Social Leaders Cymru - Experienced Leader

Experienced Leader Cymru

January 2025- April 2025

Application deadline: 11:59pm on Monday 25th November 2024

A leadership development programme for senior leaders in Wales to enhance their leadership capabilities and drive impactful and sustainable change within the sector.

Free

Programme information

Commencing in January 2025, the Social Leaders Cymru - Experienced Leader programme will bring together senior leaders from across Wales who are passionate about social change and using their leadership to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Conducted online, participants will build the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to effectively lead social change and enhance their ability to navigate complex challenges, advocate for systemic change, and drive innovation. They will be encouraged to reflect on their own leadership style and approach, and will explore a series of leadership topics during accompanying workshops.

The programme is designed to give participants increased confidence in their ability to lead, mobilise resources, foster collaborations, and drive social change - all whilst navigating ever-changing contexts and looking out for the wellbeing of themselves, their teams and the communities they serve. Participants will be connected with a peer group of Wales-based social sector leaders, bringing additional learning as well as networking opportunities.

They will also receive a tangible Leadership Toolkit containing resources and exercises that they can continue to refer back to post-programme, as well as share with their teams and organisations, to support ongoing leadership development.

With special thanks to the programme funder, National Lottery Community Fund, for the opportunity to deliver this free programme in Wales.

Programme Info

Exclusively online
Approx 20 hour time commitment
Free

Programme Features

4-month programme
Online community
25 places
Join Clore Social Alumni

Partners & funders

Social Leaders Cymru is a partnership between Cwmpas, Clore Social Leadership and WCVA and we are proud to be the delivery partner for this this unique programme in Wales.

The project is supported by a Project Advisory Group whose members reflect the diversity and reach of the sector - indicative of the impact we want the programmes to achieve. The Advisory group's role is to help shape the programme to make it relevant and impactful for the social sector in Wales.

Eligibility criteria

Strategic decision maker

Participants of this programme are individuals who have gained at least six years of leadership experience, either paid or 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.

Working for social purpose

This programme is open to individuals who work for or with organisations with a social purpose in Wales, including charities, social enterprises, CICs and not for profit businesses.

Committed to diversity

We strongly encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Passionate about social change

Your dedication to self-improvement to drive positive social change is vital.

Reach your potential

This is a unique opportunity to develop into a resilient, well-networked leader, confident to implement meaningful change. To ensure effective collaboration, cohorts are limited to 25 places.

Application deadline: Monday 25th November at 11:59pm.

Applications closed

Outcomes

Throughout the programme you and your senior peers will be guided to develop the essential leadership skills needed to lead a social purpose organisation, resulting in strengthened capabilities as an inspirational communicator, empowering enabler, courageous changemaker, focused strategist, passionate advocate, and generous collaborator.

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.

Click on the buttons below to learn more about the expected programme outcomes.

Relevant and effective leadership skills

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.

Leading with confidence

Boost your confidence in your leadership abilities to grow and scale your projects/organisations and ultimately impact. 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.

Increase effectiveness and team performance

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.

Increase self-awareness

Discover 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.

Receive peer-to-peer support

Meet other senior and develop a strengthened network of supportive peers. Investing in relationships with your cohort enables you to create a joined-up vision that can inspire and motivate others. Past cohorts have found the support they receive from their peers during and after the programme essential in their journey to becoming a better leader. We encourage the development of strong relations with your peers for long lasting advice, guidance, and friendship.

Develop solutions to real-word issues

Whether it's improving efficiency, fostering innovation, or navigating change, we will help you lead your organisation towards greater impact.

Clore Social Alumni

Become a member of our online community to connect and collaborate with changemakers across the social sector and beyond.

What our previous participants say

"I thoroughly enjoyed the programme which allowed me to step to the side of my role and consider how my own leadership opportunity could be maximised within the Third Sector."

Experienced Leader Cymru Pilot participant

"It has made me think and reach higher than just the job role and consider how future projects may work on a regional level more effectively. It has allowed me the space to consider my own leadership and where best to utilise it to influence and make a difference in the community".

Experienced Leader Cymru Pilot participant

"I would recommend this programme and have already put into operation some of the aspects which can benefit the community which we serve, my organisation and my role."

Experienced Leader Cymru pilot participant

Key dates

Application deadline

Monday 25 November 2024 at 11:59pm.

Be sure to submit your application in good time as applications will not be accepted after the deadline date.

Moderation decision

Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by 13 December 2024.

Programme start: 8 January 2025

Full details of programme elements will be provided to successful applicants to support planning.

Application information

Programme fee: Thanks to the generous and kind support of the funder, National Lottery Community Fund, we are able to offer this programme for free, to enable accessible skills and development training to all.

Application guidance: We recommend downloading and reading the Application Guidance (Word 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

Webinar: On 16th Oct 12:30 - 13:30 you can join an information webinar to learn more about Social Leaders Cymru and ask the team your questions. Click here to register.

Programme elements

The programme will offer access to a wealth of leadership development interventions designed to help participants build the required skills, knowledge and networks to lead social change effectively.

The Experienced Leader Cymru programme is designed to ensure you leave with an increased confidence in your ability to lead, mobilise resources, foster collaborations, and drive social change - all whilst navigating ever-changing contexts and looking out for the wellbeing of yourself, your teams and the communities you serve.

Welcome session: In this online session participants will be introduced to one another and encouraged to start building connections. We’ll examine the key skills required for effective social leadership and how participants might apply these to their organisations and individual context. We’ll also outline programme and participant expectations.

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Know Yourself, Be Yourself, Look After Yourself Workshop: In this half day online workshop we will encourage participants to pause and reflect on themselves as leaders and on their leadership capabilities. We’ll explore the concept of authentic leadership and the part it plays in creating resilient leaders and balanced, high performing teams. Participants will also start to consider the leadership development goals that they want to capture on the Leadership Development Plan.

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3x Leadership Masterclasses: Online Masterclasses will provide focused and interactive sessions designed to enhance the leadership skills and capabilities of the Experienced Leader group. The Masterclasses offer valuable insights, practical tools, and strategies to develop effective leadership practices.

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Authentic Leadership Workshop and Lumina Spark: This workshop is centred around the Lumina Spark tool, an individualised psychometric profile that is designed to help people understand their core strengths and reflect on how these play out during times of challenge and uncertainty. Participants will receive a detailed report, based on their responses to a short survey, which will be accompanied by an interactive guided workshop. You’ll discover your underlying motivators and hidden potential, understand your everyday behaviours and how you respond to pressure, and learn how to lead authentically and improve working with others.

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Leadership Toolkit: We will provide you with a package of leadership resources that can be shared with your teams to support ongoing leadership development.

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Closing Session: In this final session we’ll reflect on your leadership learning, provide guidance around your Leadership Development Plan and explore the next steps in your leadership development journey.

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Post-Programme Cohort Catch Up: Held three months after programme close, this session is an opportunity to bring you back together with your cohort peers to reflect and share on recent leadership achievements, challenges and learnings and also set intentions for the future.

Programme schedule

The welcome session will be held on 8 January, 10am - 12pm and the closing session will be on 9 April, 10am - 12pm. Full details of programme elements will be provided to successful applicants to support planning.

Our methods

The programme learning will be guided by Clore Social Leadership’s Social Capabilities Framework and Leadership Development Model. Using our Leadership Development Model (below), you will learn how and what these 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 (below), you will be guided to develop inspirational, empowering, courageous, focused, passionate and generous leadership capabilities - qualities essential to any effective leader.

Social Leadership Capabilities Framework

Being a social and ethical leader require certain capabilities. The Social Leadership Capabilities Framework outlines the attributes, behaviours and skills required for successful social sector leadership. The Capabilities Framework illustrates how and what these skills and behaviours look like in action. Having a framework enables leaders to reflect and assess their current skills. It empowers them to identify leadership gaps and plan their personal and professional development.