Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management - BSB60420
Ascend to Excellence
The workplace is changing fast. Employers are looking for people who can adapt, lead and innovate as technology transforms how we live and work. This course focuses on developing those capabilities through practical projects and mentorship.
Starting now means you’ll enter the workforce or further study with a strong foundation in leadership and communication.
Finish Year 12 already thinking like a leader.
Build the judgement, confidence and leadership skills to create opportunities, lead people and make stronger decisions before most people your age have started.
- Invitation only
- Maximum 18 places each year
- Face to face in Robina
- Saturdays every 4 to 5 weeks
Small cohort. Real conversation. High expectations. Personal support.
What kind of leader are you?
Leadership is not one personality type. Choose the response that feels most natural and discover the strength you may already be building.
Do not wait ten years to begin building the person you can become now.
Imagine reaching 20 with recognised qualifications, stronger judgement and the confidence to communicate with people far beyond your age group. Not because a course guarantees your future, but because you chose to practise leadership earlier.
This is an aspirational example, not a promise of completion, employment, university admission, business success or a particular personal outcome. Progress depends on the individual, their effort, eligibility and circumstances.
- Recognised qualificationsEvidence of advanced study completed alongside senior schooling, where all requirements are met.
- Confident communicationMore practice presenting ideas, negotiating and contributing when the conversation matters.
- Strategic judgementA structured way to assess information, risk, people and opportunity before deciding.
- Valuable networksConnections with peers, educators and invited business contributors who broaden perspective.
- Resilience and self-directionExperience managing meaningful work, feedback and competing commitments.
- Capacity to createStronger foundations for leading a project, contributing at work or exploring a future venture.
Your head start can begin while you are still at school.
This example shows how an eligible student could move from business foundations into advanced leadership, then decide whether university, work or enterprise belongs in the next chapter.
Complete BSB50120 Diploma of Business
Learn to think critically, communicate ideas, understand money, manage risk and turn a plan into organised action.
You finish Year 11 with a nationally recognised Diploma and a stronger understanding of how business decisions work.
Complete BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management
Strengthen strategic leadership, influential communication, business planning, innovation and complex problem solving in a cohort of no more than 18.
You can leave school with advanced leadership skills and stronger evidence of what you can contribute.
University becomes an option, not the only definition of success
Move towards university, work, entrepreneurship or further development with recognised qualifications and a more mature leadership foundation.
Where Southern Cross University approves 12 of 24 Bachelor of Business units, the remaining course may take approximately 18 months at a full-time study load.
The timeline is illustrative only. Completion time, subject availability, admission and university credit depend on the individual and the relevant provider’s current requirements.
A small room changes the quality of the conversation.
BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is intentionally selective. Students are expected to contribute, test ideas, accept feedback and complete meaningful work. The schedule is structured to remain manageable alongside school, but the standard still requires commitment.
- Invitation onlyAn offer of placement may be made after a personal interview confirms suitability.
- 18 places per yearA deliberately limited cohort supports discussion, coaching and individual attention.
- Face to face in RobinaLearn in a professional Gold Coast environment designed for conversation and applied work.
- Saturdays every 4 to 5 weeksFull-day workshops are spaced to work alongside senior school commitments.
- Coaching and mentoringReceive guidance as you develop evidence and improve the quality of your thinking.
- Practical leadershipApply national unit requirements through projects, presentations and business decisions.
Leadership is learned through the conversations that happen in the room.
These are Australian Institute of Learning students in real workshops. They listen, question, present, work through business problems and learn directly from people who have made significant decisions beyond school. A small cohort means students are seen, expected to contribute and given room to practise.
Hear the experience in their own words.
Listen to Australian Institute of Learning students speak honestly about their learning, confidence and experience. Their reflections are unscripted and shared so you can hear the student perspective before deciding whether this pathway feels right for you.
Watch the student testimonials on YouTubeThese testimonials describe individual experiences. They do not promise the same experience or outcome for every student.
Learn from people who have already gone ahead.
Invited contributors bring leadership, finance, communication, performance psychology, technology and enterprise into a small room. Students can ask questions, test their thinking and hear what complex decisions look like beyond a textbook.
Financial education and enterprise
Lloyd James Ross
International financial educator, bestselling author, investor and multi-company director. Lloyd is the Founder and Director of Money Buys Happiness LLC and creator of the Money Grows On Trees podcast. He brings an entrepreneur’s perspective to wealth, risk, time and sustainable business growth.
What students gain: BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is not a finance qualification, but senior decisions often have financial consequences. Lloyd helps students understand the questions capable leaders ask before committing money, accepting risk or pursuing growth.
- Bestselling author published by Wiley
- Creator and host of a podcast with more than 300 episodes
- Keynote speaker to audiences of more than 7,000 people
Performance and communication
Trevor Ambrose
International keynote speaker and performance coach specialising in sales psychology, public speaking and mindset development. Across more than 20 years, Trevor’s published profile records training delivered to more than 870,000 people across 25 countries.
What students gain: Trevor challenges students to organise their thinking, communicate under pressure and present ideas with the clarity and presence expected in interviews, negotiations, major presentations and future boardrooms.
- More than 20 years of performance and communication experience
- International delivery across 25 countries
- Private clients have included global chief executives, senators and fighter pilots
Artificial intelligence and innovation
Mark Deacon
Entrepreneur and technology leader with experience building, funding and scaling high-growth companies. Mark founded his first startup at 21 and his published profile records growth from zero to more than $25 million in revenue before exit.
What students gain: Mark gives students a firsthand view of how artificial intelligence, innovation and commercial technology are changing work. Students explore tools and commercial thinking they can apply in future roles and ventures.
- Raised eight figures in investment capital
- Built companies to published valuations above $100 million
- Recognised through national entrepreneur, growth and technology awards
Performance psychology
Dr Kylie Loveday
Performance psychologist, published researcher, educator and professional performer. Kylie holds a PhD in Performance Psychology, an Honours Degree in Psychology and is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
What students gain: Across multiple sessions, Kylie develops evidence-based communication, resilience, authentic presence and the ability to present under pressure. Students practise techniques that can strengthen interviews, presentations and leadership conversations.
- More than 15 years teaching Psychology, Drama and Presenting at Griffith University
- Co-founder of Creating Artists
- 2025 Gold Coast Film Festival Screen Industry Professional of the Year
Enterprise, design and education
Lukas Ritson
Play advocate, educator, designer, international speaker and co-founder of Wearthy. Lukas and his wife Vanessa founded Wearthy in 2013 and developed it from a local Gold Coast passion project into an internationally recognised design and education enterprise.
What students gain: Lukas connects business planning with lived experience. Students see how purpose, customers, operations, design and growth need to work together when an idea moves from a plan into a real organisation.
- TEDx speaker and published journal author
- International keynote speaker across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland and Asia
- Wearthy projects extend across Australia and international markets
Your trainer and mentor
Ricky Naicker
Senior Trainer and Assessor
Chief Executive Officer
Business, leadership, training and wellbeing experience brought into a warm learning environment built on personal support and a serious standard of work.
What students gain: Ricky connects the national qualification requirements with practical decisions leaders make when people, pressure, money and opportunity are real. His approach combines high expectations with personal support and direct feedback.
View 21 qualifications and professional accreditations
Your trainer and mentor
Ricky Naicker
Senior Trainer and Assessor
Chief Executive Officer
Business, leadership, training and wellbeing experience brought into a warm learning environment built on personal support and a serious standard of work.
What students gain: Ricky connects the national qualification requirements with practical decisions leaders make when people, pressure, money and opportunity are real. His approach combines high expectations with personal support and direct feedback.
View 21 qualifications and professional accreditationsPostgraduate qualifications
- Master of Business Administration
- Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership
- Graduate Diploma in Management
- Graduate Diploma of Management, Learning
- Graduate Certificate in Management
Advanced Diplomas
- Advanced Diploma of Management
- Advanced Diploma of Management, Human Resources
- Advanced Diploma of Business
Certificate IV qualifications
- Certificate IV in Marketing
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- Certificate IV in Small Business Management
Diplomas
- Diploma of Management
- Diploma of Human Resources Management
- Diploma of Business
- Diploma A+ Supervisory Engineering
- Diploma of Business Management
- Diploma of Accounting, South Africa
- Diploma of Training and Assessment
- Diploma of Vocational Education and Training
Professional accreditations
- Accredited Mental Health First Aid Provider
- Certified Digital and Social Selling Specialist
Speaker biographies and images are published with consent. Guest contributors are invited participants in BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management. Participation, session content and scheduling may change according to availability.
A head start you can use, not just a qualification you can frame.
The return is not a guaranteed job title or income. It is the chance to finish school with advanced study, stronger judgement, real presentation practice and a network most people your age have not yet had the opportunity to build.
Build earlier
Complete advanced leadership study alongside Year 12. Where a university later approves advanced standing, eligible students may reduce the subjects, time and tuition remaining in a Bachelor of Business.
Be known in the room
A maximum of 18 places means you are not hidden in a crowded lecture. You can ask questions, receive feedback and learn directly from invited business and professional contributors.
Become harder to overlook
Practise speaking, presenting and making decisions with people beyond your age group. The aim is to help you enter interviews, meetings and future opportunities with stronger preparation.
Know how to move an idea forward
Learn how to test an idea, build a business plan, consider risk, lead people and measure progress. These skills can support university, employment, community leadership or future enterprise.
Across the ten units, this is how the learning is designed to change what you can do:
Think ahead and set direction
Move from waiting for instructions to understanding the goal, the people involved and what needs to happen next.
Speak with confidence when it matters
Present ideas, negotiate and contribute in rooms where your preparation and communication shape how seriously you are taken.
Make decisions you can defend
Question assumptions, compare evidence and explain the thinking behind your choice instead of relying on guesswork.
Stay steady under pressure
Manage priorities, feedback and competing responsibilities while protecting the habits and wellbeing needed to keep performing.
Turn an idea into a real plan
Connect customers, goals, resources, responsibilities and measures so an idea can move beyond conversation.
Help people do their best work
Set clearer expectations, give useful feedback and understand how trust and communication affect the way a team performs.
Notice opportunity sooner
Look for unmet needs, better systems and valuable relationships that other people may overlook.
Act on ambition responsibly
Balance confidence with evidence, risk and execution so you can pursue an opportunity without ignoring what could go wrong.
The 10 units in BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management.
Five core and five elective units build advanced skills across leadership, change, business planning, innovation, communication, critical thinking and professional networks.
Apply critical thinking for complex problem solving
Analyse complex information, lead structured thinking and present a defensible solution.
What this gives you: A method for moving beyond guesswork. You practise separating facts from assumptions, comparing evidence and explaining why your decision deserves support when the answer is not obvious.
Lead and manage organisational change
Plan change, consider risk, involve stakeholders and support people through transition.
What this gives you: Greater confidence when plans, technology or expectations shift. You learn how to explain the reason for change, respond to resistance and help people move through uncertainty without losing direction.
Provide leadership across the organisation
Communicate vision, model ethical behaviour and strengthen leadership across teams.
What this gives you: A clearer understanding of why people choose to trust a leader. You practise setting direction, taking responsibility and matching your behaviour to the standards you expect from others.
Develop and implement business plans
Research a direction, define objectives, plan resources and monitor performance.
What this gives you: A way to turn an idea into organised action. You connect customers, objectives, resources, responsibilities and measures so a plan can be tested in the real world, not left as a good intention.
Manage innovation and continuous improvement
Create conditions for better ideas, review performance and lead purposeful improvement.
What this gives you: The confidence to question “the way it has always been done”. You learn to identify waste, invite ideas, test improvements and use results to decide what should change next.
Communicate with influence
Lead meetings, present a position and negotiate outcomes with clarity and respect.
What this gives you: More control over how you show up when the room matters. You practise presenting, negotiating, listening and responding so your ideas can be understood without pretending to be someone you are not.
Develop critical thinking in others
Create an environment where people question assumptions and improve the quality of decisions.
What this gives you: The ability to lift the thinking of a group, not just provide the answer yourself. You practise asking better questions, challenging assumptions respectfully and helping people build stronger reasoning.
Lead communication in the workplace
Shape communication practices, build trust and respond constructively when conversations are difficult.
What this gives you: A framework for clearer expectations and stronger working relationships. You learn how communication systems, feedback and difficult conversations can reduce confusion and build trust.
Manage personal and professional development
Set priorities, support development and manage the habits and wellbeing needed for sustained performance.
What this gives you: Greater ownership of your time, energy and growth. You build practical habits for managing priorities, seeking feedback and supporting development without ignoring wellbeing.
Develop and maintain strategic business networks
Build purposeful professional relationships and maintain networks that support shared objectives.
What this gives you: A more intentional way to build relationships before you need an opportunity. You practise identifying valuable connections, contributing to them and maintaining professional trust over time.
This is the current example training plan supplied for the course page. Elective selection and delivery order may change within the BSB60420 packaging rules. Credit transfer is not automatic and is decided after an individual assessment of authenticated prior-study evidence.
Potential advanced standing towards the Southern Cross University Bachelor of Business.
Current published Southern Cross University information lists 12 units of credit from the 24-unit Bachelor of Business for eligible graduates of BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management.
View the current Southern Cross University credit tableSave time if university becomes part of your plan.
- 12 of 24 units: up to 50 per cent advanced standing for eligible applicants under the published arrangement.
- Gold Coast option: Southern Cross University currently lists Gold Coast delivery for the Bachelor of Business.
- Specialisation conditions: the current published credit table states that this credit does not apply to the Accounting specialisation.
- University decision: admission and advanced standing are assessed by Southern Cross University, not Australian Institute of Learning.
- Check before deciding: arrangements, specialisations, unit sequencing and course requirements can change.
Advanced standing is not automatic or guaranteed. Students must confirm current admission, credit, course structure and location directly with Southern Cross University before enrolling or making study decisions.
The questions students and parents should ask before making a premium investment.
Why is this a premium investment?
The value is built around access, depth and personal attention: a maximum cohort of 18, face-to-face workshops in a professional environment, direct trainer feedback, advanced nationally recognised study and invited contributors with experience across business, communication, finance, technology and performance. It is designed for students who want more than a large classroom and a qualification completed in isolation. No course can guarantee a financial or career return, so the information session explains the complete fee, inclusions and commitment before a decision is made.
What could I have by the time I finish Year 12?
If every course requirement is successfully completed, you could finish Year 12 holding BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management, with practical experience in business planning, influential communication, complex problem solving, innovation and leadership. You may also leave with stronger presentation experience, a broader professional network and clearer evidence of what you can contribute. Individual completion and personal outcomes vary.
How could this save time or money later?
Eligible BSB50120 Diploma of Business graduates may receive credit for two or three units in this course after evidence assessment. Eligible BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management graduates may also be considered by Southern Cross University for up to 12 of 24 Bachelor of Business units under its current published arrangement. Approved credit may reduce the study time and tuition remaining, but admission and credit are decided by the university and are never automatic or guaranteed.
Can I manage BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management while completing Year 12?
The course is structured with face-to-face Saturday workshops every four to five weeks so it can sit alongside school commitments. It still requires consistent attendance, project work and effort between sessions. The suitability interview explores whether the timing and commitment are realistic for you.
How often are classes held?
Face-to-face workshops are held in Robina on Saturdays, approximately every four to five weeks. The confirmed calendar is explained before a place is accepted.
Who can be considered for this course?
Official entry to BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is limited to people who have completed a Diploma or Advanced Diploma from the BSB Training Package, including an equivalent superseded qualification, or who have two years of equivalent full-time relevant workplace experience in an operational or leadership role. This invitation pathway is designed primarily for students who have completed BSB50120 Diploma of Business or BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management. Prior achievement and suitability are verified before commencement.
Is university required?
No. University is one possible pathway. Students may also use the skills and experience developed through BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management in work, entrepreneurship, further training or other opportunities.
What if I want to start a business?
The course develops business planning, communication, innovation, leadership and decision-making skills that can support future enterprise. It does not guarantee that a business will be launched or succeed.
Who will teach me?
Ricky Naicker is the Senior Trainer and Assessor. Invited business and professional contributors may join selected sessions to share specialist perspectives. Guest participation and scheduling may change.
What happens if I have already completed relevant units?
Eligible BSB50120 Diploma of Business graduates may qualify for credit transfer for two or three units. Australian Institute of Learning must assess authenticated evidence and confirm equivalence before credit is granted. BSBCMM511 is included as a unit to complete in the standard plan.
How are students selected?
Entry is invitation only. A personal interview considers prior study, readiness, commitment, goals and overall suitability. An offer of placement may be made after the interview. A maximum of 18 places is available each year.
What support will I receive?
The small cohort supports discussion, coaching, mentoring, feedback and individual check-ins. Support is designed to help students understand expectations and improve their evidence while maintaining the standard required by the qualification.
What if I am ambitious but not confident yet?
You do not need to arrive sounding like an experienced executive. The course gives you repeated opportunities to prepare, contribute, present, receive feedback and try again. Students still need to participate and complete the required work, but confidence is treated as something that can be practised rather than something you either have or do not have.
When will fees and everything included be explained?
Current fees, payment arrangements, inclusions, delivery expectations and relevant policies are explained during the personal information session. Students and families can ask detailed questions and review the full commitment before deciding whether to accept an offered place.
Course, credit and pathway disclaimer: Course units may vary. Credit transfer depends on the units successfully completed through prior study and an individual assessment of supporting evidence. Any university advanced standing is determined by the relevant university and is not guaranteed. The referenced Bachelor of Business pathway and potential 50 per cent advanced standing relate to eligible students applying to Southern Cross University, including the Gold Coast option, under the applicable arrangements at the time of application. The current published credit table states that this credit does not apply to the Accounting specialisation. Other universities may offer similar recognition. Students must confirm current admission, credit and course requirements directly with their chosen university before enrolling or making study decisions. Timelines and age-based examples are illustrative only. Individual completion times and outcomes vary.
Selection and contributors: An interview does not guarantee an offer. A maximum of 18 places is available each year. Speaker biographies and images are published with consent. Guest speakers and industry contributors are invited participants, not employees of Australian Institute of Learning unless expressly identified otherwise. Participation, session content and scheduling may change according to availability.
This course is intentionally limited to 18 students.
Book a personal information session to explore whether BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is the right next step for you. We will explain suitability, the training calendar, fees, support and pathway information before you decide.