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Water Leadership Program

The Water Leadership Program (WLP) is an award-winning program that helps emerging leaders to develop the ability to exert influence, drive change and advance challenging integrated water management projects – abilities associated with the most effective integrated water management leaders.

The WLP is a feedback-intensive, 10-month professional development program, underpinned by a contemporary definition of leadership, commonly known as the DAC Framework.  The DAC Framework views leadership as a social process of influence that accomplishes three outcomes:

  • direction: a shared understanding of common goals and strategy (e.g. a shared vision for a new water management project or team)
  • alignment: the joint coordination of resources and activities (e.g. aligning people, projects, funding and research in a team to deliver a shared vision)
  • commitment: a commitment to collective success (e.g. motivating and inspiring others to achieve mutual interests).

Participants in the program may achieve one of two Griffith University digitally badged micro-credential – a Certificate of Water Leadership or a Certificate of Water Leadership (Excellence).  In short, a Certificate of Excellence micro-credential is awarded when participants complete all elements of the program. A standard Certificate micro-credential is awarded when participants just complete the core elements of the program (e.g. the training, 360-degree feedback, an individual leadership development plan, etc.).

Micro-credential certificates are issued in the form of digital badges granted through Credly.

Open to:

Domestic Students (Australian and New Zealand residents)

Commencing:

1 December 2025

Applications Close:

31 October 2025

Duration:

10 Months (December – September)

(Includes a compulsory three day face to face intensive in Brisbane from 25th to 27th Feb 2026.)

Fees:

$10,500 +GST (Discounts available for organisations sending multiple participants)

Program overview

Designed to build your capacity to continually develop as a water industry leader over your career, this ten-month program features a balance between academic and real-world approaches to learning including:

  • mentoring activities with experienced water industry executives
  • a sound research and theoretical basis, including conceptual models of effective water leaders, leadership processes and leadership development
  • 1 to 1 coaching sessions with specialist leadership coaches who work in the water sector
  • a mix of face-to-face and online delivery modes, which involve a variety of highly interactive activities
  • the use of individual leadership development plans to ensure that participants focus their developmental activities, practise the application of new knowledge and tools in the workplace, get feedback and local support, and reflect to accelerate learning
  • the use of leadership-focused case studies from the water sector
  • peer review of program design, content and evaluation by leading industry practitioners and academics.

Delivery format

This program is offered part-time over ten months and includes two face-to-face intensives. The program is flexible, to cater to professionals who are currently working. As a participant in the program, you will:

  • complete pre-training exercises, reading and an online 360-degree feedback process
  • attend a face-to-face intensive in Brisbane for three days in late February 2026, with a second optional intensive in Brisbane for two days in August 2026 (an online alternative is provided for the second intensive)
  • build an individual leadership development plan, which includes a leadership project
  • engage in three one-on-one coaching and several local mentoring sessions
  • complete monthly activities between face-to-face intensives (e.g. core and optional online workshops)
  • participate in a follow-up feedback process towards the end of the program
  • undertake an interview with a senior leader in your organisation
  • prepare a Reflection Report at the end of the program

Please refer to the Water Leadership Program Guide for more details.

Download Program Guide

Apply for this program

Start your application today!

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Apply for a scholarship

Scholarships for the next round of the Water leadership Program will be available in June 2025

Frequently asked questions about the Water Leadership Program

What sort of participants join the WLP?

This program targets non-executive leaders in the water sector. Program participants play a variety of leadership roles, but are all team leaders. Some also lead cross boundary project teams, while others lead teams of staff. Some more senior participants are also preparing for executive roles.

Participants come from all parts of the water sector, with the majority coming from water utilities, State government departments and local government agencies. The average age is mid 30s, with equal participation by males and females.

Since 2011, over 320 participants have completed the program.

We have developed a self-assessment tool to help you to determine if the Water Leadership Program meets your current professional development needs, if you are ready to undertake this program now, and what your potential benefit from the program may be.

Download the tool here

How has the program been designed?

The program has been designed and is delivered each year in accordance with the following principles:

  • The program’s design and content (e.g. conceptual models and leadership tools) should be informed by sound research that is relevant to people playing different roles in the water sector.
  • The design of the program needs to be consistent with the ‘70:20:10 rule’ of leadership development (Lombardo and Eichinger, 2000), which suggests that approximately 10% of development typically occurs via structured training, 20% comes from receiving feedback and support from others, and 70% originates from on-the-job experience.
  • Leadership can be taught and learnt (Avolio, 2005) even though a leader’s personality characteristics and context contribute to effective leadership (Northouse, 2016).
  • The design, content and evaluation of the program should be transparent (e.g. communicated through conference and journal papers).
  • A feedback-intensive leadership development program design is most likely to generate positive behavioural change and a positive return on investment to participants and their organisations (see Guthrie and King, 2004).
  • Leadership development is a lifelong, challenging activity (Avolio, 2005). As such, the program must help participants to actively manage their development as leaders over their careers.
  • The design of the program should include numerous opportunities for participants to build self-awareness, challenge themselves, get frequent feedback from their colleagues, receive support from colleagues, and deeply reflect (Avolio, 2005; McCauley and Van Velsor, 2004).
  • The design should aim to build the individual capacity of water leaders to influence and drive change (i.e. leader development), as well as their capacity to work with other leaders to collectively drive group-based leadership processes (i.e. leadership development).
  • The program should prepare emerging leaders for current and future challenges in the water sector, as well as the ability to play different roles in the water sector. These roles include the champion leader, enabling (adaptive) leader, cross-boundary team leader, thought leader, strategic leader and trusted advisor roles (see Taylor et al., 2015).
  • Face-to-face training should minimise the use of ‘lecture style’ presentations and maximise opportunities for interaction, discussion, self-assessment, information sharing and reflection.
  • The program should be comprehensively evaluated each time it is run and continuously improved.
  • The program’s design should include ‘accountability mechanisms’ to ensure that participants fully commit to the program (Shelton, 2003).

(Note: Details of the above references can be found in the Water Leadership Program Guide.)

What leadership topics do we learn, and when?

Leadership topics and the program structure can be found in the Water Leadership Program Guide.

Do I receive a certificate?

Participants in the program may achieve one of two Griffith University digitally badged micro-credential – a Certificate of Water Leadership or a Certificate of Water Leadership (Excellence).

In short, a Certificate of Excellence micro-credential is awarded when participants complete all elements of the program (including the minimum number of optional online workshops). A standard Certificate micro-credential is awarded when participants just complete the most impactful elements of the program (e.g. the two intensives, an individual leadership development plan, at least 2 coaching sessions, and a Reflection Report). In most years, 100% of the program’s participants earn the highest level of credential.

Micro-credential certificates are issued in the form of digital badges granted through Credly.

Are there scholarships?

If you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or resident, a number of scholarships are available for those interested in enrolling in the Water Leadership Program with the International WaterCentre. Scholarships are normally advertised from June to September each year.

See our scholarships page for more information.

Do you live outside of Australia/New Zealand?  Have you heard about our Pathway Program?

The Pathway Program

The Pathway Program is the International WaterCentre’s globally focused water leadership development program. Comprised of three levels the purpose of the Pathway Program is to provide an easily accessible, foundational leadership development program for water professionals and practitioners to strengthen their ability to exert influence and drive positive change in their projects and workplaces, and to address our most significant water-related challenges.

Learn More

Professional outcomes

The Water Leadership Program is designed for emerging water leaders at the project to middle management level. The program is customised for the water sector to equip participants with:

  • the ability to drive change when addressing ‘wicked problems’
  • exercise influence
  • improve their capacity to demonstrate many of the leadership behaviours needed for future executive roles
  • and develop an enhanced ability to mentor and manage within their individual work context.

Who should enrol?

Project and middle managers with:

  • at least three years of experience in the water industry
  • a desire to complement their technical and management skills with advanced leadership capacities

As a participant you will have opportunities to identify key leadership issues relevant to your individual context. This means that you’ll find the program highly beneficial and relevant regardless of where in the world you come from.

This program changed my life. It provides all the tools for substantial personal and professional growth, a great opportunity to learn alongside other water industry professionals and provides helpful and practical tools for leadership.

Eleanor Talbot

If you get the chance to participate in the program grab it with both hands. It is an immensely enjoyable experience that I have found to be life changing. It will improve your leaderships skills, giving you the opportunity to learn from talented and encouraging professionals with a wealth of experience in the Water Industry.

Liam Whelan

Are you ready for the WLP?

We have developed a self-assessment tool to help you to determine if the Water Leadership Program meets your current professional development needs, if you are ready to undertake this program now, and what your potential benefit from the program may be.

Go to tool

Benefits to participants

As a participant you will develop:

  • improved ability to drive change, especially when addressing ‘wicked problems’ that involve integrated water management
  • enhanced capacity to exercise influence in a variety of contexts
  • new tools to help you continue to develop as a leader over your career
  • greater self-awareness and improved ability to mentor and coach other developing leaders and staff
  • opportunities to gain knowledge and guidance from researchers and highly respected executives from the water sector
  • improved capacity to demonstrate many of the leadership behaviours needed for future executive roles
  • new social networks with emerging and executive water industry leaders.

Benefits to your employer

Research indicates that networks of skilled water leaders are a major factor in driving change and helping water organisations meet the complex challenges of the 21st century. According to the feedback gathered from participants in the last three rounds, we conservatively estimate that organisations fully funding staff toparticipate should see a positive return on investment in less than one year (on average).

The program helps emerging leaders to strengthen their skills in:

  • initiating and driving change
  • implementing more integrated and sustainable water management practices
  • leading high-performing, cross-boundary, multidisciplinary teams
  • exercising influence across various organisational boundaries
  • strategically building and using social networks
  • anticipating, planning for, and using ‘windows of opportunity’ to drive change
  • using various influence strategies and models of change.