Leadership Programme

Become a Certified Leader of European Neurology

The next round of the programme will start in Helsinki 2025.
Application is now open until Feburary 01, 2025.

The EAN has developed an extensive leadership programme that will support European neurologists and healthcare professionals interested in advocating for their topic and leading the neurological workforce to the next level. The programme will be highly practice-oriented. Participants will apply what they learn from day one and finish the programme being and feeling like Certified Leaders of European Neurology.

They will learn from international and professional coaches and speakers, including EAN Committee and Board members. This will provide a great opportunity for all participants to extend their network and get to know other leaders and aspiring leaders in European neurology.

This extensive two-year programme will help its participants to develop major leadership skills in topic areas such as:

  • Leadership role – me as a leader
  • Leading myself, leading individuals, leading teams
  • Conflict management
  • Project management
  • Leading in times of constant change
  • Team management and motivation 
  • Giving feedback
  • General advocacy for neurology
  • Sustainability and climate change effects on neurology
  • Press and media 
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Management
  • How to work with lay persons, patient advocates and organizations 
  • ... and more!

Scientific Theatre Presentation in Helsinki 2024

Listen to the presentation on the Virtual Congress Platform

Update and impressions of the EAN Leadership Programme, including information about the next application round.

Discover more

Find related Leadership information:

"The EAN Leadership Programme was developed to teach and enhance the skills and competencies that you have not learned at school. I truly believe it will be a highly acknowledged and appreciated course, helping participants to become leaders in neurology, as well as the EAN in its mission to promote professionalism of leaders who will continue to advocate for the future of neurology."
Irena RektorovaEAN Chair Education Committee
Anja Sander
"Good training in leading oneself and others is a big advantage for anyone – the leader and the person who is led. I am confident that this programme will have a positive impact on the development of the neurological workforce in a fast-changing world."
Anja SanderEAN Executive Director
"The EAN Leadership Programme is a value-based, integrated approach to leadership."
Ulf KallweitEAN Chair Programme Committee
"It is vital that we have excellent leadership in neurology if we are to meet the substantial and growing needs of those with neurological conditions. There are many attributes to great leadership, and this course provides an excellent opportunity to explore them, understand how to get the best out of yourself and others, and to develop your leadership style."
Tony MarsonEAN Secretary General
Walter Struhal
"The EAN takes the lead in promoting pan-European neurology leadership. Leadership skills enable neurologists to guide teams and advocate for their patients' interests. Achieving goals together needs leadership, and leadership is a skill that may be taught and learned."
Walter StruhalEAN Co-Chair Ethics and Quality Task Force

Course outline

This two-year programme will kick off one day prior to EAN 2025 in Helsinki, for a maximum of 20 participants. It will give participants enough time for learning, self-development, and reflection, as well as implementing what they have learned in practice.

The programme is aimed mainly at mid-career neurologists, but is also suitable for junior neurologists who already have some experience in leadership and for senior neurologists who wish to continue to learn and expand their skillset.

The programme will include:

  • Three in-person workshops, one day prior to the EAN congresses 2025-2027 (full days, 17,5 hours in total)
    • Friday, June 20, 2025 in Helsinki, Finland (participation is mandatory for all participants) 
    • Friday, June 26, 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland
    • Friday, June 11, 2027 in Gothenburg, Sweden 
  • Ten bi-monthly online interactive workshops (Saturdays, full days, 70 hours in total)
  • Ten bi-monthly peer-group meetings (self-organised, 50 hours in total)
  • Personal learning portfolio to be worked out over the course of the programme (20 hours in total)

Upon completion of the programme, participants will obtain the EAN certificate Certified Leader of European Neurology (CLEN).

Application

The application link is only visible to EAN members from December 2, 2024 – February 1, 2025. Please make sure to log into your MyEAN account to gain access to registration.

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The full fee for this two-year-programme for non-members is €3,500.

EAN RRFS and Full members can apply for a grant, which will reduce the costs to a total of €650 for participants from high-income countries and to €200 for participants from low/lower-middle/upper-middle income countries (as defined by The World Bank) for the whole programme. 

The paid fees include:

  • Three in-person workshops
  • Ten online modules
  • Learning material provided by the trainers
  • Individual coaching opportunities
  • Vouchers for the EAN Congress Networking Event in Helsinki 2025
  • Free registration for the EAN Congress 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland

Please bear in mind that the travel and accommodation costs for the three in-person workshops must be paid by the participant.

This programme is aimed at neurologists, working in EAN Member Countries, who want to develop their leadership skills and, in the future, play an active role at the EAN in order to promote and advocate for neurology on all levels. All applicants who have basic experience in leading a team or organization, but also experienced leaders, who want to refresh their leadership skills, are eligible for the programme.

The EAN welcomes applications from different levels of experience, as we trust that a diverse audience (age, gender, geographic area, and level of experience in leadership skills) will contribute to a wide range of exchange of knowledge and viewpoints.

Application procedure

The next round of the programme will start in Helsinki 2025. Application will be open from December 02, 2024 until Feburary 01, 2025. Please make sure to log into your MyEAN account to gain access to registration.

The following information must be submitted within the online application form:

  • CV, including information and confirmation on past leadership experience or activities related to leadership 
  • Motivational letter, including the following questions (1,5 pages maximum)
    • What are you expecting from the programme?
    • What is your motivation to improve your leadership skills? Which goals do you want to reach?
    • What is your personal approach to "leadership"? What makes a good leader? 
    • What are your current challenges in your leading functions? 
    • How will you make sure to have time for the programme?

If you want to apply for the programme, but are not an EAN member, please contact leadership(at)ean.org.

Each application is reviewed by the Leadership Task Force members. The reviewers will use a scoring sheet for the reviewing process and the score for each application is a result of eight separate scores:

  • Four scores for the motivational letter
  • Two scores for the candidate
  • One score for the overall impression
  • One score for EAN membership status and involvement in EAN activities

Upon completion of this two-year programme, participants will obtain the EAN certificate Certified Leader of European Neurology (CLEN).

In order to obtain the certificate, all of the following criteria must be fulfilled:

  • 75% attendance in all onsite and online workshops
  • Personal learning portfolio
    • Each participant will write an individual work paper about what they have personally learnt throughout the programme. This will be an ongoing process over the course of the two-year-programme and a learning method in order to reflect the topics and address personal thoughts, perceptions, lessons, or questions connected to their personal leadership development.
  • Peer group work
    • Each group will submit yearly summaries and hold short presentations about their work in each module. The final peer group presentations will be held at the Scientific Theatre at the EAN Congress 2027 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The 10 peer-group meetings will be self-organised within each group and held without a trainer.

Katharina Mitterbauer started to assist in leadership trainings already while she studied Psychology, Sociology, and Pedagogics. She graduated in Personal and Organisational Development in Innsbruck/Austria and concentrated her post-graduate studies on Change Management and Coaching. As internationally experienced coach, trainer, and consultant she developed and led leadership curricula in various industries, lectured at different universities and accompanied many organisations in their necessary changes. Currently, she focuses mainly on executive coaching, leadership training and change management projects.

„Respect and appreciation for individuals, teams and organisations guide my thinking and my interactions - as they are key values in my work with people.”

 

Claus Lackerbauer studied economics in Vienna and completed three postgraduate studies: training and consulting, supervision and coaching as well as change management. In 1992 he started his career as a trainer in the field of personal development. For more than three decades he has been accompanying executives, teams and organizations as a coach, supervisor, management consultant and lecturer for human resource development in different intercultural contexts. He mostly follows an experiencee-based learning and development approach to inspire and support individuals and teams.

”As a consultant I am experienced, courageous, intuitive and empathetic, working in an action-, result- and process-oriented way.”

 

Norbert Kern studied psychology in Vienna and started his career as a self-employed trainer and diagnostician of sales and leadership skills. He worked with leaders from different cultures all over the world and from blue collar to top executive level. In 2017, he founded “Chapter 3 – leadership development and management training” providing international trainings-programs with a focus on personal development. Today, he works with international companies on developing their leadership, facilitates team-development processes, and coaches executives.

“I like depth. Training of skills is a great thing. Developing the mindset that applies the skills is even greater.”

The programme will include keynote lectures, held by senior neurologists and experts in the respective field.

Furthermore, the online modules will be opened with Ask-the-Board sessions, in which EAN Board members will share their stories and experiences as leaders in neurology and be available for Q&As and discussions.