Connected Leadership Programme

Module overview

This module is focused on how leaders translate organisational values and integrate them with their own personal values to create an authentic leadership approach.

Across three workshops you will undertake a series of activities to reflect on your personal values and how these come to life in your role at the University of Leeds, how these differ for everyone, and how the University values can act as a golden thread that builds belonging and supports inclusivity across the University.

Critically, in the second workshop you will use an action learning approach to explore a current leadership challenge and determine how best to apply a values-led leadership approach, enabling you to enact values-led leadership in real time.

Workshop 1: Demonstrating our Values

This workshop explores personal values, examining how and where they manifest in our leadership roles, how they are demonstrated and the impact of how others perceive them.

• Describe how an organisations values translate and are applied by me as a leader.
• Identify my own values and describe how these are demonstrated authentically as I lead.
• Explore and experience the values of others as well as my own.

Workshop 2: Values in Action

This workshop is an opportunity to explore how values impact on everyday leadership demands. With colleagues from across the University, you will collectively explore solutions to real-world challenges, fostering shared learning.

• Recognise the challenges and opportunities of being a values-led leader in a complex organisation.
• Identify a set of values-informed actions to apply to a current challenge.
• Explore and experience the values of others as well as my own.

Workshop 3: Leading with Compassion

This workshop is an opportunity to consider your leadership approach and the culture you foster when you lead with the value of “compassion”.  We will explore ways to develop an inclusive, psychologically safe environment where individuals and teams can thrive and excel.

• Articulate why a dialogical leadership approach is important for values-led leadership.
• Identify actions to build a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment.
• Explore and experience the values of others as well as my own.

Rebecca Fielding – Founder & Managing Director, Gradconsult

Over the last twenty years Rebecca has recruited and developed thousands of people with, and for, some of the world’s biggest brands, including as Talent Manager for the UK&I with HJ Heinz and as Head of Leadership and Culture with Asda. Her roles have encompassed all aspects of talent management, recruitment, employee engagement and leadership development for up to 175,000 colleagues and 20,000 leaders and managers in the U.K. with a global Director and Top Talent remit.

A Fellow of the ISE, Fellow of the RSA, a ‘Top Career Development Voice’ on LinkedIn and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Rebecca is a deeply experienced people professional and an accomplished facilitator with senior leaders, directors and executive boards. Visit Rebecca’s LinkedIn profile to read more about her background, publications and various advisory/board roles.

Rachel Salmon – Senior Consultant, Gradconsult

Rachel has a passion for developing the best in people and has honed her skills working in and with a range of very different organisations (Sheffield Hallam University, Wilko, the British Museum, Save the Children International, Allianz, IMI etc) supporting them in developing the knowledge, skills and mindset they need to grow and thrive within some very complex and changing contexts. She has over 20 years' experience in learning, leadership, and culture development and enjoys taking different approaches to learning.

She is a skilled facilitator and coach and is a firm believer in the power of practical, experiential learning (best evidenced by her role with Save the Children where she designed and delivered week-long immersive experiential learning events for humanitarian responders.) She has a BSc in Psychology from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Human Resource Management from Sheffield Hallam University. She is currently studying for the ILM Level 7 certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaching and Mentoring.

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 1 May 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 8 May 2024, 10am-1pm
• Workshop 3 – 15 May 2024, 10am-1pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 20 June 2024, 10am-1pm
• Workshop 2 – 27 June 2024, 10am-1pm
• Workshop 3 – 4 July 2024, 1.30-4.30pm

Applying for this module:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.

Workshop 1: Why Change

The workshop will position the context of the drivers of change for the University of Leeds, why it is happening and how it impacts organisational culture. Participants will be introduced to the University’s internal change roles and competencies and will have the opportunity to self-assess against these and apply to current change projects.

• Why exponential change is happening
• The driver of change for the university of Leeds
• The drivers of success and failure
• The speed and impact of failure
• University of Leeds core roles and competencies - Self-assessment
• Identifying current change challenge
• Identifying the roles and competencies needed

Workshop 2: Leading Transition and Managing Resistance

The second workshop will explore leadership capability when leading people through change. This will include understanding how change affects performance and identifying a range of strategies to manage transition and resistance.

• The neuroscience of how change affects human performance
• The role and behaviours we see during change
• Strategies in managing different roles and behaviours
• The role and behaviours we see during change
• Strategies in managing different roles and behaviours

Workshop 3: Leading Strategic Change

The final workshop will develop capability to apply strategic change framework on a current change project. Participants will get the opportunity to work on their current challenges and be introduced to a range of internal online tools.

• Identifying current change challenges and the business case
• Introducing the influencer model
• Identifying the measurable results
• Identifying the vital behaviours
• Implementation of the behaviours
• Applying the 6 sources of influence
• Identifying internal resources
• Online toolkit

Vicki Haverson  – Principal Consultant, Leadership & Talent Consultancy, GatenbySanderson

Vicki is passionate about strengths-based practices and organisation and relationship systems coaching which she integrates into her work with organisations, leaders, and teams. Her areas of expertise include leadership and team coaching and development, coaching supervision and strengths-based organisation design and development.

She is a Certified Coach Supervisor, Advanced Certified Coach and Strengths Coach with over 18 years’ experience in both in-house and consulting roles.

Vicki has worked across sectors including banking and finance, aviation, education, engineering, healthcare, legal, local and central government, not for profit and social housing in both the UK and Middle East where she lived and worked for 9 years.

Before joining GatenbySanderson, she was responsible for the Leadership and Talent Consultancy practice for Greenacre Consult where she worked with clients across the social housing, not for profit and public sector.

Liaquat Lal – Partner, Leadership & Talent Consultancy, GatenbySanderson

Liaquat is a Partner within the Leadership and Talent Consultancy at GatenbySanderson where he heads up the leadership and organisational development practice. Prior to joining GS, Liaquat led a range of consulting teams designing and leading global delivery of senior leadership development and organisational development .

Liaquat started his professional life working in the social care field as practitioner, team leader and strategy co-ordinator for local and central government and then moved into internal learning and development leadership roles for GE Capital and the Co-op.

Liaquat is the GatenbySanderson account director for the University of Leeds and has led the design and delivery of the internal ‘Leading Change and Transformation’ programme as well as designing and delivering a range of bespoke and customised senior team leadership development programmes for faculties and schools across the University.

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 30 April 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 7 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 14 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 19 June 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 26 June 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 3 July 2024, 1.30-4.30pm

Applying for this module:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.

This module will help you to:

• Contribute to the University Strategy and translate it to their own context
• Understand and analyse challenges and opportunities, to inform the creation of a local strategic plan
• Plan effective communication and engagement with the strategy within their own team

Workshop 1: Translating University Strategy to a Local Context

• Connecting to the University vision
• Translating the University Strategy to local vision and strategy
• Linking strategy to values

During this workshop, leaders will be working on their own local strategy to ensure it links with the University Strategy coherently.

Workshop 2: Creating a Local Strategic Place

• Objective contextual analysis
• Risk identification and management
• Strategy planning hierarchies
• Strategy stakeholder mapping

During this workshop, leaders will be working on their own local strategy to ensure it is robust in considering content, risks and stakeholder involvement.

Workshop 3: Encouraging Engagement with the Strategic Plan

• Dialogical strategy formulation and dissemination
• Personal engagement planning
• Applying a change model to strategy implementation

During this workshop, leaders will be working on their own local strategy and plan how to bring it to life for key stakeholders using effective change management techniques.

David Sales – Executive Director, Oakridge

David is an Executive Director of The Oakridge Centre and First Ascent Group. He is an Associate of the Cambridge University Institute of Sustainability Leadership. David is an experienced facilitator, advisor, leadership development expert, trainer and conference speaker. He develops and delivers client programmes, as well as providing senior executive mentoring support. David specialises in applying the latest brain science and knowledge to helping leaders perform to their maximum. ​

​He is widely informed on how the latest brain science research is improving our understanding of culture change, leadership and organisation effectiveness. He facilitates training programmes at board, executive and senior team levels, across the HE, corporate and public sectors, ensuring objectives are met in an enjoyable, energising and engaging manner.​

​David has a BA and MA from Cambridge University, an MBA from Warwick University, the Institute of Marketing Diploma and holds the IoD Certificate in Company Direction. He is an Advanced Emergenetics practitioner.

Adam Robertson - Senior Associate, Oakridge

Adam has 25 years’ experience of working with clients in the UK, US, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, SE Asia, Dubai and Sweden in programme design and delivery including a number of organisational development assignments with global reach.  ​

​He has designed and delivered major culture change and business transformation projects alongside the design and delivery of senior leadership development programmes. Working with senior teams, he has supported team effectiveness projects including coaching senior team members and developing creativity training programmes for project leaders and LEAN specialists.​

​With significant international business experience, Adam is a highly skilled facilitator and coach who brings a calm and measured approach to creative problem solving. Adam has an MBA in Strategic Leadership (Henley Business School), a BA (Hons) in History of Art and a Diploma in Training Management. He holds BPS psychometric assessment Levels 1 & 2, is a certified Emergenetics practitioner and qualified in Prince II Project Management.​

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 22 May 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 3 June 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 10 June 2024, 1.30-4.30pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 11 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 18 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 25 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Applying for this module:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.

This module is designed to provide you with an opportunity to explore your leadership through the lens of systems and culture. We will introduce some critical ideas and themes that are designed to give you a sense of the field, and then the space to reflect, learn and practice the application of these ideas in the context of your role as a leader in the institution.

This will include:

• an introduction to the vocabulary and meaning of systems and culture, to encourage critical awareness
• an exploration of some key concepts, to develop pluralism and curiosity, and to integrate the pillars of self, system and the boundaries inherent in each
• activities that will enable you to test the application of these ideas, and reflect on their potential to support your repertoire of practice as a leader.

Workshop 1: A System Perspective on Leadership

• Complexity - understanding systems in terms of characteristics and relationships.
• Interconnectedness, emergence, and causality.
• Distributed leadership (and unknowingness).
• The relationship between systems and culture.
• Mapping your system, with the Impact Gap Canvas.

Workshop 2: Application of System Thinking

• Reflections on system mapping.
• Metaphors and language.
• Systems thinking as a means of shaping organisational culture, understanding the various interconnected and interdependent components in organisations.
• Tools and Approaches – resources, examples, opportunities.

Workshop 3: Developing the Architecture of your System Leadership

• Anecdote Circles as a means of eliciting experiences and stories about systems.
• Designing leadership interventions with a focus on culture.
• Gaining insights into underlying patterns, structures, and feedback loops within the system.
• Using systems thinking to accelerate culture change.
• How can a community lead for emergence?

Chris Burling – Principal Consultant, WD Trust

Chris Burling is a Principal Consultant in the field of organisations, leadership and learning, interested in delivering really good consultancy, and building learning partnerships. He is a thinking practitioner and curious generalist, and an experienced, creative and critical professional in the field of people and organisations. BSc/ PGCE/ MA/MBA/CIPD qualified and a DBA candidate at the University of Bath, investigating complex public sector systems and their relationship to the business school and executive education, Chris is also an Executive Coach with Henley Business School. He naturally gravitates towards complexity, but very much as a work in progress. He is an idealist, although perpetually suffering self-doubt, and sees this as (sometimes) a good thing. His previous experience includes in the NHS, as a Client Director in Executive Development, and fifteen years working in training and education in schools, universities and high-performance sport.

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 2 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 10 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 16 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 18 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 25 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 2 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Applying for this module:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.

A key aspect of connected leadership is enabling others to perform at their best.  For many leaders this involves teams - whether fixed and long-standing or flexible and short-term.  Great team leadership fosters individual and collective capability to deliver outcomes in a way that is consistent with organisational values (Collaboration, Compassion, Inclusion and Integrity).  This module explores what characterises effective teams and wise team leadership. It offers practical approaches to build leaders’ confidence in action.

Participants will be expected to identify team examples, issues and challenges to work on through the Module.

Workshop 1: Leading Teams

The first workshop will consider our perspectives on effective teams and wise team leadership.  It will invite exploration of good examples in the University and beyond. What do these teams do particularly well?  It will focus on you - the leader - as a collaborative role model creating an environment of high trust, openness, learning and shared accountability for results from often diverse groups.  It will also pay attention to what can help and hinder team effectiveness and what leaders can do to amplify the conditions for teams to thrive and contribute.

Workshop 2: Developing Teams

Building on the foundations of Workshop 1, the focus will be on how teams develop over time and how the leader can shape and steer this.  It will explore the power of team purpose, identity, stories and the quality of relationships and dialogue within the team – including the vital capacity to deal with conflict and disagreement in a healthy way.  In an increasingly anxious world and workplace it will explore what it means to foster individual and team well-being in a hybrid working context.  The importance of time to reflect, share, enjoy and celebrate will also be explored.

Workshop 3: Maximising Team Impact

This workshop turns attention increasingly outward to the team’s reputation and relationships in the wider University and HE eco-system. It will explore how the team operates in a complex context and deals with challenge and feedback, keeping a learning and improvement orientation. It explores the risk of team silos and how the team balances progressing its own goals within the overall University strategy. A focus will be on working collaboratively with stakeholders and other teams. It will explore how to deal with tensions when differences of perspective exist and how to address and resolve these in service of the greater good.  The final hope is for participants to plan how to sustain learning about great team leadership!

Dr Jane Gaukroger – EMCC Coach Practitioner, Berkshire Consultancy, Faculty (BA (Hons), PG Dip (HR), PhD, FCIPD)

Jane is a very experienced organisational and leadership development consultant and executive coach, having spent her whole career in the field.  She previously held leadership roles in the UK people and change consulting practices of global firms Towers Perrin and KPMG, leading projects with a wide range of large, complex clients. She leads cross-sector leadership programmes for the Whitehall and Industry Group and has been a tutor with the NHS Leadership Academy.

She works widely in the HE sector including development with governing bodies, Vice Chancellors and senior executive groups, as well as coaching a wide range of leaders from across a diverse range of academic and professional service areas. She has also been a university governor.

Jane has a first-class degree in English from the University of London, is a Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, an EMCC qualified coach and holds a doctorate in organisational wisdom. She is particularly interested in how leaders access and cultivate their own and others’ wisdom to build the organisations needed to face 21^st century challenges. She writes and researches in this area and is connected with the Center for Practical Wisdom at the University of Chicago.

Sandra Buckley – Director at Berkshire Consultancy Ltd (BSc MSc ACA CPyschol CMC DipCouns)

Sandra heads up work in the HE sector at BCL.  A Chartered Occupational Psychologist with 30 years’ experience in organisational learning, development and assessment, she has worked across private, public and voluntary sectors as well as HE (Russell Group and post-92 Universities), mostly in the areas of leadership development and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Sandra is passionate about helping people authentically realise their potential within their particular social/organisational context; she works with individuals and teams to increase their skills, confidence and performance in alignment with their organisation’s goals and values.  Sandra is a skilled facilitator and coach, drawing upon a wide range of theories, approaches, tools and techniques including various psychometrics.

Sandra previously qualified and worked as a Chartered Accountant in London and New Zealand, and is also a qualified practising Counsellor.

Chris Locke – Principal Consultant at Berkshire Consultancy Ltd (MBA, FCIPD)

Chris Locke has been involved in coaching leaders and learning and talent development for over 30 years in both large public and private sector organisations, with a particular emphasis on helping teams navigate large scale, cultural change.

Chris is an experienced leader and accomplished Executive Coach, Facilitator and Trainer working with managers and leaders all over the world in difficult and robust circumstances.

Chris’s key passion and experience set is working with high potential, underrepresented groups to help them assess their strengths and risks in their work place and build confidence, capability and opportunity to accelerate their careers.

Chris’s recent experience includes working with leaders in a large, national infrastructure project to drive collaboration, transformation and implementation. His last corporate role was as Global Vice President of Coaching and Leadership Development for a FTSE100 company known as the world’s leading learning company.

Johnny Craike – EMCC Coach Senior Practitioner  (LLB, MA (research))

Johnny is an accredited European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) leadership coach, facilitator and learning game creator. He has a passion for learning through play and works with clients to incorporate games and fun into their workplaces. His career started in higher education before moving into the civil service and the housing sector. He has over 10 years’ experience working in senior leadership teams within the public and charitable sectors.

Johnny is a strength-based practitioner, helping clients to understand their own and each other’s strengths and identify small steps they can make to solve issues. He is an Insights Discovery practitioner, has coached more than 350 people and delivered learning programmes for over 70 organisations. This includes 30+ civil service departments and local authorities, Notting Hill Genesis, American Express, London School of Economics, DB Schenker, Goodyear, Paradigm housing, Abbvie, Transform Housing and Support, Homelesslink, Delaware North, Societe Generale and Frontline.

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 23 May 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 6 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 13 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 9 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 16 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 23 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Applying for this module:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.

Workshop 1: Coaching as a Leadership Style

Established leaders will explore​:

• Different styles of leadership and how optimising coaching can enhance a values-based leadership style​
• How coaching supports personal ambitions and those of the team, department, faculty and the University of Leeds​
• Assess personal leadership preferences and how to balance challenge and support effectively​
• Identify when, and when not, to use coaching ​

Coaching Skills​

Established leaders will practice:

• Key coaching skills to provide practical tools to optimise a coaching style and embed a coaching culture​.
• Listening to understand to actively listen with curiosity to understand others’perspectives​.
• Powerful questioning to develop great coaching questions to help others to deepen their awareness and understanding.

Workshop 2: Great Leadership Conversations

Established leaders will explore​:

• How and when a coaching approach can be useful, focusing on delegates’ own leadership opportunities and challenges.  ​
• The benefits of a coaching approach for impactful leadership conversations: performance, development, challenging conversations, managing inclusively, supporting wellbeing and navigating change.​
• A practical demonstration of a structured coaching conversation to explore and reflect upon – setting outcomes, exploring the current situation, identifying options and encouraging action planning.​

Coaching Skills​

Established leaders will practice:

• Structured coaching for development conversations to enable team members and colleagues to fulfil their potential and be their best.

Workshop 3: Developing a Coaching Culture

Established leaders will explore​:

• Creating a culture of coaching and learning for teams, departments and faculties​
• Identifying conditions needed for colleagues to feel empowered, challenged and supported to take ownership​
• Assessing supportive and non-supportive behaviours and identify how to shift to supportive behaviours to help embed coaching ​
• Collaborating effectively by taking a coaching approach to leading teams and groups ​

Coaching Skills​

Established leaders will practice​:

• Building facilitation skills to lead teams and groups inclusively ​
• Developing enhanced reflection and feedback skills to support a coaching approach with teams and groups

Joanne Clare – Senior Associate, Oakridge

As an Executive Coach, Leadership Development Consultant and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Jo has over 24 years’ experience in senior and strategic Organisational Development, Change Management and HR engagements. She champions engaging people to make a positive difference to organisational culture through aligning people and business strategies, coaching and learning. ​

​Jo works with leaders to help them to develop an authentic and inclusive style, through working with strengths, identifying values and connecting to purpose.  She helps leaders to build confidence to engage and inspire others, to build great teams through coaching and empowerment, to improve collaboration and deliver transformational change.  ​

​Jo works with a broad range of clients and developed long term partnerships with organisations, nationally and internationally including the University sector, NHS and health research, travel and aviation, automotive, engineering and commercial organisations. She holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Business and Tourism Management, a PG Dip in Human Resource Management and is a certified Strengthscope Master Practioner, and is accredited to work with Myers Briggs, Facet 5 and Emergenetics profiling tools. ​

Cohort 1 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 20 May 2024, 1.30-4.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 4 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 14 June 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Cohort 2 dates:

• Workshop 1 – 10 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 2 – 17 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm
• Workshop 3 – 24 July 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm

Applying for this cohort:

To apply for a module, you must be able to attend all three workshops. You can apply for each module you'd like to attend by using the following application form. We recommend you apply for a maximum of two modules as each consists of three half-day workshops which will take place online. If you'd like to apply for more, please contact leadership@leeds.ac.uk.