Join us on Tuesday 8th April at The Villa, Levens for this highly engaging event giving you the chance to understand the basics of leadership; how to bring people together and get things done.
Speakers are Neil Jurd, author of the best-selling ‘The Leadership Book’ and founder of Leader-Connect.co.uk; coach and leadership expert Macarena Vergara, who will also host a panel discussion; Polar Explorer and founder of the remarkable Polar Academy Craig Mathieson and former UK special forces Colonel Jack Felix.
Neil Jurd breaks leadership down into easily understood ideas that you can apply in your business, Macarena Vergara has a very deep understanding of people and she works with people in positions of global influence, Craig Mathieson’s work with young people transforms young lives, and Jack Felix is a special forces leader who believes kindness is an essential trait in effective leaders. All of the speakers have significant experience working in businesses, and with the leaders of businesses.
We’ll cover during the day (9:30am to 3pm):
Connection, Direction, Pause and Allow – Leadership Made Easy
In this talk leadership thinker and writer Neil Jurd OBE will explain all you need to know about leadership (and it isn’t much). Drawing on ideas from his bestselling ‘The Leadership Book’ he will explain that it really all comes down to ‘connection and direction’ – building positive relationships and being clear what you are trying to achieve. And from his recent TEDx talk Neil will explain how leaders need to ‘Pause and Allow’ – taking time to think and being brave enough not to meddle. This is an approach to leadership where leaders stay out of loops. Forget charismatic leaders at the heart of the action, sometimes the best place for a leader to be is somewhere else, and tongue-biting is a useful skill
Coaching for Leaders: How to allow others to think, decide and act
Coaching skills are powerful skills of the present and future and every modern leader needs to know how to be a 'leader as coach'. Coaching skills allow leaders to focus on strategy whilst supporting their teams to thrive doing what they do best – with coaching, everyone’s talent is unleashed. In this interactive workshop you will experience the basics of coaching - active listening and asking questions -, simple techniques which can be used in everyday conversations at work, to create a psychologically safe and productive conversation space and bring out the best in your team members
Leadership reflection from a Special Forces Commander
In this talk Jack draws on his own considerable experience as a combat leader and more recently as a business leader to define and share some universal truths of good leadership, including:
The importance of leaders having a clear sense of purpose
Followership is an essential facet of leadership
Good leaders are kind; they care for their people but still make tough decisions
When a leader looks after the team the team look after the leader
Leadership and Team development on Ice
Craig’s talk will have audience hooked. The Polar Academy is an excellent example of the inspirational and positive effect of leadership. Craig’s humble but self-assured leadership drives the Polar Academy, but leadership is also highly devolved – through a team of exceptional adult expedition leaders to the young expedition members who are encouraged to take a leadership and decision making role throughout their own training and on the expedition in Greenland.
Craig will talk about the Polar Academy, what drove him to set this remarkable organisation up and what effect it has on participants. He will explain how the expedition is free for the young people selected to attend; the result of his own relentless fundraising effort. Craig will also touch on some of his own extreme exploration, including polar exploration and kayaking. Themes that feature in
Craig’s talk include:
How trust and responsibility bring out the best in people
How leaders can kindly set high expectations
Examples of leaders going ‘the extra mile’ to look after their people
How people can change given the right support
The importance of supportive relationships
Turning a group who are struggling into a high-performing team
With only 60 tickets available, this really will be another Chamber conference worth attending (open to members and non-members).
Book here
With thanks to sponsors: BAE Systems, Inspira and University of Cumbria.
