Conrad Benefield Programme Director for Sustainability Centre for Excellence in Leadership

1. Towards Leadership for Sustainability Conrad Benefield Programme Director for Sustainability Centre for Excellence in Leadership

2. Workshop objectives • Introduce you to CEL • Explore the role of leadership in creating sustainable organisations • Explore the common challenges and catalysts, and ‘what it takes’ to succeed • Share and discuss CEL’s emerging strategy

3. Aims – what we want for you • Better understanding of CEL • New insights into leadership • Encouragement to develop your own capacity • Opportunity to discuss it with colleagues • Engagement with and input to CEL’s emerging strategy

4. About CEL – part 1 • Mission to improve the standard, supply and diversity of leaders in the sector • Charitable trust - 50% of funding from DIUS, rest from fees, other contracts etc • Offering programmes, consultancy, services, research, resources and events

5. About CEL – part 2 • Strategic themes – equality and diversity, talent management, e-learning, sustainable development • Significant research strand to inform our work and activities • Publications and seminars looking at the implications of policy reforms for leaders

6. CEL’s role in sustainable development • Starting point: what is CEL’s distinctive contribution? • Leadership is key on two levels: • Sustainable development needs impetus from leaders • Leaders need to be equipped to provide it

7. Leadership for sustainability • Leadership which promotes and supports sustainable development principles in all aspects of the role of the individual leader and the organisation Estates and resources Learning delivery Curriculum CPD Strategic planning

8. Research - process • LSBU - interviews to explore individuals’ sustainable development ‘journeys’ • Forum for the Future - action research to look at how leadership for sustainability operates and can be nurtured at organisational level

9. Headline messages from research • Broad range of catalysts and blocks to being a leader for sustainability • CEL should support and influence the embedding of sustainable development in the sector • CEL can facilitate sharing and discussion • CEL must be an exemplar • CEL should embed SD in all programmes

10. Other developments • Successful conference on 16 May debated issues, research and current practice • Seminar on 13 September to inform strategy • Published research and conference reports • Consultation and learning from the sector has been at the heart of the project

11. Leadership for sustainability – key qualities • Distributed leadership • Self awareness and growth • Zest for knowledge, experiences and challenges • Adaptation of leadership style to situations • Commitment to equality and fairness

12. Leadership for sustainability – key qualities • Understanding of and ability to adapt to insights and perspectives from diverse sources • Embedding corporate and ethical and social responsibility at strategic and operational levels • Adding value through collaboration, partnerships and group synergy

13. Leadership for sustainability – key qualities • Using networks and insights to help shape the organisation • Influencing relationships • Understanding organisational climate and knowing and involving key influencers • Prioritisation of time and resource management

14. Themes of current leadership practice – experiences from the sector • “Started with a small group of enthusiasts” • “No initial budget” • “Keep it open and inclusive” • “It should never be about saving money”

15. Themes of current leadership practice – experiences from the sector • “Everyone’s familiar with the term, few can explain it; bring everyone to shared understanding” • “Take everyone with you” • “Get learners involved early on” • “I’m learning as fast as I’m leading!”

16. Towards a CEL strategy • Builds on research • Informed and led by sector experience and practice • Defining the recommendations from the research in terms of meaningful themes and objectives

17. Strategy objectives Build leadership Build partnership Build CEL Build practice

18. Build leadership • Support the development of individual leaders' and organisations' capacity and capability to be leaders for sustainability

19. Build partnership • Actively contribute to policy development and practice in sustainable development at sector level

20. Build CEL • Develop CEL's own capacity and practice to both support other strands and become more sustainable itself

21. Build practice • Lead, support and contribute to debate, discussionand improvement in leadership for sustainability across the sector

22. Build leadership Build partnership Build CEL Build support for learning Build teaching Build learners Build practice

23. Build leadership - CEL action • Conduct a phased review of our portfolio • Develop support for governing bodies • Explore the development of mentoring and coaching services that focus on SD • Make understanding and appreciation of SD a requirement for those developing and delivering CEL programmes

24. Build leadership - CEL action • Develop a leadership for sustainability consultancy programme • Work with LSC on processes to help SMTs develop the business case for SD • Complete a full review of the CEL Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF) • With LSC, run a workshop on SD at the CEL Governance Conference

25. Build partnership - CEL action • Develop a partnering strategy with LSC • Begin to explore with Ofsted how inspection can best take account of activity and practice that supports SD • Explore with LLUK how to collaborate to develop the capacity and capability in SD of the FE workforce as a whole • Host a forum with key sector influencers and agencies

26. Build CEL - CEL action • Internal Sustainable Development Group working to identify priorities and develop and implement action plans • Full support of Executive Leadership Team • Operations: • Review transport policies • More sustainable procurement • Calculate and reduce carbon footprint

27. Build CEL - CEL action • Staff development: • Help all staff to develop action plans • Make SD a core theme in development • Enable engagement in environmental and community development projects • Partnerships: • Make links with and contribute to SD initiatives within CEL's local area

28. Build practice - CEL action • Further research into factors that influence embedding of SD within organisations • Commission SD research • Commission and disseminate case studies from the sector and related sectors • Annual conference, forums for champions and senior leaders

29. Next steps • Circulate draft strategy later in October • Continue to welcome comments and ideas • Publish strategy at House of Lords 15th November • To get a place at the launch, e-mail me at conrad.benefield@centreforexcellence.org.uk

30. Questions and comments?

31. Questions • What are your overall impressions of what leadership for sustainability means? • What are the key challenges to this agenda? • What experiences or approaches can you share? • Will CEL’s strategy help – and how? • What else needs to be done, and by whom? • Do you have any other comments?

32. Contact Details Conrad Benefield Centre for Excellence in Leadership Suite 309 10 Greycoat Place London SW1P 1SB Fax: 020 7222 3081 Direct line: 020 7654 3309 conrad.benefield@centreforexcellence.org.uk www.centreforexcellence.org.uk