What is the programme?
For nearly 20 years, Common Purpose has provided unique leadership development programmes that bring together leaders from widely differing backgrounds and offer them new sources of knowledge - and inspiration - as connections are formed between individuals who would otherwise probably never even meet.
Now we have a new programme for leaders in Cheshire and Lancashire, that takes participants beyond their local boundaries to connect with leaders, and challenges, from across the North West. Participants gain broader perspectives - and wider networks - as they explore how local decisions are affected by regional and national issues. The outcome is leaders who are better able to produce real change - in their workplaces and in their communities.
What happens on the programme?
The eight day programme, which runs across five months, invites participants to examine their local leadership challenges, to reveal how these are interconnected across the North West, and to explore what can be learned from each other and achieved by working together.
Drawn from the private, public and voluntary sectors, these leaders will investigate, at first hand, local, regional and national problems. They will visit a range of organisations – from prisons, housing developments and hospitals to businesses and manufacturing plants – in order to experience leadership challenges and find inspiration outside their usual experience.
Individuals will develop their leadership abilities through site visits, panel discussions, expert briefings and exposure to a variety of different approaches to leadership.
What are the benefits?
Participants will:
- strengthen their leadership skills
- build collaborative relationships
- practice leading in different contexts
- gain a broader outlook from the diversity of opinion and experiences
- develop their ability to lead beyond authority.
Participants gain:
- an understanding of how their place works - the role of different sectors, the levers of power, the drivers of future change
- access to a broader and more diverse network of relationships with senior leaders and key figures locally and more widely
- a wider geographical perspective from which they can examine the interplay of local, regional and national factors
- a more externally focussed ‘radar’ with which to spot strategic opportunities and how these can work to local advantage
- a stronger foundation from which to produce real change.
Where and when is the programme held?
Leading in the North West - 3 days
Participants commit to three specific days, at the beginning, midpoint and end of the programme, on which they work together with other leaders from across the North West.
Three full day events:
- Plotting the course
- Broadening your vision
- Preparing to lead change
Quest - 1 day
Together with the larger North West group, the participants participate in a one day ‘Quest’ where they step outside their usual settings and spend a day immersed in the economic, political and social context of another city.
Leading in your area - 3 days
The participants spend three further days together, grappling with real-life, local leadership scenarios, along with the leaders who are responsible for the issue.
As they form and reform their working groups, participants explore what is required to lead effectively “beyond authority”: understanding the wider context and your role in it; adapting faster in new surroundings; and being able to produce change wherever you are.
Learning groups - 1 day
In small groups, different perspectives and contexts are used as a source of inspiration for tackling the challenges brought by participants to the group. The equivalent of a full day, four sessions take place over the course of the programme.
Both programmes will start
on 27 November 2008.
How much does it cost?
The programme fee is £3,500 + VAT, which includes a copy of “Beyond Authority: Leadership in a Changing World” by Julia Middleton, founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose. Participants are responsible for their own travel costs to the Quest location.
Ability to pay is not one of the selection criteria and each programme maintains a bursary fund to cover the costs of those who are genuinely unable to meet the full fee. However, every participant is asked to make a contribution.
Common Purpose Plus - Everyone who has completed a Common Purpose programme qualifies for a special discount, up to a maximum of 20%, on any programme, regardless of length. Please notify us that you wish to claim a Common Purpose Plus discount in the 'Financial assistance' section of your application.
How do I apply?
For information on applying for a place on the programme, please download the Programme Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and send them both by email to:
Please email if you have any questions on how to apply.
Application forms are submitted to the local Advisory Group. The Advisory Group comprises individuals with experience across all sectors in the programme's geographical area. All are members in their own right, not representatives of their organisations or communities. Advisory Groups make decisions on whether an applicant demonstrates that they fulfil the application criteria.
We value diversity and constantly strive to provide equality of opportunity in the provision and delivery of all our activities. We encourage applications from all sections of the community and are working hard to ensure that our services meet the requirements of people with disabilities. More...
