High Impact Leadership and Management
The Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship division of the Columbia School of Social Work is excited to offer the non-credit professional education certificate series in Socially Efficacious Leadership and Management, designed for leaders navigating the complexities of the 21st-century workplace, grounded in social work principles, and taught by industry pace setters shaping the future of leadership.
The Three-Course Pathway*
Transformational Leadership
Purpose, cultural competence, and foundational skills for tomorrow
Knowing and Using Yourself Effectively as a Leader
Self-awareness as the foundation of leadership
Communicating Effectively as a Leader or Manager
Motivational interviewing for organizational effectiveness
*Participants may enroll in one, two, or all three courses. Upon completion of each course, participants will be presented with a “Certificate of Participation”
Program Overview
Socially Efficacious Leadership and Management
Non-credit professional education certificates for leaders in a changing world
The Leadership Challenge
Leaders today face unprecedented challenges: rapid technological change, hybrid and remote teams, intergenerational workplaces, and rising expectations around equity, inclusion, and purpose. Traditional leadership training often fails to address the human and contextual dimensions of this work.
Our Approach
This three-course professional education series draws directly from social work practice, centering self-awareness, communication, cultural competence, and the person-in-environment perspective as essential leadership tools.
What makes this series different:
- Leadership is treated as a relational practice
- Organizational challenges are understood within broader social and cultural contexts
- Leaders develop skills they can use immediately, not just concepts to reflect on
Learn from Industry Pace Setters
Courses are taught by experienced leaders, consultants, and educators who are industry pace setters—bringing deep real-world experience alongside social work and social work–adjacent training.
Faculty bring expertise in:
- Organizational leadership and change
- Motivational interviewing in workplace settings
- Equity-centered and culturally responsive leadership
- Navigating complexity across nonprofit and corporate environments
Meet the Instructors
Who Should Enroll
Designed for early-career, mid-career, and senior leaders and managers in nonprofit and corporate organizations seeking a values-driven, practical approach to leadership.
Format & Certificate
- 6–7 modules per course
- Synchronous and asynchronous online learning
- Flexible design for working professionals
- Certificate of Participation from the Columbia School of Social Work awarded for each completed course
Tuition & Enrollment
- 1 course: $1,000
- 2 courses: $1,700
- All 3 courses: $2,700
*Early bird special for CSSW alumni: 15% discount if you register 1 month prior to the course.
**Non-refundable deposit of $500 to secure enrollment.
***To sign up you can either pay in full or pay the deposit and the remaining balance due 3 weeks prior to course start date.
Enrolling in the full series offers the most comprehensive leadership development experience.
Explore Individual Courses | Enroll in the Full Series
Instructor Bios
Transformational Leadership: Purpose, Cultural Competence and Foundational Skills for Tomorrow
Lee Cortez, LMSW, SHRM-SCP, CDE
Lee Cortez is Head of Global HR Programmes and Policies at Block (fka Square), where he leads people programme strategy and policy design across global markets, with a focus on globally consistent yet locally responsive workforce policies.
He holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) from Cambridge Judge Business School, an MSSW from Columbia University, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. He has consistently held Adjunct Professor post at Columbia School of Social Work since 2016; he is also a licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW), a Senior Certified Professional of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP), and a Certified Diversity Executive® (CDE®). His professional background includes human capital consulting, social work, and prior experience at Google. His recent work has been featured at the United Nations in Vienna, contributing to discussions on artificial intelligence and its applications for developing countries.
Knowing and Using Yourself Effectively as a Leader
Jasmine Thomas, Ed.M., M.S.W., M.B.A.
Jasmine Thomas is the Founder and Managing Partner of Beacon Rowe, a global boutique advisory firm helping executives, civic leaders, and boards align strategy, leadership, and capital to deliver durable, double-bottom-line outcomes at the intersection of private capital, social impact, and institutional leadership. She holds more than two decades of executive experience advancing economic inclusion, community development, and digital transformation across philanthropic, corporate, and public sectors, with initiatives spanning 90+ countries. At Microsoft, Jasmine served as Senior Director in the Trusted Technology Group, where she led the Higher Education Talent Ecosystem and built national partnerships to expand the workforce of innovators in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and data science. Earlier, she led one of Microsoft’s flagship ESG programs, Airband Initiative, forging public-private partnerships that expanded high-speed internet access to more than 4.2 million rural households across the US. Prior to Microsoft, Jasmine held executive leadership roles at Citi, mobilizing more than $1 billion in investments across consumer, mortgage, and investment banking, serving as an inaugural member of the Citi Impact Fund, and managing global grants portfolios through Citi Foundation. Jasmine holds an M.B.A. from London Business School, an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, an M.S.W. from New York University, an Ed.M. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park. She serves on the boards of Social Impact Fund in Los Angeles, Pacific Community Ventures in Oakland, and Cheri Chef (a London, UK start-up), with prior service on American Bankers Association Foundation and Funders Concerned About AIDS.
Communicating Effectively as a Leader or Manager: Motivational Interviewing in Organizations
Colleen Marshall, MA, LMFT
Colleen Marshall has been in executive leadership in behavioral health and behavior change service delivery and management for around 20 years. She is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at Two Chairs. Her focus has been on behavior change methodologies, particularly Motivational Interviewing. She has helped multiple start-ups and non profit behavioral health organizations implement MI in clinical care and leadership. She also authored Motivational Interviewing for Leaders in the Helping Professions: Facilitating Change in Organizations.
