Preparing to Lead Quick Details Location Virtual Duration 29 total hours | 5 months Dates July to November 2025 7 days in session Cost $3,500 Audience GS-7 to GS-11 federal employees Apply byJune 13, 2025, at 5 p.m. EDT For more information, contact: Jennifer Benbow at jbenbow@ourpublicservice.org or (202) 495-3339 Preparing to Lead The Preparing to Lead program is a professional development opportunity for federal employees who are interested in pursuing a career in leadership at their agencies. Participants practice strategies to help them become more effective employees and develop critical leadership skills they will be able to use throughout their careers. Through the course of this five-month program, participants will: Aspire to continue a career in government service Begin to develop essential leadership attributes Develop a better understanding of self Understand how to build and utilize relationships to more effectively manage responsibilities Think strategically about how to deliver results and contribute to maximum impact on their agency’s mission Apply by June 13, at 5 p.m. EDT Program details PDF Sign up for email updates to learn more about Preparing to Lead How to Apply Completed applications must include your personal information, professional experience and objectives, up-to-date resume and supervisor approval form. You do not need to complete the application in one session. You can save it and return to it later. Please note, many agencies have specific application guidelines for their employees. Before submitting your application, please make sure that you are following your agency’s internal guidelines and that you have permission from your agency’s leadership to participate in this program. If you have further questions, please see the FAQ section. Program Structure The program consists of five virtual sessions conducted via Zoom for Government over the course of five months. The first and last sessions will take place over two days, while the rest will be one-day sessions. Each session day is 3.5 hours long, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. The program includes a two-hour virtual orientation session conducted via Zoom for Government, as well as two 1.5-hour working office hours to support the completion of the course project. In these virtual sessions, experienced instructors engage participants in conversations and activities around key course concepts. Participants will also work in teams to make a digital, group presentation on a leadership concept of their choice. This assignment will give participants an opportunity to hone their virtual presentation capabilities, an important skill to develop as federal employees must learn to work with an increasingly remote workforce. Orientation Session: July 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT Session 1: July 23 to 24, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. EDT Becoming Self-Aware Understanding emotional intelligence, motivation, and continuous learning Objectives: Explore the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. Commit to a continuous learning experience within the Preparing to Lead program. Session 2: Aug. 20, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. EDT Engaging Others Trust, self-advocacy, and managing conversations. Objectives: Learn the tools of self-advocacy in the workplace. Understand the system of your organization. Identify how to build trust with colleagues. Session 3: Sept. 17, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. EDT Achieving Results Human Centered Design, day-to-day innovation, and problem solving Objectives: Apply techniques to find the root cause of problems. Define opportunities for day-to-day innovation. Understand process management to effectively implement solutions. Session 4: Oct. 22, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. EDT Leading Change Adaptability, influencing styles, and making a pitch Objectives: Explore the forms of workplace ambiguity and how it can be handled. Understand your spheres of concern and control at work. Identify best practices for increasing your influence at work. Session 5: Nov. 19 to 20, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. EDT Stewardship of Public Trust / Commitment to Public Good Evidenced-based decision-making, effective feedback, final goal presentations, and graduation Objectives: Understand data literacy and visualization basics. Present your achievement as an effective pitch. Plan future actions for your federal career. Staff Members from the Partnership staff will work with you throughout the Preparing to Lead program to ensure that your experience goes smoothly. FAQs Q: Who is eligible to apply? The Preparing to Lead Program is designed for new or aspiring managers in the federal government at the GS-7 to GS-11 levels (or equivalent). You must also have support from your department or agency. Q: What application materials must I provide to be eligible? With your online application, you are required to submit a copy of your resume with your professional work experience, both inside and outside of government. You must also submit a supervisor’s approval form. You’ll find a link to this form within the online application. You’ll also be able to upload your resume within the application. Q: How will I know if I’m accepted? The Partnership for Public Service accepts applicants on a rolling basis until the application deadline. You will receive an email from enroll@ourpublicservice.org notifying you of your acceptance status within three days after the application deadline, if not earlier. If we have an agreement with your agency to accept you as part of an internal selection process, you will probably receive notice from your agency first, but your acceptance is not confirmed until you have received a notification from the Partnership. Q: Can I reapply if I am not accepted into the program? Yes, you may reapply if you meet the program’s minimum qualifications. Q: Is there an application fee? No. There is no fee to apply to the Partnership’s programs. Q: How much is tuition? Tuition for the Preparing To Lead program is $3,500, which includes all course materials (e.g., books, articles and management tools), online collaboration tools for team projects, and access to the Partnership’s resources, expertise and networks. Q: When is the tuition deadline? Your tuition payment should be arranged prior to the program’s start date. We will provide the specific due date in the email notifying you of your acceptance into the program. Q: What forms of payment do you accept for tuition payment? We accept the following forms of payment: credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express), purchase order or Standard Form 182 (SF-182), Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer or check. With your program acceptance email from the Partnership, you will receive instructions on the different ways to make a payment. You will also be asked to complete a tuition payment information document so the Partnership can direct your tuition invoice to the appropriate agency contact. We will work directly with the agency contact—such as a training coordinator or human resources specialist—who is responsible for paying tuition. Q: I’m no longer able to attend, will I receive a refund? Once accepted into this program, your non-refundable tuition payment will be required before the program start date. If you can no longer attend, you may defer your program registration for up to one year. Q: Where will sessions take place? All Preparing To Lead sessions will take place online via the Zoom for Government platform. Please ensure you have access to Zoom for Government on your computer. Q: What should I do if I have to miss parts of a session or an entire session? Do you offer make-up sessions? Graduation from Partnership programs is contingent upon full attendance and participation in our training sessions. In the event of a conflict, please notify a Partnership staff member as soon as possible, even before the first session is held. Should you miss any part of a session, we will work with you to provide resources for the missed content. Q: Who should I contact if I have more questions about this program? If you have additional questions, please contact Jennifer Benbow at jbenbow@ourpublicservice.org or call (202) 495-3339. Back to course catalog
