Running and managing a team for the first time, let alone a whole department, can be daunting, especially if you've come from a role in which you managed just yourself or one project or programme.
This course is offered by Rotterdam School of Management b.v.. For more information about the legal structure of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, visit this page.
Do you have the skills to be an effective team leader? Are you struggling with team leadership challenges and issues, or need to boost your skills to manage your team to collective excellence?
In RSM’s three-day course Team Leadership, you will learn relevant team leader skills from RSM Executive Education's top faculty members. Your new knowledge and tools to deal effectively with motivational problems, dysfunctional team members, conflicts and lack of a common direction can be applied into your work immediately.
Team Leadership is a module of RSM’s Diploma Programme in General Management (DPGM), but can also be followed separately. The diploma programme is designed so you can tailor it to your personal and professional development needs.
During the Team Leadership Programme you will learn from Dr Julija Mell, Dr Inga Hoever, Dr Sofya Isaakyan, Dr Rebecca Hewett and Dr Tina Davidson. Occasionally we may substitute other faculty members according to the content of the programme and their availability.
Julija Mell, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at RSM, is academic director of the Cologne-Rotterdam Executive MBA. Her research focuses on cross-boundary collaboration: bridging cognitive, geographical and cultural boundaries within diverse teams; and bridging structural boundaries within complex social systems and networks. Her award-winning work has been published in leading academic journals. Julija teaches topics that focus on organisational behaviour, teams, leadership and social networks at all levels at RSM. Her PhD in organisational behaviour is from Erasmus University Rotterdam and her diploma in psychology is from the Humboldt University Berlin (Germany).
Inga Hoever is an assistant professor in RSM’s department of organisation and personnel management. She specialises in studying workplace creativity, team excellence, and their intersection. Put simply, she is interested in explaining how teams can bring out the best in each other – and why they so often do not. Her research addresses questions of individual and team creativity, diversity, perspective taking, and communication in teams. She teaches on a variety of issues regarding organisational behaviour, human resource management, and team management to students and executives.
Sofya Isaakyan is an assistant professor of organisational behaviour at RSM. Her research focuses on understanding employees' upward expression of ideas and concerns about work-related issues such as voice behaviour, and the corresponding reactions by managers and team members. In her work, she also explores factors affecting leadership development and leader identity. Sofya is actively involved in MBA teaching, and also delivers customised executive development programmes. She received her PhD in organisational behaviour from Maastricht University in 2018. Before entering academia, Sofya worked in human resource management and in consulting.
Rebecca Hewett is an associate professor of human resource management at RSM. Her research focuses on individuals’ experiences of people management at work, examining how people management can best be implemented to enhance performance and well-being. She is academic director of RSM’s MSc in Human Resource Management (People, Organisations and Change) and teaches courses to executives at all levels and helps organisations to apply research to practice. She completed her PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London. Before that she worked as an HR professional for 10 years, most recently as head of HR operations for the UK’s communications regulator, where she gained wide experience as a team leader.
Tina Davidson is an assistant professor in the department of organisation and personnel management at RSM. She is interested in how organisations, leaders and employees can build a level playing field to better benefit from the full spectrum of diversity at work. In particular, her work focuses on the dynamics of upward constructive voice, leadership and followership, and leadership development in culturally diverse contexts. Prior to joining RSM, she was active in research at Vlerick Business School and a visiting scholar at Michigan State University. Tina earned her PhD from Ghent University, and speaks English, French and Chinese.
I highly recommend RSM’s Team Leadership programme to future team leaders. The theory was clearly connected to practice, some of the exercises put you out of your comfort zone, and all the advice can easily be implemented in day-to-day managerial activities. The trainers were young and dynamic, always open to answer any questions. They all had a very inclusive, inspiring and insightful approach. As an Erasmus alumna, RSM was an obvious choice and the quality of the programme was high, as can be expected.
Overall, my experience with the team leadership programme at RSM is extremely positive, from the dedicated and attentive faculty, the lively debates we engaged in during class, the valuable learnings collected, to the smooth programme organisation and logistics: in short, a positive return on investment for me.
I chose RSM because of its international status as a top business and management school. The programme was a compact, logical and balanced mix of theory, interactive group exercises and time for reflection. The course pushes you out of your comfort zone.
The three days at RSM have given me new meaning and ideas in my role as a manager. I encourage my team to think differently every day, and I now feel equipped to take this to the next level. It was just what I needed to be the best I can be as a Manager and Consultant. I learned as much about myself as a person as I did about leadership theory and concepts. So it was useful for several aspects of my role.
As a first-time manager I wanted to learn how to create a strong and efficient team, and empower team members to grow, develop themselves and work confidently. RSM really exceeded my expectations. The professors did a really good job balancing theory with practice, and I learned a lot from the other participants’ diverse experiences and backgrounds.
This programme gave me a good insight in myself, the way I am perceived by others, and how I would like to act as a team leader. I know I’m an action-oriented person, and I think I jump to conclusions too soon. The level of education at RSM is high, and there’s a lot of high-quality interaction among participants. This combination and the programme content will help me in my role to ask open questions, listen more carefully, and include the valuable input of my team members more to increase the quality of my decisions.
To be honest, I did not recognise the three-letter acronym ‘RSM’ when a colleague at LexisNexis IP suggested I do a leadership course there. I quickly learned first-hand why it has such a solid reputation. The one thing I valued most in the course is that I was pulled outside my comfort zone. Right from the start I was hearing new information, doing unfamiliar things and practising difficult situations; those were the exact moments when the actual learning happened.
17 - 19 March 2025
23 - 25 June 2025
€ 3,900 (excl. 21% VAT) including course materials, lunches, and snacks. This fee does not include hotel accommodation.
15% discount for alumni from Erasmus University Rotterdam and RSM.
To receive your diploma programme, you need to complete four courses. You must complete The Applied Research Project module in order to gain your diploma.
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) offers a dynamic learning environment for professionals looking to learn new skills and gain more knowledge in business and management education.
Here’s why you should choose RSM:
This programme takes place in Bayle building on the Woudestein Campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam, just 15 minutes by public transport from Rotterdam city centre. Our modern and lively campus has innovative study facilities, sustainable design, and calming green spaces.
Most programmes start at 09:00. Finishing times are different for each programme. There’s also an approximate schedule in each programme’s brochure and on its webpages. When you register for a programme you will be given access to Canvas, our online learning system, and the full schedule is in Canvas. Your programme manager will hand out a detailed schedule on the first day of your programme.
Class sizes are usually between 12 to 24 people, but it does depend on the programme. We aim for a balance between allowing capacity to guarantee individual attention, and achieving a good group dynamic and networking opportunities.
Yes. Alumni from RSM and Erasmus University Rotterdam receive a 15% discount.
RSM alumni are students who have completed either a bachelor of science, master of science, PhD or one executive education programme of more than 40 credit hours. Additionally, companies which sponsor several participants may also be offered a special price.
Participants of open programmes of less than 40 credit hours will not receive a discount.
Programme fees include tuition, programme materials, access to the RSM study facilities and dynamic learning environment. This also includes lunch and refreshments throughout the programme.
Hotel accommodation is not included, so please make individual arrangements for your stay in Rotterdam. See more information in the Transportation, directions and accommodation section below.
If you require hotel accommodation during your stay in Rotterdam, we recommend a few hotels:
Please contact the hotels directly to make and secure your own reservations.
Note: We recommend that you select the flexible booking option when reserving a room.
Our general terms and conditions apply when you register for an open programme. Please review them to learn more about our policies for cancellation, deferral and substitution.
If you have more general questions, we recommend you explore our more in-depth FAQs page. If you are looking for personal advice, then please contact one of our advisors using the contact form below.
Programme advisor
It's my priority to help you identify how you can meet your professional objectives, so reach out and let's make a plan for your personal development.