LONDON LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

The London Leadership Programme is London Council’s annual flagship development programme investing in the next generation of senior leaders in London. The programme is designed and delivered by the Leadership Centre and brings together aspiring leaders from London’s boroughs, the Greater London Authority and London Councils.

What did the work set out to achieve?

The programme seeks to equip leaders with the skills to be adaptable and collaborate across organisational and professional boundaries to help address the complex challenges that exist across London. This includes addressing inequalities, high levels of deprivation, operating in a highly political environment and serving a mobile and transient population.

The programme is co-designed with participants and seeks to be of direct application to London’s challenges. It includes peer learning to expand perspectives and fosters meaningful long-term connections.

Who participated?

Each London authority nominates one person to join each cohort. The participants must be in an Assistant Director role and must meet the following criteria:

• Passionate about excellent public service
• Excellent current performance
• Aspiring to the next challenge
• Has shown the ability to learn and develop

Features of the programme

The programme is separated into six modules each focussed on an important key issue, with visiting speakers from a variety of backgrounds:

1. Leading in the System

Focussing on values and integrity as a leader, systems leadership and systems thinking tools

2. Working in a Political Environment

Focussing on values and integrity as a leader, systems leadership and systems thinking tools.

3. Addressing Inequality

Focussing on the reality and experience of unconscious bias, aspects of diversity, and tackling exclusion and inequalities.

4. Leading in Communities

Focussing on community-led change, movement building theory as well as behaviour and how change happens in communities.

5. Future of London

Focussing on the challenges and opportunities London presents, place-shaping, collaboration and leadership in London.

6. Self in the System

Focussing on presence and impact, public narrative and values-based story telling, along with personal next steps.

Each participant also undertakes a system leadership questionnaire in advance of the programme, to assess learning needs. The cohort gathers around a series of systems challenges which they work on in teams throughout the programme, applying their learning.

Continuous development sessions are held throughout the programme and mentoring is offered to all participants through a matching process – each of the mentors being trained members of the London Leadership Programme Alumni network.

What impact did the programme have?

Participants spoke of the learning that came from working with their systems challenges and the valuable connections which resulted from bringing together colleagues from across the boroughs. Narratives at the graduation ceremony described significant insight for individuals, new and thought-provoking experiences and the belief that working together in this way offered new possibilities and opportunities.