Leading Edge: Nurturing leaders for success in the voluntary sector

Lisa Barry, co-programme director on our Leading Edge professional development programme, run though the Centre for Charity Effectiveness (CCE), has been a Visiting Lecturer since 2022. We asked her about the course, and how it will support leaders in the voluntary sector.

How did you end up at Bayes and CCE?

I have been a leader in a charity - and other public sector organisations - for many years, so appreciate the joys and challenges of that. My background is in learning and development (L&D), and my particular area of interest is in developing leaders - as humans - to be the best they can be: for their organisations, for their teams and colleagues, and for themselves. I am a coach and a business psychologist, so I am passionate and a little nosey about all things relating to humans and the world of work.

Maggie (the other co-programme director on Leading Edge) was my first contact within CCE: she and colleagues worked with me as Head of L&D in my organisation to develop a leadership culture and programme. We make a good team, and I was excited and pleased to be able to join CCE as a consultant and Visiting Lecturer in 2022/23.

I was lucky enough to work with Tammy Tawadros in talking to many leaders in our sector about their experiences of leading through complexity and uncertainty last year, which led to the development of Building the Road as We Walk, an online resource about leading a nonprofit organisation through uncertainty.

I love being part of such an amazing team of people here!

Why do you teach on the Leading Edge programme?

There are many reasons I teach on this programme, but more than anything it’s being able to give aspiring and new leaders an opportunity to really focus on themselves, what being a leader means for them, and how they can put that into practice.

It’s tough finding yourself in a leadership role and not having the input and opportunity to reflect on what that really means or have a safe space to kick challenges around.

My favourite thing is seeing the connections our participants make: when something we’ve shared or discussed really resonates for them, or they see a particular solution for something they are grappling with, or they have a lightbulb moment for their leadership awareness and development. And the connections they make with each other, that’s exciting and energising for us, and for them.

I love the buzz that comes from hearing how much difference the programme has made to our participants!

What are the benefits of this course?

The course is for people who are fairly new to leadership and haven’t had much opportunity to access leadership development. It helps people who want to move into leadership roles through giving them a chance to talk about what leadership is, and how they can demonstrate it, whilst developing their knowledge and confidence so they put their leadership skills into practice within their role.

I like that it has five modules over a 3-month period, with a mixture of online and in person delivery. It is more accessible to fit into a busy schedule.

I’d say one of the biggest benefits is the opportunity to make connections with others in our sector and build networks of support and learning with each other.

Find out more:  information about the Leading Edge course starting 6 February 2024.