A highlight of our BTS Spark calendar over the past three years has been the annual Trust Leaders’ Residential, which we have facilitated for members of Challenge Partners’ Trust Leaders’ Network. These two-day events have brought trust leaders together to reflect on and deepen understanding of their own leadership, and how this can be developed for greater impact.
The Need
Through the Trust Leaders’ Network, Challenge Partners provides opportunities for trust leaders to come together, to learn, share insights and expertise, to collaborate around common needs and together, to build capacity for trust improvement.
With the annual residentials, Challenge Partners wanted to offer trust leaders a safe space to explore and develop their own leadership, where challenge, support and inspiration would be offered to extend their thinking, and they could build strong connections with other trust leaders. The aim was that the residentials would act as a catalyst for change, equipping trust leaders with the confidence to take forward new approaches in their leadership and in the strategic development of their trusts.
The Programme
Whilst beginning each residential with a provisional schedule informed by initial consultations with those attending, our design for the residentials has been intentionally flexible, so that we could work emergently with the needs, curiosities and areas of interest of participants as they developed during the sessions.
On each residential, after initial introductions and contracting to set the expectations for the two days, the first day has begun with time for leaders to share their own leadership journeys and aspirations, and to quickly build trust and get to know each other on a deeper level. Each year our facilitators have shared particular leadership frameworks, most recently our own MESSY Leadership model, that have acted as a helpful stimulus for leaders to reflect on their own leadership strengths, priorities, and development needs, and opened opportunities for rich sharing and support between participants. These have led to more focused sessions on themes such as building leadership partnership, driving innovation and change, and leading well in stressful times, where helpful insights and tools from relevant BTS Spark leadership modules, as well as the experiences and learning of the participating trust leaders provided useful stimulus for reflection, and for pair and small group discussions and action planning.
Peer coaching conversations have been an important part of the experience, and each residential has included an input on coaching mindset and practice to support participants in holding effective coaching conversations that help unlock new insights and solutions, rather than simply becoming a chance to unload and swap notes!
Each residential has concluded on day two, with a powerful and rare opportunity for trust leaders to receive heartfelt and meaningful feedback from each other, gaining valuable insights into how others see them, the strengths that others experience, and ways in which they could further develop their leadership. For many, this final exercise has been both eye-opening and hugely empowering.
The Impact
The feedback we have received from the trust leaders that have attended the residentials has been extremely positive, as illustrated by the testimonials highlighted here. Several participants have asked us to facilitate similar residentials or leadership development programmes for their own trust leadership teams.
The residentials have created a safe, supportive space where trust leaders have had the rare opportunity to talk openly and honestly about their challenges and successes, to share strategies and expertise and to build deep connections with each other that have extended beyond the residentials.
94% of participants have rated the residentials as excellent, with 100% of trust leader participants across the three years agreeing that they had gained insights and tools that will help them in their leadership roles. Participating trust leaders have found the experience energising, thought-provoking, nurturing and supportive, and, in the words of one participant, offering just the right amount of challenge and 'uncomfortableness!' The combination of support, stimulus and challenge that the residentials provided, the time and space to reflect deeply and share with others, and the facilitation that enabled unusual honesty and openness, were highlighted as the features most valued by those attending.
Please do get in touch if you would be interested in a similar leadership development residential for your school or trust leadership team. We are always happy to co-design a tailored experience to meet the development needs and aspirations of your team.