Leadership and Management Programmes

The programme will start in September 2025 and conclude in June 2026. This national programme consists of ten full development sessions, including six Adaptive Learning Set (ALS) sessions.

Each Group and ALS will aim to comprise of participants from different organisations, so those taking part can build their networks, support one another to work on their live adaptive issues, share insights and learning. Using tried and tested processes, applied extensively in leadership, the programme and ALS will offer participants a place and space alongside other senior leaders to work through the challenges and realities of their current issues. Their shared work will focus on finding ways forward and in doing so, building their wellbeing and resilience, and creating hope for now and the future.

Working with experienced facilitators and their peers, participants will have the opportunity to develop increased consistency in their demonstration of the Health and Social Care Leadership Capabilities and in their capacity to:

·                deliver service objectives

·                understand the impact of leadership within complex systems and change

·                have breakthrough ideas in dealing with intractable problems and,

·                manage complexity by working in partnerships across public services.

The content in the circular graphic below, with the three core elements shown in blue and with the Adaptive Learning Set at the centre of the programme are complemented and supported by an induction, skills workshop, masterclasses and consolidation event, as can be seen in the timeline graphic, underneath the circular graphic.

Note 1: The theoretical content of the programme is based on the work of: Ronald Heifetz, Keith Grint, Mark Moore, John Benington, Irwin Turbitt, Chris Argyris, and Peter Senge, amongst others.  We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Malcolm Young in developing this programme and, in particular, in shaping the theoretical foundation.

The online resources are used to support personal development and develop management/leadership skills.  You will be able to identify your own areas of development and to work through these at your own pace.

There are 6 e-Modules which are recommended pre-work for the programme. These provide a useful introduction to 6 Leadership Capabilities which underpin integrated delivery for best public value across our system of social work, social care, health, third sector and partner organisations.

In addition, there are core online resources which have been designed specifically for participants of Leading for the Future to complete in preparation for each of the 5 modules, the induction, the skills development workshop and one of the masterclasses.  A copy of the slides from each of these (excluding the masterclass) and optional supplementary materials for afterwards are provided also.

Throughout the programme, it is expected that you will access these resources and keep a record of your learning and reflections in the learning log, to help you sustain your learning in practice

You will also find a range of other resources available to you via the Leadership and Management Zone and Leading to Change which may be useful in developing your leadership and management practice.

The learning commitment is around 1.5 days per month over the ten-month period from September each year to June the following year, which is a mix of pre-work for each event, engagement in the ten full day facilitated group sessions and reflective practice afterwards.   The events include:

• Induction (September) – to meet your group and adaptive learning set members and be introduced to the programme.
• Modules 1 to 5 (October, November, February, March, April)– The modules depicted in yellow in the graphic above, will enable participants to learn with others, to share work experiences, and to network with people from other professions and geographic areas.  Each participant joins a cross-organisation group of twelve to eighteen participants for five full-day modules during which each group will work with their facilitators, as well as in their separate adaptive learning sets comprising six people.  Previous participants found this has added value to their learning. 

The modules provide a blend of theory input, group dialogue, skills practice, and adaptive learning.  The learning format is highly experiential.  In each module, participants are introduced to concepts, such as “adaptive leadership” (see note 1 above), and then encouraged and supported, through their adaptive learning sets, to work through their live work-based “adaptive” or “wicked” issues, to put their learning of the theory into practice back in the workplace.

• Skills development workshop (November) – practising the skills needed for adaptive leadership and enhancing current leadership capabilities.
• Masterclasses. 
• Consolidation (June) – to hear about the leadership journey of others and finalise the transition of learning into practice.

There will also be access to other national events and participants are recommended to check out Leadership Links for details of further national development activities and events which might be of interest.

Participants are encouraged to complete a 360 feedback tool based on the leadership capabilities.  This will offer a useful benchmark for participants to consider how their colleagues experience them and think about what a development plan might look like for them in the context of participating in this programme.  For more details on completing this tool, participants should speak to their local organisational contact or leadership@nes.scot.nhs.uk.

Access to 1:1 coaching may be available through your local organisation.  Many organisations have developed their own internal register of trained coaches, accessed through your Organisational Development or Learning and Development departments.  This is an optional element of the programme which may serve to complement participants’ learning and development on and beyond the programme. 

Go to Induction or How to apply