The Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

The Inspiring HR Leadership Programme

Upcoming Programme Dates & Booking

Click the + to view the full dates.

All sessions for this cohort take place on Wednesday at 1pm – 3.15pm (UK time). They run on a weekly basis, with a break for half term.

  1. Session one [Lay foundations for success]: 16th Sep 2026
  2. Session two [Develop your coaching skills]: 23rd Sep 2026
  3. Session three [Build your confidence]: 30th Sep 2026
  4. Session four [Become more strategic]: 7th Oct 2026
  5. Session five [Solve challenges together]: 14th Oct 2026
  6. Session six [Build key relationships]: 4th Nov 2026
  7. Session seven [Unlock your leadership identity]: 11th Nov 2026
  8. Session eight [Influence at a senior level]: 18th Nov 2026
  9. Session nine [Plan for the future]: 25th Nov 2026

Sessions run monthly via Zoom at 2pm – 4.15pm (UK time) on the second Wednesday of each month (with a break in August for the summer).

New for 2027, the programme has been extended from 9 to 10 sessions to include a group action learning session, where you can bring a work challenge to the group and draw on the experience, ideas and support of your fellow participants.

  • Session one: [Lay foundations for success]: 10th February 2027
  • Session two [Develop your coaching skills]: 10th March 2027
  • Session three [Build your confidence]: 14th April 2027
  • Session four [Become more strategic]: 12th May 2027
  • Session five [Discover solutions through coaching]: 9th June 2027
  • Session six [Build key relationships]: 14th July 2027
  • [Break for August summer holidays]
  • Session seven [Unlock your leadership identity]: 8th September 2027
  • Session eight [Solve challenges together – action learning session]: 13th October 2027
  • Session nine [Influence at a senior level]: 10th November 2027
  • Session ten [Plan for the future]: 8th December 2027

9 Live Group Workshops

2 hour 15 min group sessions

Institute of Leadership

Accredited

1:1 Coaching

Session included

£1,650

Payment plan available

A smiling woman with long wavy brown hair and a white jacket

Accredited Leadership Course for HR Professionals

You’re hard-working, committed, and take your responsibilities towards your organisation and its people seriously.

But despite your best efforts, you might feel frustrated, under-valued, and left doubting yourself.

Perhaps your ideas don’t always get the buy-in they deserve. Or you struggle to think strategically and show how HR can truly drive business success.

So, how do you build the confidence, credibility and influence you need to make a real impact as an HR leader?

My flagship HR leadership development programme (accredited by The Institute of Leadership) is designed to help you do just that. 

Welcome to Inspiring HR Leadership

Welcome to Inspiring HR Leadership

Get ready to:

Have more confidence at work

So you can believe in yourself, take action and speak up at key moments, instead of holding yourself back.

Persuade and influence at a senior level

So your ideas get green-lit and are acted on, instead of being dismissed or ignored.

Operate strategically

Build your strategic skills, so your work is more focused and impactful for the business.

Increase your credibility

So you’re properly valued for the work you do and involved in key decisions before they’re made, not after.

Identify your unique leadership style

Leverage your strengths, and stop questioning whether you’re ‘leadership material’.

Build lasting relationships

With a tight group of trusted HR contacts you can turn to for advice and support in the future.

This video tells you more

Shaping the future of HR leadership

The Inspiring HR Leadership Programme is designed for existing and aspiring HR leaders in in both standalone and team-based roles. It’s ideal for those at mid to senior levels, including HR Business Partners/People Partners, HR Managers, Heads of HR/ Heads of People, and HR Directors/ People Directors.

Whether you’re steering your organisation’s HR function solo, or as part of a larger team, The Inspiring HR Leadership Programme is tailored to enhance your professional impact.

three women in a meeting, one face one, smiling and wearing a bright blue blouse
A video conference call showing six participants

Small groups for big impact

Each cohort has a maximum of 12 participants, ensuring a personalised and engaging learning experience. 

Community and accountability

You’ll be working through the sessions with a group of like-minded people, in a supportive environment. We’ll learn together, improve together, and keep each other on track.

Expert coaching from someone who knows

As host of the chart-topping HR Coffee Time podcast, with her background in HR, and her extensive coaching experience, Fay knows first-hand about the challenges you face, and how to overcome them. You can read her full bio here.

Small groups for big impact

Each cohort has a maximum of 12 participants, ensuring a personalised and engaging learning experience.

Community and accountability

You’ll be working through the sessions with a group of like-minded people, in a supportive environment. We’ll learn together, improve together, and keep each other on track.

Expert coaching from someone who knows

As host of the chart-topping HR Coffee Time podcast, with her background in HR, and her extensive coaching experience, Fay knows first-hand about the challenges you face, and how to overcome them. You can read her full bio here.

Everything you need to succeed

Everything you need to succeed

We’ll work together in a small group (maximum 12 people) and you’ll get access to:
  • 9 live interactive group sessions:
    9 live Zoom sessions (2 hours 15 minutes each), blending coaching, facilitation and training for maximum impact.

  • A one-hour 1:1 coaching session with HR leadership expert, Fay Wallis:

    Use your one-hour 1:1 coaching session with Fay to have personalised support in tackling any work-related challenge you’re experiencing.

  • Private community access:

    You will be invited to join a dedicated Slack group for your cohort. Ask questions, share resources and support each other between group sessions.

  • Practical resources & support materials:

    Access to session recordings (all the group sessions are recorded), slides, and a wealth of additional recommended resources including books, TED talks, and podcast episodes for extended learning.

  • Personal profile assessment (DiSC):

    Using a globally recognised assessment tool (Everything DiSC), you’ll understand your behavioural style at work. You’ll also learn how to adapt your approach to others, helping you communicate more effectively and strengthen your influence.

Group sessions overview

All group sessions are held over Zoom

Session one

Lay foundations for success

One of the things that sets this programme apart is the opportunity to truly connect with your HR peers in a way that’s different from other courses. Instead of just learning from the content, you’ll have the chance to share experiences, support one another, and build deep connections.

You’ll be guided through activities designed to help you feel at ease, be open, and learn from each other in a psychologically safe environment. You’ll also gain techniques to help you grow and thrive, both within the group and in your role.

Session two

Develop your coaching skills

Coaching is a powerful skill for any HR leader to develop. Whether you’re learning coaching skills for the first time or have some coaching experience, this session will offer valuable techniques to empower others, solve challenges, and drive meaningful change.

As you build confidence in using these techniques, you’ll not only apply them within your HR role but also within the Inspiring HR group itself. Throughout the programme, you’ll continue to use coaching skills to support one another, helping everyone make the most of their development journey.

Session three

Build your confidence

A lack of confidence in certain situations at work can affect your success and how you feel about yourself. This is something everyone faces as they progress in their career – you’re not alone. But it can be frustrating when confidence feels elusive, just out of reach.

In this session, you’ll identify one situation where you’d like to feel more confident, explore what’s holding you back, and learn evidence-based techniques to boost your confidence.

You’ll leave feeling more self-assured, empowered, and ready to excel as an HR leader.

Session four

Become more strategic

Being strategic is essential to operate effectively at a senior level in HR, but it can feel overwhelming if you’re unsure what this truly means, or how to begin.

In this session, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to develop and implement a strong HR/People strategy. You’ll explore key steps for success and discover strategy templates you can use for creating and sharing your strategy.

Together, we’ll identify your biggest challenges in creating and executing strategy, and find actionable solutions. By the end, you’ll feel confident in your ability to take a strategic approach and drive impact within your organisation.

Session five

Solve challenges together

Facing a workplace challenge on your own can feel isolating, but you’re not alone. In this confidential space, each person will get a turn in the “coaching hot seat” to bring a current challenge they’re experiencing at work to the group.

You’ll tap into the collective experience and wisdom of your peers, using coaching and advice to problem-solve together. The support you receive will empower you to tackle your challenges with confidence, knowing you have a network of people who understand and are ready to offer valuable insights.

Session six

Build key relationships

Your network and the relationships within it are crucial for your career success, yet building and maintaining meaningful connections can be challenging. In this session, you’ll take the time to assess the strength of your internal and external networks and consider ways to improve them.

You’ll also focus on identifying key people at work – those you may find it challenging to connect with, manage, or gain buy-in from. Using the Everything DiSC framework, you’ll explore strategies to successfully interact with these individuals, build trust, and strengthen those important relationships across your organisation.

Session seven

Unlock your leadership identity

Whether you already see yourself as an HR leader or not, you may not have had the time or support to reflect on your leadership strengths and the type of HR leader you want to be. With so many leadership theories out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The truth is, there’s no “one right way” to lead—what matters is finding a leadership style that works for you.

In this session, you’ll explore what makes HR leadership unique, define the leader you are today, and gain clarity on your strengths and areas for growth, helping you build a leadership approach that feels authentic and impactful.

Session eight

Influence at a senior level

As an HR leader, your ability to influence is crucial for ensuring your ideas are heard, respected and acted upon – both within your organisation and externally. In this session, you’ll explore a range of influencing techniques and learn how to adapt your approach to different people and situations – whether you’re engaging with the senior leadership team, your team members, the entire workforce, or external stakeholders.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a set of practical techniques to build trust, gain buy-in, and communicate effectively, helping you strengthen your influence at all levels.

Session nine

Plan for the future

As the Inspiring HR Leadership programme comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on how far you’ve come and the growth you’ve achieved.

In this final session, you’ll consolidate everything you’ve learned and gain clarity on the next steps for your continued development.

You’ll reflect on your personal journey and identify what you want to focus on going forward, ensuring the progress you’ve made continues to shape your career and influence within your organisation. With the tools and techniques you’ve gained, you’ll leave with a plan for keeping your growth on track and building your ongoing impact in HR.

Institute of Leadership Accreditation Benefits

Check icon

Professional recognition

Showcase your commitment to leadership excellence

Check icon

Complimentary membership

One year of free access to the Institute’s award-winning resources

Check icon

Certificate of completion

Formal recognition of your achievement

Check icon

Independent quality assurance

The programme meets the highest standards in leadership development

Check icon

Digital badge

Share your accomplishment on LinkedIn, your website, printed materials, and other platforms

Digital badge showing Institute of Leadership Approved

Recommendations

“I was a participant in Fay’s Inspiring HR course. I highly recommend, particularly to anyone looking to develop their skills in areas such as HR Strategy, Confidence and Influencing, it also included personality tests looking at our own behaviours and strategies to make you successful in the workplace. Fay is a really warm coach and helped the group work to their very individual goals. I completed the course feeling energised and positive about the future.”

Lara Pletcher, HR Director

“I took part in Fay’s first wave of Inspiring HR group coaching sessions. They were absolutely brilliant, Fay was well organised, the sessions were fun and interactive, you could tell that she’d put a lot of thought into making sure we all got the most out of the sessions. Fay’s easygoing manner meant that you were instantly put at ease during the first few sessions with a group of strangers and the content proved to bring us all together very quickly. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to improve on their skills in a real such as HR Strategy, Confidence and Influencing at a Senior Level. There’s lots I will take away from this course and so much more I want to continue to find out more about!”

Sarah Juniper, Head of People

Fay was well prepared and had a clear structure to the course. What I loved was Fay allowed flexibility within the structure for some of our needs and wants to feed into the sessions. Fay has a wealth of knowledge in the HR field as well as in personal development to help you gain further insight into yourself and your career goals. I went into this course wanting to increase my confidence generally, but I have gained so much more along the way. I have completed the course feeling energised, inspired and excited for the future me!

Working with a group of likeminded people and us working through our journey together was invaluable To see that I am not on my own was very beneficial for my confidence. I would highly recommend investing in your future self by signing up to one of Fay’s coaching sessions and/or Inspiring HR courses.

Michelle Lyden, Finance and HR.

“I honestly can’t recommend Inspiring HR enough. Each group session was packed full of valuable information and was delivered in such an engaging format. Fay radiates positivity and enthusiasm, which is contagious, even through a screen! What impressed me even more was Fay’s dedication to our learning beyond the workshops. After each session, she went the extra mile, providing detailed follow-up emails with video recordings, links to resources, templates and even additional reading recommendations on the topics covered. It truly felt like she cared about our development and success. I’m really grateful for finding Fay and I’m looking forward to staying in touch throughout my People career.”

Ashleigh Hamilton, Head of People

Video Testimonials

Imogen Martin – HR Business Partner

Hannah Eaton – HR Manager

 Zoe Hodgkinson – Head of HR & Talent

Verity Sharpe – People Business Partner

Larissa Smith – HR Manager

Stacey Gallagher – HR Manager

Katy Akele – HR Generalist

Janine Winters – HR Manager

Your Investment

Get the support you need to take your confidence to the next level.

Join for a one-off investment of £1,650

or 6 monthly instalments of £275

Frequently Asked Questions

All the group sessions are recorded, so if you need to miss a session due to illness or an unexpected commitment, you can catch up by watching the recording and completing the accompanying materials. We recognise that life doesn’t always go to plan, so participants can catch up with up to two missed sessions in this way and still officially complete the programme.

As the programme is designed to be a highly interactive learning experience, attendance at the live sessions is expected wherever possible. If you miss more than two sessions, you’ll need to attend the missed sessions with a future cohort before being awarded your programme certificate.

The coaching skills sessions include live practice, so if you miss one of these, you’ll have the opportunity to practise the coaching techniques during your included 1:1 coaching session with Fay.

No matter how many times you’ve completed one of these assessments, there is always value to be had by revisiting them. We learn, change and grow throughout our lives and careers, meaning that what we’re able to take away from these assessments is often different each time we re-read and re-explore our results.

Inspiring HR is designed for people in mid to senior-level HR/People roles. So this means the programme is perfect for HR Business Partners/People Partners, HR Managers, Heads of HR/Heads of People, and HR Directors/People Directors. 

Yes, you have a 1 hour 1:1 coaching session with Fay included as part of the Inspiring HR programme. This allows you to have personalised support with any work-related challenge you may be experiencing. You can use your 1:1 session at any point after signing up to the programme and up to 3 months after the group sessions have ended. 

Join the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme for a one-off investment of £1,650, or pay in 6 monthly instalments of £275.

Two former participants from Inspiring HR (whose places were funded by their employers) kindly shared their advice in episode 124 of the free podcast, HR Coffee Time. You can listen to episode 124: How to ask your employer to fund your place on the Inspiring HR Leadership Programme or by searching for ‘HR Coffee Time’ in your favourite podcasting app and scrolling to episode 124.

Yes, that is no problem at all. We know that most employers prefer to pay via invoice instead of by card. This option is available on the booking form

We’re committed to creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all Inspiring HR participants. If you have a disability or condition that requires adjustments, we’re here to support you. We encourage you to contact us before the programme starts so we can discuss and arrange any necessary accommodations tailored to your needs. Our goal is to ensure everyone has the opportunity to engage fully and benefit from the programme. Your comfort, confidence and success in the Inspiring HR Leadership programme are our top priorities. Together, we’ll work towards making your learning experience as enriching and rewarding as possible. 

Send us an email at hello@brightskyhr.co.uk and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

Headshot of a smiling woman in a blue blouse

More about your facilitator, Fay

A qualified career coach, executive coach, group facilitator and Everything DiSC practitioner, with a background in HR. Fay is also the Founder of Bright Sky HR, creator of The Essential HR Planner and the host of HR Coffee Time – a chart-topping podcast that helps you have a successful and fulfilling HR career.

Her work values are empathy, expertise and empowerment. She’s a supportive and energising coach and facilitator, who partners with her clients to help them overcome their work challenges and achieve their career ambitions. She’d love to help you with yours.