Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
This professional diploma gives you the key tools and strategies to become an influential leader and an effective decision-maker. You will develop your emotional intelligence, learn to lead high-performing teams and tackle complex challenges with proven methods, and build the ability to inspire, motivate and guide others while sharpening your strategic decision-making under pressure and uncertainty.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making?
This professional diploma treats leadership and decision-making as two sides of the same skill: setting direction for people and choosing well when the stakes are high. You will study the foundations of professional and organizational leadership and the main leadership styles; emotional intelligence, self-control and the personal management of the leader; directive communication, influence and team mobilization; structured decision-making and problem-solving methods such as decision matrices, decision trees, SWOT and multi-criteria analysis; decisions under pressure, risk and uncertainty, including cognitive biases and contingency planning; team leadership, motivation, delegation and performance management; and strategic leadership, organizational change and corporate culture.
What sets this professional diploma apart: equal weight on leading people and on the decision process itself, from problem definition to result evaluation; a dedicated module on deciding with incomplete information and limited time, with scenario building, sensitivity analysis and crisis prioritization; practical tools to recognize cognitive biases, overconfidence and groupthink; applicability to demanding operational settings such as maritime operations as well as to offices and organizations; an in-depth structure of eight modules; and a final applied project in which you diagnose a real or realistic case and design a leadership model and a justified decision proposal.
Program highlights
- Leadership foundations: authority, influence, legitimacy, leadership styles and personal leadership identity.
- Emotional intelligence: self-regulation under pressure, empathy, trust, resilience and healthy leader habits.
- Directive communication: clear instructions, influence, negotiation, difficult conversations and persuasive presentation.
- Decision methods: decision matrices, decision trees, SWOT, multi-criteria analysis and critical thinking.
- Decisions under uncertainty: risk assessment, cognitive biases, scenarios, contingency plans and crisis management.
- Teams, change and final project: delegation, performance, change leadership and an applied decision case.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of professional and organizational leadership
- 1.1. Concepts of leadership, authority, influence, responsibility and legitimacy in public and private organizations
- 1.2. Differences between leadership, management, supervision, coordination and people management
- 1.3. Evolution of leadership theories and application of contemporary approaches in complex environments
- 1.4. Identifying leadership styles: directive, participative, transformational, situational and results-oriented
- 1.5. Essential leadership competencies: communication, strategic vision, emotional intelligence, judgment and adaptability
- 1.6. Self-knowledge, personal values, strengths, areas for improvement and building a leadership identity
- 1.7. Developing a leadership model consistent with the organization's objectives, culture and needs
- 1.8. Leadership styles and their application according to context
Emotional intelligence, self-control and the personal management of the leader
- 2.1. Foundations of emotional intelligence applied to leading people and teams
- 2.2. Recognizing and regulating emotions in situations of pressure, conflict and uncertainty
- 2.3. Managing stress, frustration, impulsiveness and the burden of responsibility
- 2.4. Developing empathy, active listening, social awareness and an understanding of the team's needs
- 2.5. Building trust through consistency, transparency, reliability and interpersonal respect
- 2.6. Resilience, tolerance of adversity and recovery from mistakes, crises and unfavourable results
- 2.7. Designing personal habits that support balance, mental clarity and sustained performance
- 2.8. Self-knowledge and stress management for leaders
Directive communication, influence and team mobilization
- 3.1. Principles of clear, persuasive and action-oriented communication in professional contexts
- 3.2. Active listening, questioning techniques and identifying needs, expectations and concerns
- 3.3. Conveying instructions, objectives, priorities and performance criteria without ambiguity
- 3.4. Non-verbal communication, executive presence, credibility and adapting the message to different audiences
- 3.5. Influence, argumentation and negotiation techniques and building collective commitment
- 3.6. Handling difficult conversations, corrective feedback and the communication of unpopular decisions
- 3.7. Developing internal communication systems that improve coordination, trust and strategic alignment
- 3.8. Presentation techniques and persuasive communication
Decision-making and problem-solving methods
- 4.1. Structuring the decision process from problem definition to evaluation of results
- 4.2. Identifying the causes, consequences, constraints, interests and critical variables of a situation
- 4.3. Applying decision matrices, option trees, multi-criteria analysis and prioritization models
- 4.4. Differences between programmed, strategic, tactical, operational, individual and collective decisions
- 4.5. Using critical thinking to weigh data, hypotheses, evidence and opposing arguments
- 4.6. Generating and comparing alternatives through creativity, feasibility analysis and expected impact
- 4.7. Designing well-founded, traceable decisions aligned with organizational objectives
- 4.8. Analysis tools: decision tree, SWOT and prioritization matrix
Decisions under pressure, risk and uncertainty
- 5.1. Characteristics of decision-making with incomplete information and limited time
- 5.2. Assessing risks, probabilities, impacts, vulnerabilities and tolerance margins
- 5.3. Identifying cognitive biases, errors of judgment, overconfidence and groupthink
- 5.4. Building scenarios, sensitivity analysis and preparing contingency alternatives
- 5.5. Crisis management through prioritization, resource allocation and continuous updating of the situation
- 5.6. Balancing speed, prudence, responsibility and proportionality in decisions
- 5.7. Developing protocols to decide clearly and stay in control in critical situations
- 5.8. Cognitive biases and errors in decision-making
Team leadership, motivation and performance management
- 6.1. Building high-performing teams through shared objectives, defined roles and mutual trust
- 6.2. Identifying the needs, motivations, expectations and commitment drivers of team members
- 6.3. Effective delegation of tasks, authority, resources and follow-up responsibilities
- 6.4. Performance appraisal through indicators, observation, feedback and improvement plans
- 6.5. Talent management, competency development, recognition and preparing new leaders
- 6.6. Preventing and resolving conflicts arising from roles, priorities, communication and interpersonal relations
- 6.7. Building working environments focused on accountability, cooperation, learning and sustainable results
- 6.8. Effective delegation and developing team members
Strategic leadership, organizational change and corporate culture
- 7.1. Defining vision, purpose, priorities and lines of action from a strategic perspective
- 7.2. Aligning management decisions with available resources, objectives and organizational capabilities
- 7.3. Leading change, digital transformation, innovation and internal reorganisation
- 7.4. Identifying and managing individual, collective and structural resistance to change
- 7.5. Building organizational culture through values, behaviors, symbols and management practices
- 7.6. Ethical leadership, corporate responsibility and consideration of social and human impacts
- 7.7. Developing governance and leadership models able to sustain adaptation and continuous improvement
- 7.8. Change management and communicating the strategy
Applied final project in leadership and decision-making
- 8.1. Defining an organizational case involving team leadership, change, crisis, conflict or a strategic decision
- 8.2. Diagnosing the context, stakeholders, risks, constraints and existing leadership problems
- 8.3. Assessing the leadership style, communication channels and current decision-making mechanisms
- 8.4. Designing a leadership and coordination model tailored to the needs of the chosen case
- 8.5. Developing a decision proposal with alternatives, selection criteria, risks and contingency measures
- 8.6. Defining indicators, timeline, responsibilities and follow-up mechanisms for the intervention
- 8.7. Evaluation of the case study and a management development plan
- 8.8. Writing the final report with the strategic, human, operational and organizational validation of the proposed solution
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Leadership and Decision-Making
Leadership and decision-making: how to lead people and teams effectively and how to make sound, well-justified decisions, including under pressure and uncertainty.
It covers both in an integrated way, because they complement each other. Several modules focus on leading people and teams, and two are devoted specifically to decision methods and decisions under risk.
Decision matrices, decision and option trees, SWOT, multi-criteria analysis, prioritization models, scenario building, sensitivity analysis and contingency planning, together with critical thinking techniques.
Yes. You will learn to recognize biases, errors of judgment, overconfidence and groupthink, and to build protocols that keep decisions clear in critical situations.
Yes. The decision content applies to any demanding operational setting, including ship and port operations, where weather, breakdowns or incidents force fast prioritization, as well as to office and management roles.
You choose an organizational case involving a team, change, crisis, conflict or strategic decision, diagnose it and design a leadership model and a decision proposal with alternatives, risks, indicators and follow-up.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and personalized tutorials with the teaching staff.
The professional diploma comprises 800 hours of study across 8 modules of 100 hours each and ends with an applied final project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at professionals moving into leadership roles, managers and supervisors, entrepreneurs and business owners, consultants and coaches, and students and recent graduates aspiring to leadership positions; a higher technical qualification or equivalent, or demonstrable experience managing or coordinating teams, is recommended, together with basic knowledge of project management, communication and conflict resolution.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a device with internet access, compatible videoconferencing software and basic office software skills.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.