What Is The Purposeful Leader Approach?

This month we will be featuring the Purposeful Leader Programme, a key component of our Achates Community platform, going live in October. 

Vicki Grace, our Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change has written a blog series about leadership, of which the second in the series is below: 

As an income generating professional in the cultural sector, you have a unique perspective into how our organisations run and how they fit within the wider context of our industry. You understand, arguably better than anyone, the impact we drive for audiences, where we are excelling, where we could do better and how to take critical senior stakeholders on a journey with you to ensure they understand who we are, what we do and who we do it for. You are full of ideas about how the sector can be more resilient, more purpose-led, more sustainable. So how do you turn those ideas into a reality? How do you develop the skills to build a bridge between what you are currently doing for the sector and what you know you could do? 

The Purposeful Leader programme has been developed to address just this conundrum. Designed with income generation professionals in mind, the programme takes as its central thesis the idea that today’s cultural sector needs leadership (at all levels) that is firmly grounded in organisational purpose. It has been designed on the basis that we need leaders of today and tomorrow to be equipped to act as a conduit through which positive and lasting change can be brought about. This approach doesn’t see leaders as the change as individuals but sees leaders as the enablers of the change our sector needs. 

The Purposeful Leader programme is a fresh new approach to leadership development which supports those in the sector who lead (or who wish to lead) to develop the skills to do just that. It enables you to widen the pathway to leadership, to encourage a broader scope of individuals to lead and change our sector for the better.

But how does it actually work?

Delivered as a series of monthly live and participatory webinars, the programme will offer participants the opportunity to develop your own personal leadership manifesto and to work with peers from across the sector to apply that manifesto to key leadership issues facing the sector today. The programme offers a unique learning environment that brings participants together to provoke thought, create space for critical thinking and reflection, and collaboration whilst developing the crucial skills needed to develop a purpose-driven leadership approach. 

Participants will have access to a personal development programme, facilitated conversations, critical thinking challenges and peer networks. You will be given the opportunity to develop your ambitions for the sector, for your organisation and to explore the role that you can play in bringing these about. You will be provided with the tools to develop that ambition and the skills to realise it. The Purposeful Leader programme will hold space for transformative leadership to flourish.

Achates’ purpose-led and audience-informed methodology ensures that leaders are not only equipped with theoretical knowledge but also the practical tools to lead with purpose and resilience. We believe that leadership must be available at all levels therefore participation in the programme is self-selected allowing anyone to join and contribute their unique perspective from which we can all grow and develop. 

And what’s more this is also all included in an Achates Community membership for just £50 per cultural charity sector employee / month or £500 / year paid up front.

Our Purposeful Leader live webinars begin with an introductory session in October. To join us, sign up to Achates Community for more details.

Make sure that you don’t miss out on this chance to shape the future of our sector and sign up to Achates Community today.