Investing in Leaders by Corporate Citizenship

Investing in Leaders:

a new aspect in corporate social responsibility Strengthening third sector leadership through cross-sector partnerships

A report by Corporate Citizenship for the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations 1 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1NU Telephone 0845 345 8481 Fax 0845 345 8482 info@acevo.org.uk www.acevo.org.uk

Contents 1.0 Executive Summary

2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4

Introduction Background Research rationale Methodology Setting the scene

3.0 Findings

4.0 Case Studies

4.1 One-to-one Mentoring Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the following people for their participation in this research and their contribution to the case studies: Nicholas Ferguson, Founder,The Kilfinan Group Moira Swinbank, Chief Executive, LegacyTrust UK Anthony Buckland, Director and Mentor, PrimeTimers Kevin Moore, Director, Walworth Garden Farm Julia Lever, Consultant,The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants Wendy Pridmore, Chief Executive, Rosemary Simmons Memorial Housing Association Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind Nicola Carruthers, Chief Executive,Thrive Michael Kelly, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG Europe LLP Rebecca George, Partner, Corporate Finance, Deloitte &Touche LLP Brian Bannister, Head of Communications, PricewaterhouseCoopers Wendy Shepherd, Project Manager, Barnardo’s Judith Moran, Director, Quaker Social Action Amy Clarke, SeniorVP International Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America Natalie Butriss, Chief Executive,TheVincent WildlifeTrust Richard Brophy, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Herbert Smith LLP Sujit Ghosh, Manager: Private Sector Partnerships,Academia, International HIV/AIDS Alliance Milly Katana, Director Country Office Uganda, International HIV/AIDS Alliance André Hoffman, Harafi Foundation In addition there were several others who have provided critical information to help shape and develop our thinking on third sector leadership development from both the private and not-for-profit sectors. These include: Kate Cavelle, Director, Deutsche Bank CSR UK Julie Saunders, Corporate Services Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance BrentThomas, Director, PrimeTimers Elizabeth Williams, Senior Consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers Finally, we would like to thank Pippa Wilcox and Andy Hickey at ACEVO for their support, guidance and unparalleled enthusiasm. Andrew Wilson & Deepa Mirchandani Corporate Citizenship December 2008

ACEVO 1 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1NU Telephone 0845 345 8481 Fax 0845 345 8482 info@acevo.org.uk www.acevo.org.uk Published by ACEVO First published 2008 copyright c 2008 ACEVO All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, or transmitted, or translated into a machine language without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed on recycled paper

Case Study One Nicholas Ferguson, founder,The Kilfinan Group Moira Swinbank, Chief Executive, LegacyTrust UK Case StudyTwo Anthony Buckland, Director and Mentor, PrimeTimers Kevin Moore, Manager,Walworth Garden Farm Case StudyThree Julia Lever, Consultant,TheWorshipful Company of Management Consultants Wendy Pridmore, Chief Executive, Rosemary Simmons Memorial Housing Association

4.2 Cross-sector peer learning groups Case Study Four Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind Case Study Five Nicola Carruthers, Chief Executive,Thrive Case Study Six Michael Kelly, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG Europe LLP Case Study Seven Rebecca George, Partner, Corporate Finance, Deloitte &Touche LLP Case Study Eight Brian Bannister, Head of Communications, PricewaterhouseCoopers Wendy Shepherd, Project Manager, Barnardo’s

22 24 26 28 30

4.3 Bursary Sponsorship Case Study Nine Judith Moran, Director, Quaker Social Action Bank of America Case StudyTen Natalie Buttriss, Chief Executive,TheVincentWildlifeTrust Herbert Smith LLP Case Study Eleven International HIV/AIDS Alliance Harafi Foundation 5.0 Conclusions 6.0 Bibliography

44 46 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 3

1.0 Executive Summary

his report presents the results of a research study that seeks to understand how companies can work in partnership with third sector1 organisations to strengthen and support leadership development. A key focus of the research is the extent to which businesses are able to use existing approaches to corporate social responsibility to work with charities on leadership development initiatives that deliver mutual benefits and learning. The study examines three specific approaches to leadership development that bring together business and the third sector – one-to-one mentoring, cross-sector peer learning in a group setting and bursary sponsorship. The precise definitions of each of these approaches are provided in the introduction in Section 2.0. The introduction also provides information on:

• • •

the background to the research the importance of leadership development to the third sector a more detailed explanation of the research methodology

Section 3.0 of the report goes on to present the key findings from the research. These findings set out in some detail: • • •

the motivations for the business and third sectors to work together on leadership development the benefits – both individual and shared – accruing to business and third sector organisations that collaborate key factors for making leadership development partnerships effective

Without repeating these findings in this Executive Summary, it is worthwhile considering three overarching themes that capture some of the major lessons to be learned from those participating in the study: 1 There is huge potential for business and the third sector to derive mutual benefits from a cross-sectoral approach to leadership development. Many interviewees spoke of a“two-way learning process” with both partners benefiting from the exchange of ideas and approaches. The improved understanding and respect that grows when leaders from both sectors develop together enables participants to affect real change in their leadership style. This change in leadership style benefits the individual, the teams 4 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

they lead and the organisation they work for. 2 Closely related to this issue is the fact that working in collaboration affords business and third sector leaders the opportunity to build valued and lasting partnerships. Interviewees from both sectors spoke about the change in mindset and attitudes brought about by working together across sectors. The process allows leaders to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of a wide range of social and environmental issues – and to broaden their understanding of the respective roles business and the third sector can play in addressing them. 3 The overall message coming out of this research is that the benefits enjoyed by companies already taking action in this area provide a compelling business case for others to establish similar cross-sector leadership development programmes. There is a real opportunity for business to make a huge positive impact on individual leaders in the third sector, and through them and their organisations, to address directly some of the toughest social and environmental challenges facing business and society today.

The case studies look in detail at a variety of real-life examples of cross-sector mentoring, peer learning groups and bursary sponsorship. Each example includes information on: • • •

the background to the initiative and the partners involved the benefits of collaboration as told by the individuals interviewed the challenges and lessons learned

Section 5.0 of the report then provides some concluding remarks on this research study. These observations return to the key focus of the research – how business can integrate partnerships with the third sector to deliver leadership development through corporate responsibility and community engagement activities. Here we offer advice at three levels: • • •

what a company can do how a company can support and facilitate its senior managers what individual business leaders need to consider

It is hoped that the case studies featured in this report and the lessons learned from the experiences of the interviewees will inspire others to take action on this hugely important issue of cross-sector leadership development.

Section 4.0, the main body of the report, features eleven case studies illustrating different cross-sector approaches to leadership development. Where possible, partners from business and the third sector who participated in the same programme have been included in the research.

There is a real opportunity for business to make a huge positive impact on individual leaders in the third sector, and through them and their organisations, to address directly some of the toughest social and environmental challenges facing business and society today.

1 The term refers to organisations which are non-governmental, value-driven and principally reinvest financial surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives i.e. voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives, housing associations and mutuals. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 5

2.0 Introduction

2.1 Background ACEVO is working together withThe National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Community Sector Coalition (CSC) on Capacity Builders’ Improving Support Leadership & Governance workstream. The aim of ACEVO’s work in relation to this particular initiative is to develop new methods of supporting third sector organisations by removing the barriers to accessing leadership development. Corporate Citizenship was commissioned to produce this report in their capacity as a leading global consultancy on strategic corporate responsibility.

2.2 Research rationale The third sector plays a vital role in the regeneration and empowerment of communities and the creation of a cohesive and sustainable civil society. A successful third sector is crucially dependent on the leadership of those running third sector organisations. Investment in leadership in this sector falls well behind that of the private and public sectors, due to cultural and financial barriers. The private sector can play a key role in increasing the effectiveness and performance of the third sector by supporting the development of its leaders. The impact on these leaders, their staff, their organisations and the communities they serve means that this is one of the most intelligent and sustainable ways of supporting the third sector. This research specifically seeks to demonstrate the benefits of cross-sector partnerships, to both the corporate and third sector communities, with a particular focus on leadership development2 - based on the assumption that leadership development in a cross-sector forum enriches the debate and provides a wider variety of perspectives and solutions than would be found in a single-sector environment. It looks at some of the ways businesses are able to engage and develop their own leadership talent by learning from not-forprofit experiences, while also sharing their own knowledge and experiences. This research also seeks to highlight that the particular crosssector activities detailed here can provide a perfect way for businesses to build the capacity of third sector organisations that 6 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

The private sector can play a key role in increasing the effectiveness and performance of the third sector by supporting the development of its leaders. The impact on these leaders, their staff, their organisations and the communities they serve means that this is one of the most intelligent and sustainable ways of supporting the third sector.

A series of interviews were conducted, with both business and third sector participants from programmes in each area of interest, to specifically identify motivations for participation and to glean the key benefits of the programme and the organisational changes brought about as a result. In order to take the research process forwards the areas of focus; one-to-one mentoring, peer learning in a group setting and bursary sponsorship had to be clearly defined: 2.3.1 One-to-one mentoring: According to the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation3, peer mentoring involves the following components: • • •

they are already engaged with through their community investment programmes. We have sought to focus on three particular innovative ways of bringing the business and third sectors together: one-to-one mentoring , peer learning in a group setting, and bursary sponsorship. The case studies illustrate in a compelling manner how businesses can and do successfully engage in the third sector leadership agenda. By exploring the motivations of and benefits for both corporate and third sector participants we learn of the key drivers, commitments and outcomes of the programmes in order to help shape thinking on best practice and to encourage more businesses to engage with such initiatives.

2.3 Methodology A desk-based investigation was carried out examining samples of good practice programmes in the areas of mentoring, peer learning in a group setting and bursary delivery, to gain an understanding and scope of these parts of the third sector leadership development landscape and where and how businesses are engaged.

2.3.3 Bursary sponsorship: Bursary sponsorship usually refers to the one-off granting of a financial gift to an individual in order to complete a specific course of academic training and development. These gifts are usually granted without significant engagement between the benefactor and the beneficiary. Relationships are traditionally between the benefactor and the institution of learning and training. However, we have also included case studies which illustrate other forms of cross-sector partnerships based on bursary type support; that of the Harafi Foundation andInternational HIV/Aids Alliance and Bank of America and Quaker Social Action.

a one-to-one non-judgmental relationship participants are of a similar age or have shared a similar experience/ type of role support can range from being target focused or informal‘buddying’

Various models of facilitated mentoring partnerships exist – we highlight the Kilfinan Group, the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants and PrimeTimers through the case studies presented later in the research. 2.3.2 Peer learning within a group setting: Peer learning can be described as, "the acquisition of knowledge and skill through active helping and supporting among status equals or matched companions."4 Our primary focus for the purposes of this research is examining peer learning opportunities within facilitated cross-sector groups that specifically seek to develop skills and knowledge across the sectors. Action learning sets5 such as those facilitated by organisations like the Whitehall & Industry Group and Action Learning Associates have been explored. In addition, in this section of the report we also consider the specific example of the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Responsible Leadership Programme. Although this programme does not use action learning sets, it is an extremely interesting example of an approach to development that allows private sector leaders to learn and develop through a placement in an experiential learning programme with third sector leaders of organisations operating in the wider community.

2 For the purposes of this research, when we refer to leadership development, in the case of the third sector we are specifically referring to the development of leadership skills at Chief Executive and Director level. 3 http://www.mandbf.org.uk/projects/peermentoring/ 4 Topping, K., and S. Ehly. 1998. Peer-assisted learning. Mahwah, NJ, & London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (http://innovateonline.info/extra.php?id=2109) 5 An action learning set is a group of usually 4 - 7 people who get together (on a regular basis) to discuss issues of personal or mutual importance. They are designed to deal with the specific needs of the set members and require agreed action by the end of each meeting. Sets may, or may not, be facilitated. Those considered in this research are facilitated groups. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 7

2.4 Setting the scene

Leadership development in the private sector is nothing new, with many firms having specific in-house leadership development programmes to develop their talent. Comparatively, innovations in developing the leaders in the third sector have lagged behind for a variety of reasons. Culturally, there are misconceptions within the third sector that all charitable income should be spent on front-line services rather than being diverted to other activities such as staff development; there is less recognition than is evident within the private sector of the resultant return on investment that diverting some resources towards staff development brings. This combined with a common lack of financial resources has resulted in leadership development appearing lower down the priority list than in the private or public sectors. Tides have changed however with the growth of innovative solutions to develop leadership and the establishment of organisations that are specifically addressing the need for third sector leadership development. This has been partly bolstered by a realisation from third sector organisations themselves that resourcing the training and development of its leaders has undoubted benefits for the organisation, and subsequently the communities that they serve. As the paper, Value Based Leadership:A third sector view6 by Astrid Kirchner at ACEVO notes, developing talent within the third sector itself is critical to the sector’s sustainability as a whole. Emphasis has to be given to building the capacity of the sector through developing, training and professionalising its leadership. Organisations such as ACEVO, theThird Sector Leadership Centre and BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development) have developed forums for skill sharing and growth. These largely exist as a means of networking and knowledge management amongst their membership but also include peer learning opportunities similar in format to the models that we will later explore – but restricted to third sector participants only. However, a lack of resources, particularly financial, to develop talent within the third sector remains a barrier to organisations engaging in leadership development programmes. Working with partners in the private sector is therefore an attractive and highly successful 8 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

approach to the co-development of leaders in both sectors. At the same time, there has been a significant realisation within the business world that it can strategically align its business objectives with a move towards building sustainable societies by developing leadership within the third sector, particularly through existing community partnerships. Organisations such as Deutsche Bank and the Goldman Sachs Foundation have had long standing partnerships with the community and have moved their engagement to levels beyond philanthropy to programmes now centred on capacity building and sustainable growth and development.

Developing talent within the third sector itself is critical to the sector’s sustainability as a whole. Deutsche Bank has a commitment to building long-term and sustainable partnerships with community partners. They have chosen to work with organisations such asThe Private Equity Foundation and the ImpetusTrust to bolster leadership development in the third sector. Leadership development is given importance due to an acknowledgement that it is the management of the organisation (as it is in business) that is a strong factor in determining success. The programmes are founded on the belief that there are very strong parallels between the business (and particularly, the private equity) disciplines that help build capable and results-focused companies, and those that help build successful and effective charities. The programmes aim to take the best of private equity expertise and resources, and apply it to build stronger and more effective organisations in the charity sector. The programmes supported by Deutsche Bank are in their first year of development and therefore have not been featured as a case study in this research. They are nonetheless significant in demonstrating the innovative ways that businesses are integrating third sector leadership development into broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community investment initiatives.

It is evident that by engaging with third sector organisations in this way, traditional cross-sector relationships that have been borne out of perhaps more two-dimensional corporate responsibility programmes can be taken to strategic levels, resulting in these partnerships being maximised for all involved. Organisations such as Business in the Community have also been instrumental in working with businesses to develop their input in third sector leadership development across the country. The Partners in Leadership Programme initially developed by KPMG which examined working with head teachers to develop skills and business competencies was considered to be hugely effective and beneficial and was subsequently rolled out nationwide. The Government is also increasingly realising the benefits of cross-sector learning and is bringing together the business community with third sector organisations to nurture crosssector learning and development. In August 2008, the Government announced the launch of theYouth Sector Development Fund which will invest, over the next three years, in third sector organisations that have developed effective approaches to working with young people to help them sustain and grow their provision through a mixture of grant funding and business support. A vital component of the scheme is the matching of mentors from the business community to the recipient organisations to ensure that key business competencies are transferred in a practical and meaningful way. Increasing emphasis is now being placed on sharing leadership and management techniques across the private, public and third sector spheres for the benefit of all. The International Business Leaders Forum’s (IBLF) Partnership and Learning Programme and Cass Business School’s Centre for Charity Effectiveness both seek to join business innovations with third sector management development. The business community is realising the business benefits that facilitating third sector leadership development ultimately bring. As one participant commented,“A healthy society means healthy markets; which is ultimately good for business and where we seek to exist”. Though individual initiatives do exist, current business activity is generally organised through umbrella organisations such as the IBLF; businesses are clearly missing a great opportunity of engaging

The Government is also increasingly realising the benefits of cross-sector learning and is bringing together the business community with third sector organisations to nurture cross-sector learning and development. with their local communities in a strategic and valuable way. As many of our case studies reveal, businesses have a lot to learn from the management techniques adopted by their third sector counterparts and the benefit of cross-sector collaboration is undoubtedly felt both ways. More can be made of this and Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Human Resources departments all have roles to play in not only developing the leadership within their community partner organisations but also developing the talent within their own businesses. As this research has found, issues and complexities faced by managers on a day-to-day basis are often similar across the corporate and third sector worlds – the methods of how these are managed present the key differentiators. Capitalising on how best to meet the challenges of leadership using methodologies from both sectors by sharing best practice no doubt leads to efficiency and better outcomes for society as a whole.

6 The British Journal of Leadership in Public Services (Volume 2 Issue 4 December 2006) ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 9

3.0 Findings

3.1 Key Lessons from the Research

The overall message coming out of the case studies drawn together for this research is one of a substantial missed opportunity on behalf of business to get involved in third sector leadership development. Despite the significant and tangible benefits enjoyed by partners in business and the third sector and the communitues within which they operate, we have yet to see widespread involvement by companies in sponsoring and participating in cross-sector leadership development. Companies are losing out. The case studies show that there are real advantages to be gained from business and third sector executives developing leadership skills in collaboration – but businesses have been slow to incorporate such learning into their mainstream CSR or training and development practice. Mentoring at senior management level is often driven by individuals rather than incorporated into CSR programmes in a more strategic way. As the examples in this report show, there is much to be gained for businesses by engaging their senior managers and partners in their broader community investment work. Additionally, although further exploration falls beyond the limitations of this report, there would seem to be great potential for cross-sector leadership development initiatives to be supported by the array of umbrella and infrastructure organisations which exist across the sectors on a local, regional and national level, for example organisations such as ACEVO, Chambers of Commerce and the Community andVoluntary Service network (CVS). Beyond the broad observation about the potential to extend the lessons from this study to new initiatives, in the remainder of this section we have tried to draw out key lessons across all three approaches to the leadership development under consideration: one-to-one mentoring, peer learning in a group setting and bursaries. Where lessons apply only to one type of approach this is clearly indicated.

3.2 Motivations for Private Sector Involvement

Companies are getting involved in cross-sector leadership development for a broad range of reasons. Some of the principle 10 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

motivators identified by this research are discussed below: Businesses view this as a real opportunity to give something back. Companies increasingly recognise that in order to be successful over the long-term, they need to understand their place in society and play their part in addressing broader social and environmental issues that are of direct relevance to their business. Working with third sector leaders whose organisations are addressing these same issues is an ideal way of demonstrating a company’s commitment to take action. As well as demonstrating a strong commitment to helping address social and environmental issues, a collaborative approach to leadership development provides a great opportunity for mutual learning. As many of the case studies demonstrate, working alongside the third sector in this way helps business leaders and their organisations to develop a deeper and richer knowledge and understanding of the issues. At a broader level, working with third sector leaders enables business to provide direct help to organisations that are making a vital contribution to social cohesion. Clearly this is core to many corporate responsibility programmes – helping to create a cohesive society in which companies can operate successfully. There is a tangible business benefit to be gained from working with others to create a strong society and a sound environment. As several of the interviewees suggest, business can only prosper within healthy communities – at local, national and international level. In addition to this long-term business benefit there is also the more direct and immediate opportunity to build corporate reputation by being seen to work with the third sector in taking action on social and environmental issues. This reputational benefit is often a core driver of CSR programmes and feeds through into positive impacts in recruitment, retention and staff morale. Put simply, people like to work for a company that is taking its social and environmental responsibilities seriously. Finally, in addition to these corporate motivations it is important to remember that there are a range of reasons why individuals within businesses will want to get involved in these initiatives. Once again, these centre on the key factors of having the

that a business perspective can bring valuable insight into leadership development, whatever the context.

All of the interviewees from the third sector were able to identify specific, tangible developments they have made – both to their own leadership style and to their organisation’s effectiveness – as a result of learning from the business sector opportunity to make a contribution to society and share valuable knowledge and skills about how to run a successful organisation. The personal stimulation and satisfaction gained from these opportunities to make a real - and in many cases profound and wide-reaching difference - cannot be underestimated.

3.3 Motivations forThird Sector Involvement

The primary motivation driving voluntary sector organisations to get involved in this type of initiative is related directly to the desire to train and develop leaders for all the obvious reasons to do with improved personal and organisational effectiveness. However, the more interesting question is – why choose cross-sector learning rather than any other form of leadership development? Clearly, bursaries and pro bono mentoring offer two ways of overcoming the direct costs associated with leadership development and so can increase access to training and development opportunities that might not otherwise be possible due to financial barriers. However, as discussed in section 3.6 below, even a ‘free’ or subsidised place on a development programme comes at a real cost of time, effort and commitment on behalf of the third sector leader and their organisation. There is a particular and special type of learning to be gained from close interaction with business leaders. As the case studies show, all of the third sector interviewees spoke of the strong motivation to learn from the private sector about dealing with a range of leadership and organisational issues. There is a strong consensus

Finally, all of the interviewees from the third sector were able to identify specific, tangible developments they have made – both to their own leadership style and to their organisation’s effectiveness – as a result of learning from the business sector. For example, many talked about their greater ‘professionalism’ together with their willingness to adopt new management approaches and skills learnt from exposure to the corporate sector. Very often the third sector leaders interviewed for this research appreciated the opportunities to draw on the experience and knowledge of peers working in the corporate sector – particularly when it comes to dealing with issues in managing priorities, problem solving and decision-making.

3.4 Benefits for Business

Moving from the motivations for why business and the third sector get involved in cross-sector collaborative learning, the next two sections look at the benefits accruing to both parties. As one would expect, there is a close link between the motivations and benefits. In broad terms, the case studies suggest that corporate benefits fall into two main categories: • •

those related to both supporting and being seen to support the leadership of third sector organisations those related to getting senior business people directly involved in cross-sector training and development This first category is linked to the reputational benefits mentioned in section 3.2 above. For example, PricewaterhouseCoopers speaks in its corporate literature about the Responsible Leadership Programme and the benefits for the organisation in demonstrating a strong commitment to the values of the company in terms of building a more inclusive and sustainable business. Working with third sector leaders provides tangible evidence of a company’s commitment to playing its part in addressing relevant social and environmental issues. There is strong evidence to suggest that companies which are able to demonstrate this type of commitment benefit in the recruitment and retention of employees. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 11

“It’s a good feeling to be part of that development of the individual and the organisation.” As well as the reputational benefits of supporting the third sector, there are also a range of corporate benefits to be gained from the greater involvement in broader social and environmental issues which these different models of crosssector fertilisation afford. Several interviewees spoke of the opportunities provided by cross-sector involvement to help build a more holistic view of society. It allows the company (as well as those individuals directly involved) to better understand the interconnectedness of issues and the relations between organisations. This helps the business to extend its boundaries, build stronger networks with other important players in society and broaden the horizons of the organisation. Closely related to this issue is the fact that working in collaboration with the third sector gives business the opportunity to turn potential adversaries into real allies. This point comes through strongly from one particular interviewee from the third sector who spoke about the change in mindset brought about by working with business. In their words, companies are “no longer seen as the enemy but as a strategic partner”. The mutual understanding and respect that grows from leaders from both sectors developing together comes through in many of the other case studies. As well as these organisational benefits of cross-sector learning, the case studies also reveal a number of benefits for individual participants from companies: Perhaps the most obvious benefit is the sense of achievement felt by senior business people in helping their peers in third sector organisations to become more effective leaders. As one individual puts it,“it’s a good feeling to be part of that development of the individual and the organisation.” In addition, it is important not to underplay the value identified 12 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

by many interviewees of the mutual benefits that derive from a cross-sector approach to leadership development. In other words, these initiatives should not simply be seen as business helping the third sector. Many interviewees spoke of a “twoway learning process” with both parties benefiting from the exchange of ideas and approaches. A third less tangible, but nevertheless important benefit relates to the particular nature of learning and development that takes place in the partnerships under consideration. Several interviewees spoke of the high risks and high rewards facing participants in their daily working lives – very often leaders from business and the third sector were dealing with problems and issues that required a transformational change in the way individuals operate. Very few (if any) of the examples considered in this research were about learning for learning’s sake. They were all about sharing knowledge and experience to help third sector leaders affect significant change in the way they and their organisations operate. Finally, and closely related to the above point, many business participants spoke of the benefits of getting involved in learning and development that has a strong bias to action – something that is often lacking in more traditional training programmes. The learning partnerships considered in this research were not simply ‘talking shops’, rather they invariably facilitated real change in the way leaders operate.

3.5 Benefits forThird Sector

All of the case studies provide demonstrable evidence of how third sector leaders are benefiting from the involvement of their business sector peers in their own learning and development by having exposure to different systems and processes, enabling them to professionalise their organisations and improve the services and support provided to their beneficiaries: Interviewees cite a whole range of improvements they have been able to implement in their performance and that of their organisation. Some of the specific issues identified include: developing a more strategic vision for the organisation; adopting a more systematic approach to problem solving; building a broader network of support internally and externally; and implementing more effective approaches to organisational change.

In addition, the third sector leaders featured in this research also spoke of their exposure to a wide range of management skills related to corporate governance, human resources, finance, strategic planning, marketing and so on. However, alongside the benefits that derive from a broader knowledge and new skills, several of the interviewees spoke of a more profound change in their attitudes and mindset. This is an important element of cross-sector learning that is sometimes overlooked. By definition, this approach brings together leaders from organisations that operate in different circumstances, have different cultures, and are driven by different imperatives. Several interviewees suggest that this process of examining issues from a very different perspective challenges them to question their own leadership style. They spoke of the benefits that come in terms of increased self confidence to bring about a transformational change in their organisations.

3.6What Makes Partnerships Successful?

Having outlined the motivations and benefits for business and the third sector to come together to develop leadership skills, this section considers what the case studies tell us about making such partnerships a success: The first thing to note is that in getting started and building new partnerships some organisations have found it helpful to use a broker to set up the relationship; for example, through organisations such as PrimeTimers and in Herbert Smith’s case, ACEVO. Obviously a broker can provide invaluable assistance in matching organisations to ensure an effective transfer of skills around issues that are of common interest to both parties. A related issue concerns the need to invest time and energy in matching individual participants together. Many of the interviewees spoke of the importance of personal chemistry, trust, and mutual respect in developing a productive working relationship between the individuals involved. This is obviously vital for one-to-one mentoring relationships, but it can also be an important success factor for peer learning within a group setting. The case study of PrimeTimers and Walworth Garden Farm is a good example of a partnership approach that focuses on the matching process at the start of the mentoring assignment.

Building on this point, it is also vital that the business sector mentor has the appropriate skills and experience to facilitate a successful partnership with their third sector mentee. The mentor has to combine leadership experience with an understanding of how to manage a peer-to-peer mentoring relationship. Simply being a skilled and experienced business leader is not enough. This is illustrated most prominently in the case study of theWorshipful Company of Management Consultants. In this case, management consultants are offered formal training in the mentoring process through a‘Mentoring Master Class’ and the on-going relationship is subject to regular evaluation to ensure the partnership is meeting the mentee’s needs. Another key success factor at the outset of the partnership is to ensure there is self-selection – as one interviewee puts it,“people are there because they want to be”. In more traditional approaches to training and development, participants are sometimes sent on a programme because it is felt they will benefit from the experience. Cross-sector leadership development is simply not compatible with this approach. Both the business and third sector participants need to have a strong desire and motivation to learn and develop from the experience. Reflecting on an issue that was raised earlier in this section, it is also important that all participants are aware of the commitment of time and effort required by these cross-sector learning partnerships. Significantly, both third sector and business participants often have to have the endorsement of their managers or boards in order to make the time commitment necessary to derive the full benefits from these leadership development opportunities. Such was the case for applicants to the International Masters in Practicing

A broker can provide invaluable assistance in matching organisations to ensure an effective transfer of skills around issues that are of common interest to both parties. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 13

There is real potential for business to have a significant positive impact on individual leaders in the third sector and, by working with them and their organisations, to address directly some of the toughest social and environmental challenges facing us today.

Management programme whereby the International HIV/AIDS Alliance made line management endorsement a key component of the application process itself. A separate but related issue concerns the more profound nature of the commitment required by cross-sector leadership development programmes. By their nature, if these partnerships are to deliver the benefits outlined above, they will expose participants to new situations and require them to learn from different experiences. This will need people who are prepared to and capable of operating and learning outside their normal ‘zone of comfort’. In setting up these cross-sector partnerships, it is also important to consider issues of diversity and accessibility. Are there aspects of the way in which the programme is designed or delivered that make it more or less inclusive than other forms of leadership training and development? It is interesting to note that at least one case study – involving the Rosemary Simmons Memorial Housing Association – demonstrates that cross-sector mentoring allows for a greater degree of flexibility to be built into the learning partnership than might otherwise be afforded by a more formal leadership development programme. This makes the partnership more accessible to a third sector leader facing work/life balance challenges.

It should be clear that the benefits enjoyed by companies that are already taking action in this area provide a compelling business case for others to establish similar cross-sector leadership development programmes. There is real potential for business to have a significant positive impact on individual leaders in the third sector and, by working with them and their organisations, to address directly some of the toughest social and environmental challenges facing us today. This type of motivation already drives the CSR programmes of many leading businesses. Working more closely with third sector leaders in mutually beneficial learning and development partnerships is the logical next step. The detailed case studies that follow offer tangible examples of what can be achieved and how both parties benefit when business and the third sector work together on leadership development.

The final success factor relates to the need to ensure parity and equality in the learning partnership. Several interviewees cautioned against establishing a long-term association that might inadvertently create a dependency relationship. For all learning partnerships (especially mentoring and peer learning) it is vital that there is a meeting of like-minds and an equality of status. In seeking to provide help, advice and guidance to their third sector peers, business leaders should at all costs avoid the sense that they have all the answers

3.7 Closing the Opportunity Gap

In closing this section on the key lessons from the research, it is worth briefly returning to the ‘opportunity gap’ identified above – why are more companies not involved in these types of learning partnerships with the third sector?

14 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 15

Nicholas Ferguson

Moira Swinbank

4.0 The Case Studies CASE STUDY ONE

Nicholas Ferguson, Founder,The Kilfinan Group - mentor Moira Swinbank OBE, CEO, LegacyTrust UK - mentee Background The Kilfinan Group was founded by Nicholas Ferguson and others in 2001 to bring together a group of senior business people to provide pro bono mentoring to chief executives from the third sector. Members of the group are drawn from a variety of commercial backgrounds including venture capital, strategy consulting, private equity, international business and banking, and are selected according to their experience. The group has grown remarkably and now has 60 mentors and has helped c.150 mentees in total. There are three ‘chapters’ in England with a fourth being developed in Scotland. Members meet on a bi-annual basis. Retaining a small group has been a critical factor to the group, to ensure that the quality of the programme is maintained. Mentees were originally found via New Philanthropy Capital but relationships are now built through word-of-mouth referrals, as the network has grown, developed and has a track record of successes.

• •

the desire to usefully share experience, skills and knowledge in what makes an organisation successful the huge satisfaction gained from having the opportunity to use their knowledge to help develop the skills of another, in turn helping their mentee to grow, develop and lead their organisations more strategically. Mentors have often reached a stage in their career (generally the top) where they want to be able to give back to society.

For Moira Swinbank, CEO of the LegacyTrust, the Kilfinan programme presented the opportunity to have an objective business focused relationship outside of her own organisation. Her relationship with her mentor has spanned over two years and is on-going, providing Moira with access to critical advice on an ad hoc basis as and when she needs it. Key motivations for participating for Moira were:

LegacyTrust UK supports a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities for all, which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and aims to leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom.

•

As with the other case studies in this report, we have brought together individuals from both the private and third sectors to share their experiences of the initiative under discussion. In this particular instance, although both interviewees are directly involved in the Kilfinan mentoring programme, they are not mentoring partners.

The benefits

The Kilfinan mentoring programme The Kilfinan mentoring programme is organised on a very informal basis; there is minimal bureaucracy, very focused sessions and as Nick points out,“People are there because they want to be – that’s what makes the whole thing successful. The ability to talk openly and strategically is invaluable.” Mentors and mentees meet once every two months for a 1.5 - 3 hour meeting. The meetings are very focused despite the informal feel and agendas are largely determined by issues being 16 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

Huge satisfaction is gained from having the opportunity to use knowledge to help develop the skills of another, in turn helping your mentee to grow, develop and lead their organisation more strategically.

faced by the third sector CEO. Motivations to participate as a mentor vary but often include:

•

to gain the skills and knowledge needed to work effectively with the board and trustees, to ensure that she’s maximising these relationships to build confidence

From Nick’s perspective the benefits gained from the mentoring programme include: • • •

gaining an in-depth understanding of what is often a new topic area; the fascinating subject matter makes it interesting and fun developing existing networks the high level of return and reward relative to the low level of bureaucracy, planning and management needed, which reflects the informal nature of the relationship

For Moira, being part of the Kilfinan mentoring programme has been a very useful experience and has provided invaluable advice at important moments. She notes,“It’s reassuring to know you have an objective sounding board to bounce ideas off and that you’ve been able to use someone else’s experience to learn from. I’m excited about using the experience to develop the organisation.”

as each mentoring partnership needs to develop to suit individual circumstances. In other words, while there are important principles that must be adhered to, prescriptive, hard and fast ‘rules’ on design and implementation of mentoring relationships, don’t guarantee their success.

Key benefits of the mentoring partnership for Moira have been: • • • •

developing ideas for the strategic development of the organisation exploring ideas in a safe space means that thoughts can be tested before going into the formal arena new contacts, networks and doors being opened in the corporate world increased confidence which has been the key to helping facilitate growth of the LegacyTrust

The success of the mentoring partnership is largely down to the chemistry between mentor and mentee. Moira notes,“The Kilfinan programme is administered very well and there is the smart brokering of matching individuals. Particular care and attention is paid to making sure that people get on and will essentially be useful to each other. There has to be a click.”

Challenges and Learning

The Kilfinan programme is relatively unstructured and fluid rather than process-driven. The emphasis on the uniqueness of the individual mentees and mentors tends to result in Kilfinan mentoring relationships and sessions being bespoke and organic rather than fitting a prescriptive formula. The individual nature of these relationships clearly delivers real benefits for both mentor and mentee who can tailor the partnership to best suit the needs of both parties. At the same time, it raises a challenge in replicating this approach

The Kilfinan Group ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 17

Anthony Buckland

Kevin Moore

CASE STUDYTWO

Anthony Buckland, PrimeTimers - mentor Kevin Moore, Manager,Walworth Garden Farm - mentee Background

PrimeTimers is a social enterprise dedicated to increasing effectiveness in the third sector by connecting experts in business with charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations. PrimeTimers supplies third sector organisations with interim senior managers, mentors and consultants and is also known as a thought leader and key player in cross-sector leadership development. Walworth Garden Farm (WGF) is a local charity which was established in 1987, transforming a former derelict site into a beautiful area. Based in London, this city farm has sixteen staff and: • • • •

provides horticultural training for long-term unemployed residents of Southwark works on local environmental projects such as Southwark Park and St. George’s Gardens provides environmental education for local schools/ wildlife clubs provides horticultural therapy for people with learning disabilities

Since Kevin Moore became Manager of WGF in January 2006, the organisation has experienced substantial growth.

The PrimeTimers mentoring programme

The PrimeTimers mentoring programme exists within an informal structure and precisely how the relationship is managed is determined by agreement between the mentor and mentee. Typically, partners tend to meet once every two or three weeks depending largely on the mentee’s need. The mentoring relationship usually lasts between six and nine months. In this particular case, Kevin andTony have been meeting for nearly six months and both anticipate the mentoring relationship will continue. Tony Buckland has a wealth of private sector experience having spent 22 years with Deutsche Bank as CEO of its subsidiary, DeutscheTrustee Company Limited. During this time he gained a broad spectrum of expertise in: •

•

personnel development – he heard some of the bank’s most difficult and sensitive HR cases and legal skills were acquired during a period as the senior arbiter of legal and transaction related problems within the group mentoring - he acted as a mentor for senior business people in

18 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

•

London, NewYork and Hong Kong corporate governance, training, sales and marketing and volunteering were also in his remit and he had close involvement with a number of Deutsche Bank’s charity partners

ForTony, mentoring seems the best way to utilise all these skills in the most productive way. He comments,“There are processes and systems in the corporate world that are taken for granted which don’t necessarily happen in the third sector.” PrimeTimers, which has a membership of over 100 highly skilled business people, also places much importance on the mentor/mentee matching process and spends time focusing on this at the start of each mentoring assignment. Each partnership begins with a chemistry meeting to ensure that both individuals feel it can be a successful partnership. AsTony notes,“The first meeting is very important to understand what the mentee’s motivations and objectives are for the programme and whether you both think that the partnership can work.” In line with a comment made by Kilfinan’s Nicholas Ferguson in the previous case study,Tony also emphasises the importance of the self-selection element of this type of mentoring relationship: “It’s very difficult to work with someone who feels like the programme has been imposed on them from their board or trustees. If there’s reluctance or not enough buy-in to the process then it just won’t work.” Kevin’s motivations for participating in a mentoring partnership were spurred initially by a recommendation. He says,“The organisation was going through some changes and I realised that I lacked some key skills in areas like human resources and legal issues. I heard about PrimeTimers and realised that I could really benefit from being able to tap into someone else’s experience and know-how.”

even more organised. It’s a good feeling to be a part of that development both of the individual and of their organisation.” The ability to effectively utilise skills and knowledge developed in the corporate world for the benefit of the community, albeit indirectly, is also cited as a key benefit:“The knock-on effects are great – you might have a relationship with a CEO or director but you might make a difference to another member of the organisation as a result and if you’re lucky, the wider community too.” The benefits to Kevin have been numerous and include: •

•

AsTony identifies,“I like seeing people grow as a result of the mentoring relationship – they might be stronger, more confident,

access to business background and corporate sector experience which has meant that Kevin is able to benefit from different approaches to problem solving that focus on achieving clear outcomes building confidence and affirming Kevin’s own leadership qualities and abilities to facilitate and lead change in his organisation help in managing priorities and learning to differentiate between what is desirable and what is essential

There have also been tangible changes to processes within Walworth Garden Farm which have been assisted by the mentoring partnership; • •

The benefits

The relationship between mentor and mentee though primarily focused on the mentee’s needs, inevitably leads to benefits for the mentor too.

having a sounding board – “It’s great to be able to pick someone’s brain who is external to the organisation. With such a small organisation you can sometimes feel like you’re out on a limb so it’s really useful to have somebody who has a wealth of experience at the end of the phone.”

•

professionalisation of the organisation with a tightening of relationships amongst staff and the board developing a strategic vision for the organisation as it grows – a facilitator was brought into help develop ideas for taking the organisation forward introduction of appraisal procedures with targets and systems for individuals to follow

“The knock-on effects are great – you might have a relationship with a CEO or director but you might make a difference to another member of the organisation as a result and if you’re lucky, the wider community too.” Challenges and Learning

Information and issues discussed in mentoring sessions can be sensitive and therefore have to be managed appropriately. The relationship is fundamentally based on trust, the maintenance of which is important. As Kevin notes,“The success of the relationship is largely due to three things: the rapport between us, we really do get on, the level of trust and respect of the process and finally,Tony has a genuine interest in the organisation. Though that doesn’t need to be a prerequisite to the relationship, I think it does make a real difference.” Key objectives and the purpose of the relationship must be established at the outset to ensure that both parties have clear and compatible expectations. Striking a balance between allowing the partnership to shape its own course and develop in a fluid way together with having a structure and framework in place to develop the process is useful. Introducing a feedback process into the mentoring relationship or programme is also valuable.

Kevin notes,“Having the space to talk with someone who can relate to the pressures and challenges that a director faces and is still non-judgmental and independent is immensely useful.” ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 19

Julia Lever

Wendy Pridmore

CASE STUDYTHREE

Julia Lever,TheWorshipful Company of Management Consultants - mentor Wendy Pridmore, Chief Executive, Rosemary Simmons Memorial Housing Association - mentee Background

TheWorshipful Company of Management Consultants (WCoMC) follows the historical tradition of livery companies which not only support, develop and protect their trades and crafts but also act in charitable ways in the wider community. As part of its charitable work, theWCoMC established a mentoring programme in 2001. For the chief executives of qualifying charities, this support is available without charge. In total, more than 50 Members of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants have provided pro bono mentoring to some 100 chief executives of charities and voluntary organisations. Julia Lever has a background in both the private and third sectors; having gained an MBA at Cranfield, she spent eight years working for Reuters followed by establishing a children’s hospice in south east England - in which she now has a peripheral role, having put the necessary structures in place to enable the organisation to be self-sufficient. Julia has also been involved as a consultant with the Centre for Charity Effectiveness (a joint venture between Cass Business School and WCoMC) which is dedicated to providing the third sector with the same quality of leadership and management development enjoyed in the private sector. Being a mentor was an ideal way for Julia to utilise her skills in a productive way though she emphasises,“Both sides benefit hugely from the relationship so we call what would otherwise be the mentee, a Mentor Partner – it shows that it’s a two-way learning process.” The Rosemary Simmons Memorial Housing Association is a notfor-profit housing association which owns c.650 homes in the South East, with more being developed. They offer rented and shared ownership homes for families and single people of all ages. Wendy Pridmore joined Rosemary Simmons as Chief Executive in 1998 and was motivated to enter into a mentoring partnership when the organisation was about to enter a period of significant change which gave her the opportunity to think about her own developmental needs together with the direction of the organisation. She explains, “We’re quite a unique organisation as we are a non-fundraising not-forprofit organisation and are quite similar to the business sector in many ways. I’d heard of a few government-led initiatives but they hadn’t 20 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

appealed in the past,I knew that if I wanted to do this properly I would have to commit,warts and all,for this to work.” The mentoring partnership has been going for almost a year andWendy notes,“I’m still getting a lot out of it. We’ll know when it’s run its course.”

Julia notes,“Each partnership is so different and varies according to the individual and their organisation’s needs. It’s a structured relationship and each session ends with action points to take forward the topic of the day – otherwise it’s not worth it.”

TheWCoMC Mentoring Programme

Benefits

The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants has an established code of conduct for the mentoring relationship incorporating the following: • • •

confidentiality of the Mentor Partner is respected at all times collegiality across the group – using all resources to help the partnership preventing the creation of dependent relationships

Management consultants are trained to listen and to address personal, organisational and financial issues. The‘Mentor Master Classes’ that the Company provides to its own members help them to enhance their existing skills, giving further assurance of successful mentoring outcomes and to ensure that there is a definite standard of delivery that is adhered to and maintained. The programme administrators ensure that each mentoring partnership is evaluated and that the Mentor Partner’s needs are being met. Much time and resource is also given to ensure that the Mentor Partner is placed with the right mentor and that the chemistry is right between the pair. As Julia notes,“What is sacrosanct to the success of a partnership is that the person has to want to be part of the process. It’s vital to get the chemistry right and to make sure that it is a trusted and respected partnership.” This view is echoed by Wendy who commented on the attention paid to ensure that the match was right and that there was the right balance between experiences that would be useful to the partnership as well as compatible personalities.

As Julia noted earlier, benefits are felt by both sides of the mentor partnership. She explains,“There is a great personal satisfaction of working with someone who is obviously very bright and very successful within their sector, to help them be the best Chief Exec they can be. It’s a real privilege. Not only are you helping them as individuals but also the communities that they work in.” The process appealed to Wendy who, being a busy mum, could only participate in a programme that wasn’t too structured. “I wouldn’t have been able to be a part of something too rigid as I needed something that fits into my lifestyle. This has been great as Julia has provided an injection of energy when I have needed it. Sometimes our sessions are specifically about an issue that I’m facing but sometimes they are more general. It helps that we really get on and she understands the various pressures that I’m under, both at home and at work.” Specific benefits to Wendy have been: •

• •

The mentoring partnership covers issues specific and relevant to the Mentor Partner’s needs and varies greatly. Issues may include: • • • •

management of staff management of boards finance marketing

•

changes in her relationship with the management team; she notes,“Being mentored has really helped me to raise my game and provide the leadership that my talented senior management team needs. It’s my job as Chief Exec to take them from good to outstanding and I feel like I have the confidence to do that now.” affirmation of the efficacy of her thinking; the ability to test ideas and get a reaction in a safe, non-judgmental environment knowledge building; having a mentor which such a breadth of experience has provided Wendy with the opportunity to learn from Julia’s experiences. She notes,“It’s been important that Julia’s ahead in her career and has business experience - which means that I can draw on her know-how and tap into her knowledge. It makes all the difference.” confidence building; in her relationships with staff and the board, but most significantly in her own ability

“Both sides benefit hugely from the relationship so we call what would otherwise be the mentee, a Mentor Partner – it shows that it’s a two-way learning process.” Challenges and Learning

The key challenge in making this mentoring relationship work – and the main lesson that can be drawn from it – relates to the administration of the programme. Both mentor and mentee highlighted the critical importance of personal judgement and discretion in ensuring a successful partnership at the outset, and the need for shared understanding of the commitments and benefits to be gained from the mentoring relationship. Training and evaluation is important to the programme to ensure that standards are maintained and that all Mentor Partners receive the same level of care. It is recognised that much of the success of the partnerships is attributable to the calibre of the consultants who chose to be mentors, many of whom have run their own businesses and therefore have specialist management and leadership skills. There is a screening, evaluation and training process to further ensure high standards are maintained. Much of the programme’s success is attributable to individual relationships and judgement and therefore trying to bring these elements together and mimic them in a replicable model is difficult.

ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 21

Paul Farmer

CASE STUDY FOUR

Cross-sector peer learning group facilitated by Action Learning Associates Paul Farmer, CEO, Mind - peer learning group participant Background

Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales which works to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress by: • • • • •

advancing the views, needs and ambitions of people with mental health problems challenging discrimination and promoting inclusion influencing policy through campaigning and education inspiring the development of quality services which reflect expressed need and diversity achieving equal rights through campaigning and education

Action Learning Associates (ALA) provides opportunities for leaders from the private, public and third sectors to come together in facilitated sessions to: • • •

generate ideas in problem solving create a safe space within which issues and organisational concerns can be voiced encourage learning from each others’ experiences

Groups are carefully selected to ensure that there is a balance of status, responsibilities and experience in order to maximise on the cross-sector peer learning and so that individuals are able to empathise with the situations that are raised. Upon signing up to the course participants agree to attend five full-day meetings which are organised over a 12 - 15 month period, in a group of usually between five and six participants, at a cost of £1,500 plusVAT.

The ALA cross-sector action learning programme

Paul Farmer has been CEO of Mind for two and a half years and over that time has maintained his commitment to the need to invest in training for individuals across all levels of the organisation. Earlier in his career Paul had participated in a group facilitated by ALA which helped him develop the skill set to be a senior manager. The increase in confidence through this experience also laid the foundations needed to start thinking about taking the next steps in his career progression. 22 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

Having attributed the transition to becoming a chief executive to this earlier ALA peer group learning programme, Paul knew that this would be the right place for him to develop his knowledge and continue to strengthen his skill set at the highest level. By again capitalising on cross-sector learning, Paul knew that he could definitely add value to his own organisation. Mind has a dedicated plan for the development of senior staff and this recognition is backed up with an allocated budget stream. There were therefore no barriers to Paul’s participation in the course, nor any hesitation in recognising the benefit that it would bring to both him as an individual but also as a leader in the organisation. The Action Learning Associates programme appealed to Paul for three reasons in particular: •

• •

the cross-sector backgrounds of the participants who are all senior leaders in their organisations and therefore are likely to face similar issues and challenges ALA’s practical and pragmatic approach to issues and solutions the opportunity to learn new management and procedural techniques that he would be able to pass on to colleagues

Paul notes “There is real value in getting support from a peer network that is from a mixed background. There’s an awful lot to be learnt between the public, third and private sectors as there are many similarities in the issues that we face. Sometimes the difference is how we approach those issues”.

The benefits

The ALA cross-sector action learning programme provides a safe space for chief executives to be able to confidentially raise issues and concerns facing their organisations and to reflect on and contemplate possible courses of action. “The process allows you the chance to test ideas and is a place where ideas stimulation is encouraged.” In such an arena ideas are shared and the group members draw on each other’s experience. As the group spends the whole day together at each meeting, there is an opportunity for participants to get to know each other well over the course of the full programme.

“It’s definitely made me a better leader, a better Chief Exec. It’s allowed me to look at issues that are really critical in a different way as I’ve learnt from other people’s experiences, both good and bad”. Each member is encouraged to bring an issue that is relevant to their organisation for the group to discuss and for feedback to be given. Paul comments,“Some of the challenges facing us all as senior managers are very similar: they centre around things like external forces, people management and strategic development in moving the organisation forward. By being a part of a programme such as this, you’re able to realise what these are and explore the ways that work to resolve the issues.”

collaboration. Both ALA interviewees felt that without this willingness and ability to learn from experiences in different sectors the programme would not deliver the full advantages that participation can bring to both individuals and their organisations. The cost of the programme may present a barrier to entry for some third sector organisations in particular and this presents an opportunity for businesses to not only benefit from having their own leaders participate on the programme but also by sponsoring places for individuals from the third sector. Businesses might consider cross-sector peer learning programmes as a way of building the capacity of organisations that they already have relationships with through their charitable partnerships.

The course allows participants to examine their issues in a more strategic way – “It’s definitely made me a better leader, a better Chief Exec. It’s allowed me to look at issues that are really critical in a different way as I’ve learnt from other people’s experiences, both good and bad”.

Challenges and Learning

The ALA cross-sector action learning programme spans from twelve to fifteen months, largely to accommodate the conflicting diaries of six chief executives and this results in a time lag between sessions. This can potentially mean that participants can “lose the thread somewhat”. However, this is mitigated by the benefit of having the right people in the room. Each session is facilitated by an Action Learning Associate trained facilitator and their role is considered to be critical to ensuring that the participants get the most out of the programme. The success of such a programme is based on having the right calibre of people from the public, private and voluntary sectors who recognise the mutual benefit of learning and working in ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 23

Nicola Carruthers

CASE STUDY FIVE

Cross-sector peer learning group facilitated by Action Learning Associates Nicola Carruthers, CEO,Thrive - peer learning group participant Background

Thrive is a charity, founded in 1978, that advocates the positive benefits of gardening for people with a disability. The charity’s activities are varied but focus on championing the benefits of gardening to individuals and organisations, as well as teaching techniques and practical applications so that anyone with a disability can take part and enjoy gardening. Thrive’s work is underpinned by a research programme which provides evidence and improves understanding. Thrive advocates that gardening can help rebuild a person’s strength after an accident or illness, and can provide a purposeful activity for someone coping with a difficult period in their life. Further details regarding the Action Learning Associates peer learning group programme are provided in Case Study Four.

The programme

Nicola Carruthers has been CEO ofThrive for approximately two and a half years, following previous roles in the commercial sector. Nicola’s motivation for participating in the ALA peer learning group programme was to establish contacts in the third sector and develop an improved understanding of how to transfer the skills she had developed whilst working in previous roles in the business sector. As a relative newcomer to the third sector, Nicola wanted to gain additional knowledge to provide her with the confidence that she was taking the right approach. Thrive’s trustees supported the idea of participation in the ALA programme and the accompanying financial and time outlay, recognising ALA’s positive reputation for providing leading skills development opportunities.

The benefits

Nicola believes that ensuring the right mix of participants was a key factor in facilitating a mutually beneficial environment for shared learning and felt that the first round of peer group learning meetings she participated in were particularly successful in this respect. Nicola also felt that ALA’s facilitators were“tough and insightful”, providing the group with the opportunity to maximise their shared time and generate positive outcomes for those involved. The ALA meetings provided a forum for addressing key 24 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

Nicola describes the ALA programme as having had “a significant impact” on Thrive’s business, playing a role in “revolutionising” the organisation’s governance structure.

management issues at a macro level, allowing participants time to discuss pertinent high level topics outside the day-to-day office environment. Nicola was able to obtain clear answers to specific challenges and also understand the most effective way to transfer her commercial sector knowledge to management in the third sector. The ALA programme reaffirmed her view that bestpractice key strategic actions are equally applicable in both business and third sector roles. Nicola describes the ALA programme as having had“a significant impact” onThrive’s business, playing a role in“revolutionising” the organisation’s governance structure. Understanding the importance of engaging trustees on the charity’s key material issues, Thrive now provides regular knowledge support days for its trustees to improve understanding. Nicola believes that this has generated concomitant governance benefits throughout the organisation, with the chairman taking a“more hands on” approach, thereby bridging the gap between trustees and employees.

Challenges and Learning

As with the previous case study, the participant in this example also highlighted the important role played by ALA’s well trained facilitators. The varying backgrounds of those in the peer learning group provided participants with the opportunity to share learnings and problem solving experiences with a diverse group, while also recognising and highlighting that certain management practices have benefit whatever the context. Although the interviewee in this case study found the ALA programme to be extremely beneficial, she felt that later ALA working groups she was involved in to be of reduced value due to a less-well balanced peer group – getting this mix right is critical. Participants must be engaged and willing to ensure that the group achieves the maximum positive outcomes. Nicola also acknowledged that the cost of the programme may present a barrier to entry for some organisations and participation requires a supportive board of trustees and chair. Nicola says that the ALA programme is “a no brainer for large charities, they really should be doing this!”

In addition, Nicola thinks that enhanced leadership has improved the motivation of employees and their accompanying connection to the charity. After completing the programme Nicola described herself as “reenergised” and has established a network of senior managers with a willingness to share ideas and problems. Nicola continues to meet at regular intervals with like minded peers from the ALA workshops, enablingThrive to benefit from a wide pool of intellectual capital. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 25

Michael Kelly

CASE STUDY SIX

Cross-sector peer learning group facilitated byTheWhitehall & Industry Group (WIG) Michael Kelly, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG Europe LLP - peer learning group participant Background

WIG is an independent not-for-profit organisation with a charitable purpose – to build understanding and co-operation between government, business and the third sector. Through facilitated sessions WIG helps to build the knowledge, understanding, respect and trust that are the essential underpinning of successful cross-sector partnerships. KPMG in the UK: • • • •

is a leading provider of professional services including audit, tax, financial and risk advisory. has over 10,000 partners and staff working in 22 offices is part of a strong global network of members firms has a long and successful history of integrating corporate responsibility into the business

TheWIG Senior Leaders Programme

The WIG Senior Leaders Programme runs once a year and consists of: • • •

seven one-day modules spread over a ten month period, the first of which is a two day residential course each set has c.6 members to ensure that they are intimate spaces where learning and sharing can be maximised cost: £4,050 plusVAT for members and £5,500 plusVAT for non-members (discount for charitable organisations)

When Mike Kelly was given a recommendation for the WIG Senior Leaders Programme he knew that it was for him. Having been on a cross-sector peer learning programme before, Mike was aware of the potential benefits of doing another programme. For Mike, the appeal of the WIG programme was three-fold as it provided: • • •

the space to step outside of day-to-day duties to be able to reflect on broader issues and concerns access to a diverse networking group the opportunity to build on his own training and development needs

Mike comments,“When you get to a senior management level 26 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

you spend a lot of time focusing on the training and development needs of your team. Sometimes you forget about yourself and that’s just as important to ensure that you’re a good leader!The programme requires a major time commitment and so KPMG had to support and endorse it.”

“When you get to a senior management level you spend a lot of time focusing on the training and development needs of your team. Sometimes you forget about yourself and that’s just as important to ensure that you’re a good leader!”

The WIG programme provides a structured learning space where senior managers are able to use their “critical friends” to develop thinking and ideas. Across the sectors, issues emerge and solutions are shared which all parties can learn from. Typical topics covered include: •

•

tools to understand and maximise team dynamics – exploring techniques such as the Myers BriggsType Indicator psychometric questionnaire change management theories

The benefits

Mike feels that the majority of benefits he has experienced as a result of participating in the WIG programme are a result of unconscious assimilation rather than a conscious adoption of the techniques he was introduced to. However there have been clear and tangible benefits to Mike’s development and progression as a senior leader at KPMG and subsequent changes in the way that he leads and manages his team. These include: • •

•

asking for feedback from the team on management style and progress adapting the way in which work is allocated, including making individuals more accountable through a clearer articulation of the vision and direction of his team changing the structure of the group to meet strategic needs

The ripple effects of the development in leadership style and technique have been felt across the business and include: • •

access to a broader network of key clients, suppliers and stakeholders the opportunity to build a broad understanding of leadership through exploring cross-sector issues has meant that not only is there a deeper understanding of different types of organisations but also an appreciation of how different sectors address the same challenges

•

by exploring the similarities of the challenges faced, there is a better understanding of how to introduce and implement organisational change – sometimes using methodologies that would more traditionally be adopted in third sector organisations, for example people management techniques and methods of developing and motivating staff

Mike notes,“When you get to express concerns in a safe space the scope for learning and growing as a leader is great. There is a support mechanism in the group that is incredibly useful to bounce ideas off. We’re actually still in touch and we did the programme a while ago!”

Challenges and Learning

A critical component to the success of the programme was the role of the facilitator. Mike goes so far as to say,“The role of the facilitator is key to what people get out of the course. An adequate facilitator will only provide adequate results which just isn’t good enough. Every session was facilitated excellently which ensured that we all took something new away from the day.” Such a programme also requires a major time commitment from senior managers that don’t generally have it to spare. This can present a challenge to the success of such initiatives if a wholehearted commitment is not made. Getting the ‘right’ mix of people within this type of action learning group is key to generating benefits for all group members. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 27

Rebecca George

CASE STUDY SEVEN

Cross-sector peer learning group facilitated byTheWhitehall & Industry Group (WIG) Rebecca George, Partner, Corporate Finance at Deloitte - peer learning group participant Background

Deloitte is a leading provider of professional services including audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services. It is part of a strong global network of member firms which has over 10,000 staff working in the UK and over 150,000 staff working across 140 countries worldwide. The organisation has a long track record of integrating corporate responsibility into its mainstream business practice. Rebecca George,a partner at Deloitte,has been involved with the Whitehall Industry Group (WIG) since 2002 (please see Case Study Six for an overview ofWIG). She participated in the 18-month Senior Leaders Programme while working for IBM. She has continued to be involved in theWIG seminar series and has maintained her connection withWIG since moving to Deloitte in 2006.

Rebecca had never done a course that was as beneficial, describing it as “a different level and very intense”.

more aware of the impact that she has on other people as a leader. As a company, doing business with the public sector is profoundly different and unless one has worked in the public sector before, only a cross-sector programme like WIG can provide you with an understanding of the differences, such as the importance of the political imperative as opposed to the financial requirements.

The company’s motivation was primarily to enable its senior management employees to get a better understanding about how the public sector works, in order to improve the company’s commercial relationships with this sector. Rebecca had been appointed to manage relationships with government at the time and was nominated to take part in the Senior Leaders Programme in order to get a greater understanding of the needs of this sector. However, as this case study demonstrates, Rebecca also feels that she and her organisation benefited from third sector involvement in WIG.

Having come across a small number of participants from the third sector during her involvement with WIG, she feels that there is just as much potential for the third sector to benefit from this programme as there is for the private and public sector (who make up the majority of the WIG programme participants). Third sector leaders can develop useful commercial skills, particularly about what challenges leaders in other sectors face and how they make decisions in a private and public sector context. Participation by the third sector also helps these organisations to become “more professional in their outlook and combat”, something that is increasingly regarded as a priority for the sector.

The benefits

Challenges and Learning

Rebecca highlighted that the programme enabled her to build relationships with people she would have otherwise never met and is of the opinion that such relationships are critically important in doing business in today’s environment. She noted that she had never done a course that was as beneficial, describing it as “a different level and very intense”. The strength of the learning experience comes from the mix of people from different sectors that yields real results. She underlined the importance of bringing together people who operate at the same level, despite coming from organisations operating in different sectors. Her participation in the programme has made her “a more effective, rounded and thoughtful leader” and she has become 28 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

The peer learning group participants have stayed in contact over the years and called upon each other from time to time offering the opportunity to discuss matters in confidence with peers that are not from their own organisation – an aspect of WIG that Rebecca has found to be very helpful. Turning back to third sector participation, Rebecca feels the big challenge is getting a critical mass of third sector leaders involved. She considers that this could be helped by introducing a WIG patron for the third sector, in addition to those already in place for the public and private sectors. This could add credibility and encourage more third sector participation. Funding of course is an issue for this sector and Rebecca thinks that the idea of private sector companies sponsoring leaders from third sector organisations which the company is engaging with already would be an interesting avenue to explore. Overall, she feels that this could be a good moment for WIG to think about the next step in its evolution by exploring possibilities for further third sector participation.

Rebecca sees the challenges that participants face in this programme as the very reason for its unique contribution to leadership development. Challenges stem from the cross-sector nature of the WIG programme and are rooted in the different values and assumptions held by its participants. These values and assumptions need to be examined and tested throughout the programme by participants who all have to make very difficult decisions, but operate in very different environments. This provides participants with a rounded experience that simply could not be achieved in a single-sector programme. While for some this aspect was seen as almost too challenging, Rebecca felt she was able to respond to the self-analysis and selfcriticism required and was able to benefit more from the learning as a result. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 29

Brian Bannister

Wendy Shepherd

CASE STUDY EIGHT

Cross-sector peer learning through the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Responsible Leadership Programme (RLP) Brian Bannister, Head of Communications, PwC andWendy Shepherd, Project Manager, Barnardo’s - RLP participants Background

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is one of the UK's leading professional services firms. It has more than 16,000 partners and staff in offices around the UK. The PwC vision is clear:“ to be a commercial powerhouse that does the right thing for our clients, our people, and our communities”. As such, building and developing responsible leadership is one of the organisation’s core pillars of business practice. As Mark Schofield, the sponsoring partner for the Responsible Leadership Programme (RLP) notes,“This is a unique opportunity to explore the responsibilities of future-oriented leaders in today’s world, both in a challenging, and highly experiential learning environment, and by applying their leadership skills in a UK-based project outside of our business. The programme is fully supported by the PwC board and partners, as the co-learning method is considered to facilitate the development of leadership qualities that generate consistent and genuine engagement with our clients and each other.”The programme is centred on mutual partnership and co-learning, based on leadership, appreciating difference and sustainability. In order to ensure that appropriate community partners are chosen, PwC has partnered with Common Purpose to act as brokers in finding leaders in the voluntary sector who can work, learn and develop with senior PwC leaders. In this case study the PwC participant on the RLP worked with a third sector leader from Barnardo’s, one of the UK's leading children's charities. As well as its roles in campaigning, lobbying and research, Barnardo’s runs almost 400 projects around the UK on a wide range of issues from drug misuse to disability; youth crime to mental health; sexual abuse to domestic violence; poverty to homelessness.

The Responsible Leadership Programme

The Responsible Leadership Programme (RLP) is an innovative talent development programme specifically tailored for senior leaders working for PwC in the UK. It is open to all partners (PwC is a partnership) who demonstrate high potential within the firm and the programme is now in its second year. The process is a combination of self-nomination by participants and identification of participants by business leaders. Endorsement 30 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

“I have a real sense of loyalty to PwC as an employer now.” by line managers is critical given the time commitment required. There were seven participants in the first year and in the second year this was extended to nine. The essence of the six week programme is to offer leadership development opportunities to people outside their normal business environment. This is achieved through a placement in an experiential learning programme in a project working with organisations operating in the wider community. Participants are placed in a public sector or third sector organisation where they collaborate with the organisation’s leaders to consider and resolve issues and challenges faced by the host organisation. A crucial element of the design of the RLP is that it offers PwC’s participants an opportunity to develop their skills effectively, and also provides them with practical insights into leadership approaches within organisations outside of the private sector. Prior to working with, and learning alongside, public or third sector leaders, PwC participants take part in a preparatory process which takes place at a retreat over five days. This element of the programme involves a series of group activities, meditation, self-reflection, and engaging with inspirational leaders. The aim is to encourage participants to extend their boundaries, consider new approaches to decision-making and difference, and facilitate interaction with colleagues in a non-traditional way.

•

it presented an opportunity to do something totally different in his own development (although he admits to being slightly sceptical about the experiential learning process at the outset) being a member of the CSR Board, the programme allowed him to develop thinking around the organisation’s CSR programme and gain first hand experience of corporate activities in the area the RLP is part of a process which challenges traditional organisational thinking on how staff development and community investment can be combined in a more creative and productive manner

As mentioned, Brian’s placement was with the children’s charity Barnardo’s where he was helping leaders in the organisation on a project that was dedicated to working with children and young adults who had experienced, or were vulnerable to, sexual exploitation and abuse. The objectives of the placements are deliberately left open in order for the participants to immerse themselves in the organisations and to listen to issues as they emerge. The PwC team of three RLP participants worked closely with Wendy Shepherd, Head of the Sexual Exploitation Project, to identify key areas where co-learning would be the most beneficial. From her perspective,Wendy also admitted to initial apprehension about the partnership, but ultimately wanted to learn from leaders in the corporate sector. The partnership enabled Barnardo’s to share knowledge and experience with PwC on operational challenges. Wendy felt that, despite obvious differences between the two organisations, they do share some similar dilemmas and have numerous shared aspirations.

Following the retreat week, the PwC participants then embark on placements in organisations that have already been chosen through a selection process managed between PwC and Common Purpose. These placements typically last between four and five weeks.

The PwC team were actively involved in all aspects of the project which enabled them to draw on and contribute their individual skills and experience in a positive way. Some of the practical development tasks undertaken as part of the programme included:

Brian Bannister, Director of Communications at PwC was one of the first group of PwC leaders to participate in the RLP programme and was motivated to participate because:

• •

developing a tender document for securing funding with the Barnardo’s team providing advice, guidance and a“critical eye” to the management and efficiency of the programmes within the project

•

working with Wendy and the wider Barnardo’s management team to facilitate effective change on issues including team dynamics, service delivery and pricing of programmes

Brian reflects,“We were able to take business principles and solutions to some of the challenges that they were facing. Some of these related to financing and where money was being spent.” He goes on to say,“There was definitely a very collaborative approach and we learnt so much from Wendy. The relationship developed to one of trust and understanding which was really important to the programme’s success.” Specific attributes and learning that Brian noted were: • • •

entrepreneurial thinking – the ability to find creative solutions to problems, particularly around funding the ability to engage staff to ensure that you get the best out of your team how to motivate staff and enable them to be a key part of driving solutions; this allows staff to feel responsible for their work, and the outcomes of the organisation

The Benefits

When considering the benefits of the programme, Brian enthusiastically responds,“I have a real sense of loyalty to PwC as an employer now. This was a brave experiment and a huge investment from the firm in terms of the time that we all were out of the office but also in us." Brian identifies some key benefits to be: •

•

a difference in his perspective towards managing staff:“I now put everything to the“WendyTest” and think about how she would have approached a problem or how she would have motivated someone to do their best. The change has been huge.” the change of the culture of the organisation as a result of the programme. It presents innovative ways of partnering with public and third sector organisations but also the programme raises challenging questions about the broad CSR direction of the business.

Wendy feels that she particularly benefitted from observing how PwC colleagues were willing to challenge ideas in a professional way and work together to solve problems. She soon appreciated that many skills are transferable across sectors and the programme demonstrated to both Barnardo’s and PwC that ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 31

“I now put everything to the “Wendy Test” and think about how she would have approached a problem or how she would have motivated someone to do their best. The change has been huge.”

there are certain management approaches which are applicable to any scale of project or organisation. Barnardo’s also benefited from an improved understanding of best practice regarding management structure for specific projects. PwC’s approach to project management and planning helped Barnardo’s to be better equipped to offer a more compelling description of the benefits of the services they provide. Finally,Wendy also felt that PwC participants gained insight into specific key societal issues. She now believes that at a macro level PwC and Barnardo’s ultimately share a similar long term vision – ensuring the ongoing sustainability of their respective operations. “The rewards are brilliant” says Wendy,“the programme is useful for any organisation”.

Challenges and Learning

PwC’s RLP requires a big commitment from the participants, their business leaders and the organisation because of the substantial time away from the business. Being immersed in the management and leadership of an organisation operating in a different sector over several weeks presents both challenges and opportunities. On the positive side, there are clear mutual benefits from this approach for participants and their third sector partners. These are richly demonstrated by the learning and development described by Brian and Wendy’s experiences on the RLP. In addition, there are the organisational benefits derived from establishing an innovative link between leadership development and community involvement and investment. However, it is important to recognise that not all organisations will be able to replicate this initiative to such an extent due to the opportunity cost of having senior leaders away from the business for an extended period of time.

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ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 33

Judith Moran

CASE STUDY NINE

Bank of America - Neighbourhood Builders programme sponsor Judith Moran, Director, Quaker Social Action - programme participant Background

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and annual revenue is c. $66billion. Quaker Social Action is a regeneration charity which has been working to tackle poverty and social exclusion in East London since 1867. They run five practical projects which are open to everyone and their diverse staff and volunteer team come from a wide range of cultures, religions and backgrounds. Bank of America’s Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative (of which the Neighbourhood Builders programme is a part) has been running successfully in the USA since 2004 and in 2006 the corporate foundation decided to formally bring the programme to the UK in order to develop their community commitment across its global operations. The award scheme honours those that have worked to build and develop their communities - and the Neighbourhood Builders element of the programme specifically seeks to recognise organisations that work in the local community.

Neighbourhood Builders

Rather than making smaller grants to more recipients, the Neighbourhood Builders component of the Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative recognises and celebrates the excellence and success of just two (currently London-based) third sector organisations. The belief is that in doing so Bank of America is able to have a significant, sustainable and meaningful impact on these two organisations rather than the more limited impact which would be achieved were they to provide less support to each of a greater number of organisations. The first year’s award winners were Quaker Social Action and Groundwork London and the recipients for the second year of this award will be announced shortly. The programme is divided into two key parts: • •

Financial grant: each charity receives a cash sum of £110,000 over a two year period Leadership Development Programme: both the leader and an

34 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

“We recognise the importance of the voluntary sector and through its leaders and emerging leaders we know we’re investing intellectually into the skills and capabilities of our society.”

emerging leader from the two chosen organisations are given the opportunity to participate in a bespoke international leadership programme hosted in the USA, comprising two 4day workshops for the leader and three 4-day workshops for the emerging leader The Bank of America initiative is distinct from many other award schemes as it successfully brings together a package of both money and management development to the third sector. This demonstrates Bank of America’s commitment to developing the capacity of third sector organisations and its belief in the intrinsic benefits this brings to society as a whole. As a demonstration of excellence is the fundamental criterion that needs to be met, organisations of all sizes are eligible to apply for the programme. What constitutes ‘excellence’ is decided by a committee (including representatives from Bank of America’s senior management team) specifically established to decide which two organisations will benefit from this award, but broadly applies to organisations that demonstrate sound management, sound delivery and sound execution of their work. As Amy Clarke, SeniorVice President, International Corporate Social Responsibility explains,“We recognise the importance of the voluntary sector and through its leaders and emerging leaders we know we’re investing intellectually into the skills and capabilities of our society. Not only are we giving organisations the opportunity to invest the funds where they see fit, but we’re also trying to build capacity through the peer learning workshops where individuals get the chance to talk about the issues affecting their organisations and learn from managers and directors from all across the world.”

The directors of the recipient organisations attending the leadership modules in the USA benefit from intensive training on: • • • •

management human resources finance strategic planning

The leadership development programme provides directors with the opportunity to work together to share their experiences and learn from their peers’ knowledge and problem-solving techniques in these areas.

The benefits

Why would an international bank want to help the third sector in this way? Bank of America has a clear belief that businesses prosper within healthy communities. As a business which has a presence in the local communities where it operates, ensuring successful communities makes good business sense. Investing in the leadership of third sector organisations resonates with the company’s corporate values: “sustainable growth is rooted in respect and responsibility and that our company can succeed only when our communities succeed.” Bank of America has made working with and developing the infrastructure of local communities a key component of its broader corporate responsibility work. The impact on Judith Moran and Quaker Social Action (QSA) as one of the first UK recipients of the Neighbourhood Builders is apparent. “Winning and being part of a scheme like this is such a privilege. It’s a real recognition of the work that we do. But it’s more than the money – the whole programme and Bank of America’s attitude is an exemplary way of private sector and voluntary sector knowledge sharing. They really do believe in the programme and have a real passion and genuine interest in the work of the organisations that they are helping.” On the leadership programme, Judith comments,“I was a little apprehensive at first when I heard about the leadership programme and wondered whether I would have anything to contribute. The Bank of America team was brilliant at helping us through the process. The week was great, there was a real can-do mentality, positive energy and a really dynamic environment.”

Speaking about the peer learning she says,“The shared learning opportunity was invaluable and has helped me to think about the way in which we grow and develop, especially how we communicate about QSA. Although the organisations in the States are very different to us and they operate in a different environment, that didn’t matter at all. In fact, learning from the differences was sometimes more useful than looking for the commonalities.” A key element of the programme is acknowledging the leaders of tomorrow and ensuring the sustainable success of the organisation. It is the responsibility of the winning organisation to nominate which of its staff, in addition to the organisations most senior executive, will participate in the Bank of America Programme as an emerging leader. QSA ensured that there was a rigorous selection process for this place so that the participant felt that they had earned the place and could truly recognise the opportunity they were being given. Applicants were asked to write about what good leadership is as a part of their submission. Much has changed at Quaker Social Action as a result of participating in the leadership development programme. Practical measures have been introduced such as: •

•

a book club is run by staff to develop learning around issues related to the organisation’s work; this is building learning and knowledge sharing across the team a leadership appraisal process where staff have the opportunity to facilitate changes in the development of the organisation and drive standards changes to the way in which the organisation communicates about itself

Significantly, Judith notes that as a result of participating in the Bank of America leadership programme her increased confidence in her ability to lead has meant that she has been able to make bold decisions about the direction of the organisation which have brought about real change. “I’ve now got the confidence in my ability to know that sometimes being an effective leader means that tough decisions have to be taken, whether you want to or not.” Judith notes,“I wanted to make sure that I took complete advantage of the opportunity that we as an organisation had ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 35

“I’ve now got the confidence in my ability to know that sometimes being an effective leader means that tough decisions have to be taken, whether you want to or not.”

been given – and I have! We’ve built a great relationship with Bank of America and I hope that we have helped them in some way too. We’ve now got the confidence to talk about ourselves more positively, especially when recruiting for new talent. I feel confident about telling people that we’re a great organisation, we expect the best talent and we do a very good job!” Specific feedback on where and how the financial award has been used is not a requisite of the programme and in response to this Judith notes,“It’s unprecedented to be given money without ties and it shows that Bank of America explicitly trusts us to do it right. I’m committed to make sure that this investment and faith in us will be used effectively and to facilitate real change in the work that we do.”

dedicated to capacity building through cross-sector partnerships. This has ensured that the profile of the programme has been raised across the whole business. Learnings from the first year of bringing the programme to the UK have been significant and include: • •

•

The relationship between Bank of America and Quaker Social Action has grown beyond the remit of the Neighbourhood Builders programme and demonstrates the commitment of both organisations to work in partnership. •

Challenges and Learning

Key challenges to developing the Neighbourhood Builders programme have been: •

• •

leadership development programmes must be relevant to the markets where they are being deployed there has to be adequate infrastructure in place within the ‘winning’ organisations to enable learning from the programme to be effectively disseminated and to ensure the success of the initiative maintaining the bank’s commitment to rewarding and celebrating excellence, a demonstration of ‘excellence’ is the main eligibility criteria for this award. This has ensured that Bank of America is able to invite applications from organisations of all sizes enabling it to maintain as inclusive a presence in the community as possible one of Bank of America’s key objectives is that the level of investment it makes is is able to significantly impact on the two ‘winning’ organisations. This needs to be carefully factored in when choosing which organisations receive this award.

being a mainly US entity means there is a lack of awareness of the Bank of America brand in the UK and so raising the profile of the initiative amongst eligible organisations and the media has been challenging limited resources amongst the team meant that regrettably applications could not be responded to individually the programme is currently only open to organisations in London, making it difficult to ensure that the initiative remains relevant to other UK sites

Bank of America has managed to successfully meet these challenges through measures such as advertising the initiative in appropriate press, plugging into relevant networks such as ACEVO’s membership and by developing an internal communications strategy about the programme. Key to the success of the programme and to communicating its benefits internally is that the whole initiative has the total commitment of the company’s Chief Executive, Ken Lewis, who is 36 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 37

Natalie Buttriss (centre) and colleagues

CASE STUDYTEN

Herbert Smith LLP - bursary sponsor Natalie Buttriss, CEO,TheVincentWildlifeTrust - bursary recipient Background

Herbert Smith LLP is a leading and full-service international legal practice with a 1,300-lawyer network across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Herbert Smith’s commitment to corporate responsibility is underpinned by the belief that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, to equality of opportunity and justice, and that the business should actively contribute towards creating a more inclusive society where people from all backgrounds and viewpoints can fulfil their potential. As a part of this commitment, Herbert Smith became members of ACEVO in order to have closer ties to local communities. Founded in 1975 byVincent Weir,TheVincent WildlifeTrust (VWT) is an independent charitable body engaged in wildlife research and conservation. Since its inception, theVWT has focused on the needs of British mammals. Current work is centred on the horseshoe bat, polecat and pine marten. The VWT also manages more than 50 sites in England,Wales and Ireland, most of which are bat roosts.

The bursary programme

As part of its on-going commitment to corporate responsibility and community investment, in 2008 Herbert Smith chose to sponsor a third sector place on the Institute of Director’s (IoD) Diploma in Company Direction programme. This involved the direct sponsorship of £2,500 to match-fund a place on the programme.

“Match funding a place on the IoD Company Direction Diploma was a means of ensuring that the business can have an impact at different levels. We fully recognise as a firm the importance of third sector leaders and their integral role to healthy and productive societies.” 38 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

This place was taken up by Natalie Buttriss, CEO of theVincent WildlifeTrust. Her commitment involved raising the £2,500 matched funding towards the course fees together with attendance on the course. This comprised seven modules run over two days each month between April and November. In addition, she had to put herself forward for the Diploma examination which takes place over three days at the end of the programme. Natalie completed the final elements of the programme in autumn 2008. Although the intention of this report is to illustrate the efficacy of private sector investment in third sector leadership development via bursaries in general terms rather than to promote particular leadership development courses, the reader may be interested to know a little more about the Diploma in Company Direction which covers issues such as: • • • • • • •

the role of the Company Director and the Board finance for non-financial directors strategic business directions effective marketing strategies people mean business leading strategic change developing Board performance

Benefits

Herbert Smith LLP has a clear commitment to contributing towards the creation of an inclusive society where people are encouraged to meet their potential. As part of their corporate responsibility programme, the company runs a series of activities in which they engage with their employees, participate in their local community and promote leadership development. As Richard Brophy, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Herbert Smith reflects,“Match funding a place on the IoD Company Direction Diploma was a means of ensuring that the business can have an impact at different levels. We fully recognise as a firm the importance of third sector leaders and their integral role to healthy and productive societies.” Having recently joined ACEVO, responding to their proposal for Herbert Smith to match-fund a place on the IoD Diploma was a way for them to test the waters via a very simple process.

“I am hugely grateful to have been able to take the Diploma – I’m constantly tweaking the way that I do things because of the course. Being able to learn in this way has definitely set us up for the longer term – it’s facilitated real change. Herbert Smith’s contribution has made a huge difference to me and the Vincent Wildlife Trust.”

use by using methods learnt relating to structure and organisational change when leading on a strategic review of her organisation.

Following some brief guidance from Richard as to which type of organisations Herbert Smith would like to support,ACEVO presented him with a shortlisted selection of bursary applicants from among its membership of third sector leaders so that Richard and Herbert Smith could have some input as to which they match-funded.

A key challenge for businesses is how to incorporate such philanthropic giving with more strategic CSR policies. One way to demonstrate a commitment to building sustainable societies is for businesses to think about promoting such initiatives to existing community partners. This would allow companies to supplement support already given as part of their existing community investment programme with a more targeted investment in the leadership development of these partner organisations.

Richard notes,“We weren’t that involved in the selection process but we were clear that we would like the place to go to an individual and an organisation that would benefit the most from receiving the bursary. I’m sure that there are ways for us to develop the relationship with the recipient in the future and make more of a strategic investment; we’re definitely interested in doing this.” The benefits to Natalie Buttriss of participating in the programme were significant: “We wouldn’t have been able to fund my place on the programme, so receiving the bursary was crucial to me and the organisation.” Natalie identifies key areas where her knowledge and skills have grown,“I’ve now got an understanding of areas such as the legal duty of care of being a Director, and understand how important the accounts and finances are. These are areas that I knew I had to know about but I can now speak with confidence when I am advising my trustees and board. I don’t think that I could have achieved the quality of my learning at the same speed if I was going it alone.” Natalie was also able to put her learning to practical

She notes,“I am hugely grateful to have been able to take the Diploma – I’m constantly tweaking the way that I do things because of the course. Being able to learn in this way has definitely set us up for the longer term – it’s facilitated real change. Herbert Smith’s contribution has made a huge difference to me and theVincent WildlifeTrust.”

Challenges and Learning

Sponsoring a bursary place in this way was a relatively straightforward and low risk way for Herbert Smith to get involved in third sector leadership development. In this initial partnership, there was no direct involvement between the business and the third sector organisation that received the bursary payment. However, as Richard Brophy recognises, Herbert Smith is committed to becoming more involved in the future.

An additional lesson to be drawn from this case study is to consider the extent to which companies might be able to combine this type of financial support for leadership development with other more direct,‘hands on’ approaches such as mentoring. Finally, the case study demonstrates the value of using the expertise of a broker or independent partner (in this case ACEVO) to ensure that a financial contribution from a company is delivered to the most appropriate recipient. Drawing on this inside knowledge of the third sector can be hugely beneficial for companies which are looking to make a significant impact in developing strategic partnerships with third sector organisations.

ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 39

Sujit Ghosh

Milly Katana

CASE STUDY ELEVEN

Harafi Foundation - bursary sponsor International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) - bursary recipient

“We are able to plant the seeds of leadership growth and for Alliance to demonstrate what they can really achieve when given that opportunity.”

Background

The Harafi Foundation is a Swiss based grant making foundation which supports projects in education and public health. It targets innovative, sustainable and results-orientated programmes. In 2007, the Foundation committed €200,000 for five places on the International Masters in Practicing Management (IMPM) programme for members of the Alliance senior management team across all its global operations. The Harafi Foundation continues to part-sponsor places on the IMPM programme and is now in the second round of supporting Alliance participants. Established in 1993, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance is a global partnership of nationally-based organisations working to support community action on AIDS in developing countries. These national partners help local community groups and other nongovernmental organisations to take action on AIDS, and are supported by technical expertise, policy work and fundraising carried out across the Alliance. In addition, the Alliance has extensive regional programmes, representative offices in the USA and Brussels, and works on a range of international activities such as operations research; training and good practice development; as well as policy analysis and advocacy. Key factors in influencing the Harafi Foundation decision to award the Alliance the substantial grant were: • • •

knowledge of the organisation and the work that they do the global reach of the organisation and the subsequent potential benefits of the opportunity knowledge that the Alliance is a results-orientated organisation and the subsequent confidence that this investment in their management would reap rewards for the whole organisation

André Hoffman of the Harafi Foundation notes,“There is a need for talent development and specifically leadership development in the not-for-profit sector. By partnering with one of the best business schools in the world this provides them with access to the best business minds and we are able to plant the seeds of leadership growth and for Alliance to demonstrate what they can really achieve when given that opportunity.”

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The bursary programme

As in the previous case study, this report aims to promote bursary sponsorship in general terms rather than to promote any particular leadership development programmes, however the reader may be interested in knowing that the International Masters Program in Practicing Management (IMPM) is a Masters Degree management development programme which focuses on the essence of what it means to practise management. It is a hands-on work-connected programme that takes its participants around the globe, not to make them more global, but to make them more worldly. The essence of the programme is to bring managers together from the public, private and voluntary sectors in a practical way to enable them to learn from each others’ experiences. They travel to the campuses of different learning institutions around the globe as part of a uniquely cross-cultural experience, learning individually and as a group, while remaining in work, where they apply what they learn.

The programme comprises: •

• •

five modular residential courses which are taught over twoweek periods in the UK (Lancaster University), Canada (McGill University), Bangalore (IIM), Korea/Japan (KDI) and France (INSEAD Business School) a written project a managerial exchange where participants are partnered with another student and spend five days work-shadowing each other; this provides a practical way to gain an insight into the managerial and leadership issues that they face

The Alliance has a diverse and global management team and therefore an innovative solution was necessary to develop its leadership and to introduce programmes looking at capacity

building and organisational reviews. The Alliance knew that by investing in a few key individuals the benefit would be felt across the organisation and its global operations. As Julie Saunders, Corporate Services Director at the Alliance notes, “If you want to make a real difference you have to pick those individuals who can make a difference to hundreds of people.”

“If we want our organisations to be run properly we need to be resourced properly and we have to give our people exposure to learn and develop their skills. This is about sowing the seeds in professionalising the not-for-profit sector around the world.”

Executive Directors and Senior Managers from across the Alliance globally (40 countries world wide) were encouraged to apply for one of the five places on offer. In a rigorous process applicants had to: • •

•

submit their CV and provide a written outline of why they were suitable for the programme given the large time commitment that the programme requires (10 weeks residential training coupled with intensive coursework) all applicants required an endorsement from their line managers to support their application commit to staying at the Alliance for a minimum of two years after the completion of the course to ensure that the learnings would benefit the organisation demonstrate a commitment to the organisation and their ability to be ambassadors for this programme.

Candidates were shor tlisted by a team of Directors from the Secretariat and also vetted by INSEAD Business School and then inter viewed before the final five were chosen. Knowing that this would be a unique oppor tunity for the individuals concerned as well as the organisation was a primar y driver for the applicants. Access to the Harafi Foundation funding represented the only way that the organisation could offer this developmental oppor tunity to their senior managers. Julie notes, “If we want our organisations to be run properly we need to be resourced properly and we have to give our people exposure to learn and develop their skills. This is about sowing the seeds in professionalising the not-for-profit sector around the world.”

Benefits

The benefits to the Alliance have been two-fold:

1 Practical leadership development: the programme enabled managers to share their daily challenges with each other and to focus together on issues such as: • • • • •

competition customer expectations how to harness cooperation – both internally and externally to the industry human resources procurement

Milly Katana, Country Director of Alliance Uganda (and a programme par ticipant) notes,“A key benefit of the programme was accessing experience on human resources – how to generate passion amongst your staff and keep them motivated about what they’re doing and why they are doing it. We explored ways to get the best out of your team.” As a par t of the work shadowing week Milly received the oppor tunity to follow a manager at Lufthansa, the global airline. She comments,“It was a very interesting experience as you realise that for-profit sector management issues are not dissimilar to those in the third sector. Key differences are the competence of staff, the technological advancement of resources and job security. Collaboration between the notfor-profit and for-profit sectors will help to achieve the best in our staff.” ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 41

2 Organisational developmen: participating in the IMPM programme has led to significant developments at the Alliance itself: •

• • • •

executive leaders have come together from across the organisation to complete the programme and have forged partnerships that they would not have done before. This has developed working and bolstered communications across the organisation globally exchanging advocacy and learning from the programme and disseminating to other parts of the organisation increased ability to understand and use traditional business techniques change in opinion/mentality towards business – the for-profit sector is no longer seen as the enemy but as a strategic partner benefits are being felt across partners who haven’t experienced the programme but have felt the domino effect of the sharing of knowledge and the increased boost in confidence this brings

Significantly, the organisation has bolstered its relationship with INSEAD and the other business schools participating in IMPM. It is now engaging with the faculty in the re-shaping of the IMPM course to ensure that cross-sector learning can be developed more strategically. This has led to the development of the Pepal Executive Development Programme, a new initiative by the Alliance in collaboration with INSEAD where, over the course of a year, corporate managers will work alongside their peers from successful non-profit organisations. They will lead and enable social change in a developing country and additionally benefit managers from the private and non-profit sectors from training at the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre. This is a huge achievement for the Alliance as, through the opportunity of taking part on the funded IMPM course, they have shaped their thinking on leadership development and positive engagement with the private sector. Sujit Ghosh, another Alliance bursary recipient comments,“The IMPM course was a major opportunity for me to learn more about the business community. We knew that we had to engage with businesses but this course provided the opportunity to learn about how they (business professionals) think, where they are on corporate social 42 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

responsibility, sustainability and corporate citizenship issues. Together with the management training this was an invaluable opportunity.” As a result of the interaction with businesses through the IMPM, the Alliance now has the confidence to engage with and work with corporate partners using their language and applying business methodologies. Sujit continues,“The new Pepal Programme is peer learning centric because we’ve learnt how important building cross-sector partnerships really is. We’re working with the business community to ensure that the leadership programme maximises on the opportunities for cross-sector learning.” Key benefits for Sujit have included: • • •

developing better thinking on customer/client needs exposure to private sector frameworks in contrast to third sector norms building deeper strategic partnerships and programmes in light of greater corporate understanding

Challenges and Learning

This case study once again underlines how sponsorship of bursary placements can bring huge benefits to voluntary sector organisations, offering them opportunities to develop their leaders in a way that would not be possible without financial support. Both partners, the Harafi Foundation and the Alliance, have been careful to focus their efforts to ensure the maximum benefits. André Hoffman of the Harafi Foundation notes,“We are committed to partnership building and believe in promoting education so this seemed like a good way of achieving both areas. If you really want to make a difference then developing the management of the organisation is key.” For their part, the Alliance knows that by specifically focusing on the development of a few key leaders worldwide the organisation has ensured that the benefits of the leadership development programme will be felt across its global network. The second key message coming from this case study is the value of choosing the right partners to deliver the programme. The

As a result of the interaction with businesses through the IMPM, the Alliance now has the confidence to engage with and work with corporate partners using their language and applying business methodologies. collaboration with leading institutions in Canada,India,Korea,Japan and France has allowed the Harafi Foundation to ensure that its bursary funds are directed to high quality leadership development. At the same time,theAlliance has managed to leverage their participation on the IMPM programme to jointly develop the new Pepal Executive Development Programme in partnership with INSEAD. A third lesson that can be drawn is the value of getting senior people from across the organisation to participate together in the same leadership development programme. This helps leaders operating in an international arena to build better networks with colleagues across the organisation. However,this does point to the biggest challenge in making such programmes work successfully – the sheer size and scale of the initiative. It is clear that both the Harafi Foundation and the Alliance have invested a huge amount of time,effort and money into this bursary partnership. That said,there is no reason to think that more modest interventions could not learn much from this case study.

“If you really want to make a difference then developing the management of the organisation is key.”

Harafi Foundation ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 43

5.0 Conclusions

he evidence gathered by this research clearly demonstrates that businesses can work with charities on leadership development initiatives that deliver mutual benefits and learning. In addition, these case studies reveal some innovative ways in which this good practice is being integrated into corporate social responsibility and community investment programmes. In failing to make leadership development a core part of CSR programmes, the private sector is missing out on the opportunity to make significant and sustainable differences to the third sector and therefore to the communities within which they work. These examples of collaborative learning featured in this report show the importance of business and third sector leaders both recognising their differences and appreciating the strong parallels across the two sectors. There is improved understanding and respect that comes from leaders in both sectors developing their skills and knowledge together. This type of leadership development speaks to a core theme of corporate social responsibility – understanding businesses' wider role in society. Given this core focus of the research,this concluding section looks briefly at how companies can further develop links with the third sector through shared experiences of leadership development. It appears there are lessons to be learned at three levels:the company itself;the support a company can provide for its leaders;and individual leaders themselves. We look at each of these in turn. i)The company Any business can take action to facilitate change by learning from others that are already successfully involved in this area. It is hoped that the case studies featured in this report will act as a beacon to others. Certainly there was great willingness on the part of all participating companies to share their experience more widely. There are also many umbrella bodies and infrastructure organisations that can be harnessed to help build links with leaders in the third sector and to facilitate cross-sector fertilisation: on a local level organisations like Community Voluntary Services (CVS’s), Chambers of Commerce and Social Enterprise London; on a regional level agencies such asVONNE and theYorkshire and the Humber Regional Forum and on a national level organisations like ACEVO. In particular, they can play 44 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

an important brokerage role in connecting the‘right’ businesses with the‘right’ third sector organisations ensuring there is a fit with the themes and values of a company's corporate responsibility activities. In addition, companies themselves must make better links between senior people operating in both the corporate responsibility and HR functions. Making the connections between these two areas of the business helps to drive long-term success by achieving dual aims of developing senior people and ensuring the company develops more meaningful relations with key stakeholders in society. ii) Support for Leaders A company can also send important signals to its senior people to show that it supports and takes seriously this notion of collaborative leadership. At a minimum, one would expect a successful programme to be based on: •

•

top level support with the CEO and other executives taking part in mentoring or peer learning group programmes where possible

In summary, there are huge benefits to be enjoyed by companies that are engaged in cross-sectoral leadership development initiatives. For the business itself, there are the direct benefits of broadening the horizons and widening the skill sets of its senior leaders. More than this, there is the huge added value of making a direct impact on individual leaders in the third sector. In this way, a company can address a core objective of its corporate responsibility by building meaningful partnerships with those leading the organisations who are working to address the social and environmental challenges facing business and society. This study has shown that the private sector can play a key role in increasing the effectiveness and performance of the third sector by supporting the development of its leaders. The impact on these leaders, their staff, their organisations and the communities they serve means that this is one of the most intelligent and sustainable ways of supporting the third sector.

the provision of appropriate policies that allow senior managers the time and resource to get involved in leadership development with community partners the measurement, evaluation and reporting of leadership development that demonstrates the value to the business and to the community from collaboration

iii) Individual leaders It is important to recognise that the approaches to leadership development examined in this study offer an opportunity for individual leaders in today's business environment to challenge their own thinking in a more profound way than that usually experienced on traditional executive education programmes. Working alongside leaders from the third sector, who often have to accomplish a great deal with limited resources, provides direct insights into different leadership styles. Many of the interviewees spoke of the challenges this presents and the rewards it can bring in terms of personal development. Senior business people who are prepared to put themselves in this position often have a new perspective on effective leadership. ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008 45

6.0 Bibliography

Asher, D., (2006) Leadership and Management in the Voluntary Organisations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Practical Guide. Available at: www.thirdsectorleadership.org.uk Cormack J. and Stanton M., (2003) Passionate Leadership: The characteristics of outstanding leaders in the voluntary sector - What sector leaders think. Available at: www.thirdsectorleadership.org.uk Drucker, P.F., (1992) Managing the non-profit organization: practices and principles, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Dym, B.M. and Hutson, H. (2005) Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations: Lessons From theThird Sector,Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. IBLF and University of Cambridge, (2005) Partnership Matters: Current Issues in Cross-Sector Collaboration, Issue 3. Available at: www.iblf.org Kirchner,A., (2006) Value-based Leadership:AThird SectorView, British Journal of Leadership in Public Services,Volume 2, Number 4, pp. 30-33(4).

ACEVO (the Association of Chief Executives ofVoluntary Organisations) is the membership body for third sector leaders; Chief Executives of voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, charities and social enterprises. ACEVO has over 2,000 members who it develops, connects and represents, encouraging their vision of a modern, enterprising and professional third sector. Examples of organisations led by ACEVO members include Barnardoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, NSPCC,WWF, Mind,Teenage CancerTrust andThe NationalTrust, as well as many vital but smaller and less wellknown international, national, regional and local organisations. Corporate Citizenship provides a unique combination of business insight, tailored strategic thinking and creativity to enable clients to operate successful sustainable businesses. Key services include: Strategic consulting, Benchmarking, Reporting Assurance and Research.The company has an experienced team of over 35 people, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, based at offices in London and NewYork and considerable experience gained from working within major companies, the public and the third sectors.

Meehan, D. and Arrick, E. (2003) Leadership Development: Investing in Individuals, GrantCraft, Series A, No. 8. Available at: www.leadershiplearning.org PricewaterhouseCoopers, Responsible Leadership Programme. Available at: www.pwc.com RAISE, (2006) Leadership:A RAISE tookit. Available at: www.thirdsectorleadership.org.uk Sims, R.R. and Quatro S.A, (2005) Leadership: succeeding in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors,Armonk; London: M.E. Sharpe Third Sector Leadership Centre, Case studies. Available at: www.thirdsectorleadership.org.uk Topping K.(ed.) and Ehly, S. (ed.), (1998) Peer-assisted learning, Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Worshipful Company of Management Consultants, (2007) Mentoring Scheme: 2007 Client Satisfaction Survey Report. Surrey:Worshipful Company of Management Consultants 46 ACEVO INVESTING IN LEADERS 2008

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