Helen was asked to create a powerful learning of leadership for aspirin leaders within the finance function of large NHS Trust. She designed an event around the format of the TV programme ‘The Apprentice’ in which the aspiring leaders were project leaders for a randomly selected team of people from the finance function. The project took place over the day and the project leaders had to guide their teams through a timed set of exercises designed to get them creating new solutions to real finance challenges.

The project leaders were prepared for the day with training in the key exercises/tools that were to be used and in some core leadership skills identified by the CFO. They were supported on the day by Helen and colleagues and the Apprentice ‘Competition’ provided a fun and at the same time real frame for them to demonstrate their learning and potential. The feedback after the event was collected from all of the project leaders individually and follow up conversations had about where they wanted to take their learning. The feedback is shown below. A recent conversation with the CFO revealed the longer lasting effects of the day – with many of the aspiring leaders going on into leadership roles and performing highly.
 

Loving working with teams, seeing development needs for self and others in teams, developing confidence, managing energy levels, recognising need for challenges and support and feedback, being creative (even unconventional!) good as long as the goal is achieved, acknowledging their own capability and self-belief.
 

‘It’s important that everyone contributes and plays their part, facilitating the team (rather than always trying to ‘lead’) can lead to better results, appreciating different ways of working, personality and ability, ‘I don’ t have to facilitate all the little decisions’, need to draw on the motivations of the whole team not be the one pushing all the time and..
..a team working effectively can deliver so much more than one person alone.’
 

So grateful for the opportunity, experience, support and guidance. We have really grown from this and now want more development in order to reinforce this and take it into the teams I lead now and in the future. Thank you for your expert guidance and help through-out.