Leading for the Future

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Leading for the Future is designed to develop further the systems-leadership capacity and capabilities of senior leaders across health, social work, social care, third sector and other partner organisations in Scotland.

The programme is delivered in partnership across several Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships in Scotland and co-ordinated by NHS Education for Scotland in collaboration with participating organisations.

The programme

Leading for the Future is a package of leadership and management development that draws on public management theory to help leaders both to make sense of as well as tackle the kinds of complex challenges they find themselves increasingly facing. 

The emphasis is on enabling leaders to put theory into practice by applying it to their live leadership challenges in Adaptive Learning Sets.  This requires participant openness and courage to work on their mental models and ways of thinking. 

The added value for participants is that they will be experiencing learning at a national level, within a multi-disciplinary and cross-organisational group.

This animation has information on the Adaptive Learning Set.  For more details on the core concepts and requirements of Leading for the Future, go to the introduction.   

Participant feedback

Feedback from previous participants on the programme

I found the course very refreshing. One of the best courses I have attended. I thought that knowing that there are ‘wicked’ problems was enlightening and that managers don’t have to have the answer to everything was a breath of fresh air. The adaptive learning sets were excellent. I found that they took a bit of getting used to because as a manager you are so used to keeping complex or “wicked” problems to yourself – so sharing them and hearing other people’s stories was excellent.

Previous programme participant

Leading for the Future has provided me with the confidence to address really complex work problems using adaptive leadership models that are academically sound and practically useful. I would strongly recommend it.

Previous programme participant
What's involved?

The total learning commitment is around 1.5 days per month over the then month period from September 2023 to June 2024.  You are provided with access to a range of resources for events including a reflection log, which you will complete in advance and maintain throughout to help you sustain your learning in practice.  The time commitment is therefore a mix of pre-work for each event, full engagement in the ten full day facilitated group sessions and reflective practice afterwards.  The events include:

  • Induction – in which you meet your group and adaptive learning set members and are introduced to the programme.
  • Modules 1 to 5 – focusing on core systems-leadership theory and including 6 Adaptive Learning Set sessions to reflect on how the theory will be put into practise. 
  • Skills development workshop – practising the skills needed for adaptive leadership and enhancing current leadership capabilities
  • Masterclasses with leadership experts
    • Addressing Personal and Organizational Immunity to Change and Adaptive Leadership
    • The Art of Brilliance
  • Consolidation event – to hear about the leadership journey of others and finalise the transition of learning into practice.

For further information on what is involved, go to the introduction

How to apply.