The Prince's Mayday Network

Lancaster University - Leading on Sustainability

A six-month development programme provided through a partnership between Business in the Community and the Department of Management Learning & Leadership at Lancaster University Management School.

Now in its second year, this unique leadership development programme has been created by Business in the Community (BITC) in partnership with the prestigious Lancaster University Management School, a world-ranked school, consistently rated among the UK's top five.

Is your business sustainable?

Addressing sustainability is about ‘operating in a way that ensures long-term viability’.
Regulators and investors are increasingly interested in how businesses are analysing and managing potential risks from sustainability issues be they environmental, social, political or top do with governance. 
Recent research from Accenture and the United Nations shows that the top 50 leading businesses on sustainability already significantly out-perform their peers on shareholder return.

Leading on Sustainability will provide future leaders with skills to address sustainability and to help their organisations work with its opportunities and challenges.

Who is it for?

Leading on Sustainability is an intensive and cost effective programme specifically developed for future senior managers, whether sustainability is part of their current brief or not.
Whether you are a manager seeking to take leadership on sustainability within your organisation, or a senior executive looking for a cutting edge development opportunity for talented individuals, Leading on Sustainability is a unique programme that will enhance leadership skills and foster change.

Programme pioneers and tutors recently celebrated the successful completion of the first Leading on Sustainability programme. Follow the link for more information.

Key benefits

The programme enables participants to develop learning and leadership skills to help them to identify key problems, opportunities and risks for long term business success, and influence debates within business planning.  Participants are encouraged to work as internal consultants and supported through action research processes to create valuable outputs that combine the benefits of insider knowledge with an external perspective.

Workshop dates:

1. Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 April 2011, with dinner on evening of  12 April. 
2. Thursday 26 May 2011.
3. Wednesday 29 June 2011.
4. Thursday 8 September 2011.
5. Wednesday 2 November 2011.

Price:

£1600 plus VAT, with a 10% discount for BITC members.
There are some bursaries available at £900.

What does the programme deliver?

Leading on Sustainability offers action-oriented, self-directed learning, designed to practise what it advocates - learning as an approach to leadership.

The programme:

• engages with real challenges
• develops leadership skills and capacities to influence change
• inspires creativity and innovation through challenging discussions and sharing best practice
• develops strategies to balance competing priorities and achieve results
• provides personal insights from inspirational leaders
• shares experiences and ideas from sustainability practitioners and academics
• creates opportunities to develop personal and professional networks
• supports peer learning and personal growth
• provides membership of the online Leadership For Sustainability Learning Network  and Business in the Community’s peer learning network for ongoing face to face support.

What does the programme involve?

This action-orientated programme takes place over six months, starting April 2011.

• Five workshops (four one day and one two day). Presentations, discussions, peer support and group learning. Find out more.
• Online discussions and knowledge sharing between workshops through the Leadership for Sustainability Learning Network.

The programme is delivered by a team from BITC and Lancaster University Management School.

Application Form 

To find out more please contact Gudrun Cartwright on 0161 233 7750

References:

a.    The Economist Intelligence Unit (2011) The sustainable future: promoting growth through sustainability.

b.    Accenture (2011). Can business do well by doing good? The journal of high-performance business.