for one another and getting feedback.
- How to ensure that the right work is done by setting goals
- Session 4: Providing Effective Feedback
- The science, the why, when and how to give feedback
- Per three: role-playing providing feedback in specific case studies, and getting feedback.
- Wrap up—What actions will you take out of this training, and how and when will you act upon them?
Practical info
28 May 2025
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Technologiepark 75
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium
28 May 2025
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
From Ghent Sint-Pieters station, you can take a bus to Technologiepark. Please check Routeplanner De Lijn for schedules.
28 May 2025
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Looking for a custom cycling route? Try the online cycling route planner to easily and quickly identify the fastest, safest and/or most scenic route to any destination in Ghent.
Cycling route planner
Shared bicycles:
Several providers are active in the area.
Take a look at their platforms:
- Indigo Weel Pro app
- Bluebike
- DOTT
- BOLT eBikes
- Donkey Republic
There are also some public bicycle pumps at the park.
28 May 2025
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
There is only one entrance to Technologiepark. At the entrance, please take a ticket - Parking is only allowed in regular parking spots (for instance in front of the building) and in the parking tower. Parking alongside the roads or in other places where there is no regular parking is prohibited.
28 May 2025
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Room L4