As more organizations find the value in discovering emerging leaders among their ranks, there has been an increased demand for high-quality training.

Throughout the US, there are many emerging leaders programs (ELPs) to help promising individuals become the leaders they need to be in an ever-evolving corporate climate.

Top 25 Emerging Leaders Programs

These are 25 of the best emerging leaders programs. Each caters to a certain audience, and some target specific industries, so no program is for everyone.

Nevertheless, this list covers some of the highest quality emerging leaders programs in that they provide training in collaborative leadership from experienced mentors.

1. Leading From Within Emerging Leadership Program

Intended strictly for nonprofit leaders, this Santa Barbara program takes a handful of participants through a 10-month course of rigorous, meaningful training.

2. Center for Collaborative Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Boston

This program brings 40 to 50 candidates together for over 90 hours of active instruction. The main goal is to foster collaborative leadership, which is a major part of emerging leadership today.

3. Harvard Kennedy School Emerging Leaders Executive Education Program

The Emerging Leaders program provides budding leaders from around the world with the tools and skills they need to move beyond the status quo in an increasingly evolving environment.

4. The AASCU Emerging Leaders Program

The program offered by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities accepts up to 25 professional and faculty leaders and provides them with a multifaceted training experience geared toward university leadership.

5. The Columbia University Emerging Leader Development Program

Providing a balance between experiential learning and theory, the program provided at Columbia University in New York offers participants opportunities to learn important business skills and apply them in practical settings.

6. The Emerging Leaders Program by New Leaders Inc.

Combining real-world professional practice with expert coaching, New Leaders’ program gives educators and others in the education sector the challenges and scaffolding they need to become better instructors and leaders.

7. Center For Growing Talent by PMA Emerging Leadership Program

The Center For Growing Talent provides an annual ELP that is geared toward leadership in the fresh produce and floral industries. Its objective is to take those who have exceptional talent and prepare them with the techniques and skills they need to make their organizations successful.

8. University of Dayton Emerging Leader Certificate Program

The yearlong program provided by the University of Dayton helps candidates develop skills in communication, collaboration, workplace culture, leading change, and many other areas.

9. Loyola University Chicago Emerging Leadership Program

Loyola University’s Student Leadership Development ELP helps students through experiential learning and group discussion. The cohort meets several times over the course of the semester.

10. The Chicago Booth Executive Program for Emerging Leaders

This program held at the University of Chicago is intended for promising staff members. It equips them with the tools they need to create strategies, work together with other departments, and build high-performing teams.

11. Gonzaga University’s Emerging Leaders Program

Gonzaga’s 10-month program builds corporate employees into the leaders they will need to be by putting them through a company stretch project.

12. Duke University Graduate School Emerging Leaders Institute

Designed for graduate and postdoc students, the Emerging Leaders Institute includes five workshops in which participants work with coaches and leadership facilitators to develop needed skills and abilities.

13. Daniels College of Business Emerging Leadership Program

Daniels College’s five-week program helps participants make the transition from an individual employee to a leadership role. They study together with others in a similar situation as well as experienced mentors.

14. Marist College Emerging Leaders Certificate Program

This emerging leadership program gives students an opportunity to discover and develop their own leadership styles through networking, resume building, discussions, and other resources.

15. AOTA Emerging Leaders Development Program

The American Occupational Therapy Association provides select students with a three-day stay at the Bethesda, MD leadership institute where they receive training and ongoing mentorship. The mentorship program lasts for 12 months after the institute.

16. ESMT Berlin Emerging Leadership Program

This program targets those who have recently received leadership positions as well as those with high potential regardless of their background. It consists of two modules, the first one in ESMT Berlin and the second one in Athens, Greece.

17. Northwest Credit Union Association Emerging Leadership Program

The NWCUA takes candidates from credit unions in order to help them develop essential leadership skills through high-level training and project work. The program only takes about 20 participants at a time, so it’s intended for those who show high promise.

18. The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning at Washington State University

Graduates of this program become leaders in online learning, and they develop the skills and attributes needed to advance education online.

19. The State Legislative Leaders Foundation Emerging Leadership Program

The State Legislative Leaders Foundation offers training for up to 50 candidates. A team of Darden School professors leads four days of classroom discussion in order to help candidates understand their role in legislature leadership.

20. ETD Emerging Leaders Institute

Enterprise Talent Development in Minnesota helps state employees through various leadership programs, including their Emerging Leaders Institute. Participants receive instruction from experts, interview with leaders, and engage in small group discussion.

21. American Library Association Emerging Leadership Program

Through the ALA’s Emerging Leaders program, participants from throughout the nation make connections, perform small group work, and become familiar with ALA leadership structure. The program lasts six months and is limited to 50 participants per year.

22. El Pomar Emerging Leaders Development Program

Based in southern Colorado, this program involves a collaborative effort between El Pomar and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Its training is focused on community leaders in the area.

23. University of Arkansas Emerging Leaders Program

The six-week program provided through the U of A helps students develop skills in both intrapersonal and interpersonal communication as well as fostering inclusion and professionalism.

24. Vanderbilt University Emerging Leaders Development Program

This program provides new leaders and promising individuals with assessment and training to help them better handle the requirements of the modern workplace.

25. Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leadership Program

This program trains those in business, civic, cultural, and academic leadership on the skills needed to thrive in a global economy.

Find more information on emerging leaders and emerging leaders programs here:

• The Emerging Leaders Guidebook
• What Is a 360 Leadership Assessment?
• Leadership Behaviors & Skills That Make Leaders Great