Leadership for Housing

For any sector, looking to the future is vital for growth. Within the housing sector, navigating the changing and challenging landscape of the next few years will require knowledge, skill and most importantly, leadership. Recognising this, the National Housing Federation is not only encouraging housing professionals to apply for this year’s Leadership for Housing programme, it is offering 5 bursaries to its members.

The bursaries are available to women and ethnic minority applicants currently in leadership roles within organisations employing less than 200 people, and will cover 75% of the programme’s cost of £5,500, including accommodation for residential modules.

Over the past six years, the programme has helped a range of housing professionals to develop their leadership capabilities, enabling them to effect transformational change throughout the sector.

Chris White, the National Housing Federation’s Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development, was among the first to take part. “Gaining a practical understanding of how organisations can be transformed, within the context of the organisation, the individual, and the sector enables people’s ability to reflect and look at things from a new perspective.”

The one year syllabus draws on the latest research from inside and outside of the sector to deliver five interactive programme modules (outlined below), designed to ensure that learning can be transferred directly back into the participants own organisations. In addition, each participant receives four individual executive coaching sessions and on completion will have gained a Masters Level Certificate of Achievement.

The Federation’s Assistant Director of Research and Futures, Stuart Ropke, who will be joining the programme in mid-April, encourages others to consider the benefits it can bring, not only to the individual, but essentially to the organisation. “The programme not only presents a range of opportunities to engage in debate around core issues with some of the sector’s key thinkers, but will enable me to bring those ideas, insights and practical approaches directly back to the Federation.”

Applications for the wider intake and bursary places and are invited from individuals, to be received prior to the closing date of 22 April 2013.

To register your interest and find out more about the application process, please email Chris Saunders, Director – Leadership for Housing.

The Modules

Personal Mastery – 22-24 May 2013
Discovering your purpose as a leader, self-awareness and personal development.
3 day residential in the Lake District at Borrowdale and Lancaster University.

Leadership – 26-27 June 2013
A practical and theoretical understanding of the art of leading - 1 day residential.

Leading people – 22-23 July
A transactional analysis and emotional intelligence approach to communicating as a leader – 1 day residential.

Leading Change – 11-12 September
Changing organisations, leading people through change, and addressing issues of power, and culture – 2 day residential.

Strategic Business Models – 23-24 October 2013
How to develop new business models that can robustly navigate the uncertainty in the housing sector – 1 day residential.

Final Forum and Personal Presentations – 21 November 2013
National Housing Federation.