| Experienced Leader |
Experienced LeaderA hybrid programme for strategic leaders in the social purpose sector. Early bird application deadline: Sunday 8 March 2026 £2,395 Early Bird // £2,995 Full priceApply now Register your interest Join a webinarProgramme informationBetween April 2026 - January 2027, the Experienced Leader programme will bring together senior leaders who are passionate about social change and using their leadership to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable society. This programme is certified by The Institute of Leadership and on completion of the programme participants will have access to the award-winning MyLeadership e-learning programme to enable their continued development. To learn more about this certificate click here. Two bursary places available. Thanks to National Lottery players, Clore Social Leadership has received over £1 million from The National Lottery Community Fund to develop leadership skills among Black and racially minoritised communities. To help address persistent inequities and under-representation in social sector leadership, we are offering two fully funded bursary places on this programme. These bursaries are intended to support leaders who face structural barriers to accessing leadership development opportunities. The bursaries are available for: If you qualify for the bursary, simply complete the online application form. Sign up here to join us for webinar on Wednesday 28 January 2026 or Monday 23 February 2026. Programme Detail
Outcomes
 Key datesApplication deadlineSave £600 with the early bird offer when you apply by Sunday 8 March 2026. General applications will close on Sunday 29 March 2026. Please register your interest to keep informed about the programme and to hear about future programme launches. Moderation decisionApplications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis and there are limited places available - so be sure to submit your application as soon as possible. All applications will go through a moderation process to assess suitability, taking into the total number of applications received and programme capacity. Applicants will be informed about the outcome of their application on a rolling basis. Programme datesThe programme will begin in April 2026 with an induction learning day. The programme will end with a celebration event in January 2027. Eligibility criteriaStrategic decision makerThis programme is aimed at strategic decision makers, who generally have 6+ years of leadership experience from any sector, both paid and voluntary. This programme commonly caters for Directors, Chief Executives and in some cases Heads of and Senior Managers. Please note this list is not exhaustive, if you are unsure of your eligibility for this programme please contact info@cloresocialleadership.org.uk or if you have less experience but are still looking for a development opportunity please see our Emerging Leader programme. Working for social purposeThis programme is open to individuals who work for or with organisations with a social purpose, including charities, social enterprises, CICs, CSR departments, etc. Passionate about social changeYour interest in using your leadership skills and knowledge to help make the world a better place is key. Keen to developYour determination to develop yourself so you can lead social change effectively is a highly important criterion for your application. What Our Previous Participants SayOutcomesThroughout the programme you and your senior peers will be guided to develop essential leadership skills within a social purpose organisation, resulting in strengthened capabilities as an inspirational communicator, empowering enabler, courageous changemaker, focused strategist, passionate advocate, and generous collaborator. Through facilitated Peer Learning Circles and Action Learning you will be encouraged to engage in discourse around the challenges you face as leaders at an individual, organisational and systemic level, and the capabilities required to overcome
those challenges and grow as a leader.
Through self-reflection, you'll gain valuable insights into your strengths and areas for growth, enabling you to effectively communicate, collaborate, and lead with authenticity and compassion. The programme will provide you a refresher of the tools and knowledge needed to inspire and motivate others, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change. Gain the confidence to navigate complex, uncertain, and ever-changing contexts. The programme will empower you to develop a strong sense of self-assurance in your ability to lead. Through practical exercises and real-world examples, you'll learn effective strategies to tackle challenges head-on. Become more effective in your role and gain practical skills to empower and motivate your team members, fostering a collaborative and impact-driven environment. You'll gain the knowledge and tools needed to maximise your team’s productivity and achieve your organisation’s goals. You’ll have the skills and tools to pass on your learning to others, cascading leadership development to those you work with. Throughout the programme you will be supported to embrace and work on the challenges your organisation is currently facing. Whether it's improving efficiency, fostering innovation, or navigating change, we will help you lead your organisation towards greater impact. Past participants report that the support they received from their peers during and after the programme was vital in their journey to becoming more effective leaders. Together, you'll embark on a transformative leadership journey, forming meaningful connections, friendships and bonds that will positively impact your professional and personal growth. Increased self-awarenessDiscover your unique self, your true purpose, and understand the impact you have on others. Enhance your communication skills and build stronger relationships, while also safeguarding yourself and your teams from burnout
and anxiety. It will help you cultivate a healthier and more fulfilling work. Programme elementsOver the course of the programme you will engage in a range of formal, social and experiential learning interventions. All elements are delivered by leadership development experts and practitioners who will tailor the content and approach to meet the needs and experience of you and the cohort.
Through a series of self-paced online learning modules, paired with virtual learning days and peer learning circles, you will learn about key social leadership skills and behaviours and what these look like in action,
supporting you to develop them in yourself and others. You will have the opportunity to hear directly from an experienced social leader, including their key lessons, failures and tips they learned along the way. Through these stories you will be vicariously learning key leadership lessons whilst also growing your network. You will devise a development plan to help you set goals, identify areas for growth and establish a roadmap for your development. Over two days, you will be guided through a series of workshops, activities that build and strengthen cohort connections, innovating around some of the key challenges faced by the sector and learning more about yourself through exploration of your Lumina Spark psychometric portrait and 360 Feedback Report. Through three 1:1 sessions you will work with a professional coach to tap into your talent and overcome barriers that might be holding you back, helping to increase your resilience, efficiency, and performance - and get one step closer to achieving your professional and personal goals. With a small group of peers, you will regularly come together in an inclusive and confidential space to aid reflective learning. You will present on challenges you face and, with the support of the Set, deepen your understanding of the situation and possible solutions, finding the answers within yourself and through learning from one another. As well as providing practical solutions to real-world issues, Action Learning promotes a culture of coaching; supporting you to refine your coaching skills, which can then be applied within your organisation. This individualised psychometric profile tool inspires people to develop skills most needed in the workplace - adaptability, agility, a growth mind-set, partnering, authenticity and the ability to lead self and others.
By completing the profile and participating in an interactive guided session, you will discover your underlying motivators and hidden potential, understand your everyday behaviours and how you respond to pressure, and
learn how to improve working with and through others to more effectively lead your organisation and deliver change in the sector.
Our methodsOur programmes are tailored to meet the needs of participants, whilst based on the foundational principles that we have developed over 15 years of working with 4,000+ social leaders. The programme learning will be guided by Clore Social Leadership’s Social Capabilities Framework and Leadership Development Model. Using our Leadership Development Model , you will learn how and what social leadership skills and behaviours look like in action, where your strengths and areas of improvement lie, and how you can develop and encourage them in yourselves and others. Using our Social Capabilities Framework, you will be guided to develop inspirational, empowering, courageous, focused, passionate and generous leadership capabilities - qualities essential to any effective leader. Find out more about them here. Programme scheduleWe know that professional development can have a transformational impact for you and your organisation, but making time for it can be a challenge. Please see below for an overview of the programme schedule to help you plan ahead - with the exception of confirmed dates for Action Learning Sets and individual coaching sessions. Once the programme begins, participants will be grouped, according to their level of experience, into Action Learning Sets, and all dates will be confirmed. Coaching is organised between the participant and the coach, to fit within existing commitments. The majority of these sessions are delivered virtually, with a few in-person opportunities including the residential and celebration event. You can also find the schedule for all of the components of the programme in an info leaflet, once registration has opened.
Case studiesKatie McSherry writes about thinking big & differentI want to change the world. I came to Clore Social looking to learn with and from others about how to have a greater impact - and to lead where previously I’ve found myself much happier following others. The results have astounded me. Learn More Clore Social Fellows collaborate to secure major contractJust months after successfully completing Clore Social’s Fellowship Programme for Experienced Leaders, two of our fellows joined forces and secured an impressive £500k contract from the Department for Education for an innovative project supporting young people in education by providing tailor-made educational and therapeutic intervention for the pupil and their family. Learn More The importance of continuous learningI can safely say, I feel more confident and accomplished after taking part in the programme. It made me step back and look at my own leadership, influence and approach more objectively. I now spend more time discussing my team members’ leadership journeys and have definitely experienced a step change in terms of how I empower those around me. 2020 Experienced Leader Participants
The 2020 cohort consists of leaders working for a variety of organisations, including Young Women’s Trust, Plan International, Survivors' Network, Dhiverse, Girlguiding, and more. Frequently Asked QuestionsYour passion for and experience in the social sector are all you need to apply. You don’t need to have any particular academic or professional qualifications to take part in the programme. We know that leadership development
training can be very difficult to access in the social sector, so try to make it accessible to those with minimal prior training. We classify the leadership experience required to meet the programme eligibility as professional, in-sector experience. This may have been accrued at different points throughout your career, at different organisations and can be paid or voluntary. Experienced Leader applicants should be able to display at least six years of such experience. If your experience falls outside of these criteria, but you feel you are otherwise well suited for the programme, let us know why your experience is relevant and transferable in your application. As a Clore Social Fellow, you will join a large network of social sector leaders from across the UK. Opportunities to connect with local fellows and continue learning will be supported, encouraged and facilitated wherever possible. We are always developing new programme offerings, and may have something of interest to you in the future, so keep in touch, and let us know if you have any ideas, or want to develop something with us for your organisation. We are delighted to make one bursary place available on this programme for an individual who identifies as Black or racially minoritised. The bursary is specifically for those from small social sector organisations (income of less than £1m annually) in the UK. Clore Social is dedicated to redress imbalances and disparities in leadership. By directing our efforts towards underrepresented, misrepresented and marginalised audiences, we aim to amplify their leadership potential, ensuring that their voices are not only heard but also celebrated within the social sector. If you qualify for the bursary, simply complete the online application form. On the form, there is an opt-in to apply via the bursary. The applications will be reviewed by our in-house moderation team based on the eligibility details provided in the application guidance documents which cover professional experiences, challenges and aspirations. Should we offer further bursaries for any of our programmes, they will be announced via our monthly newsletter. Please read the Application Guidance word document before you apply for the programme. Many of the questions on the online application form require tick-box/dropdown box answers. However, there are several questions that require you to provide a written answer. We therefore recommend that you use this document to plan your answers in advance before completing the online application form, as the form will not save your answers, so you must complete it in one go. If you need any reasonable adjustments for the application process contact us at info@cloresocialleadership.org.uk. If you have any questions, please email us at info@cloresocialleadership.org.uk.
We want to remove as many barriers as possible to support you to engage with this development opportunity. If you, or a colleague, need any reasonable adjustments please email us at info@cloresocialleadership.org.uk.
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