Work starts here, for this year's crop of future library leaders

11 March, 2008

Next month (8 April 08) sees the start of the third run of the popular Future Leaders Programme, the bespoke leadership development course for experienced professional managers working in Library, Information Services (IS) and Information Technology (IT) roles in Higher Education Institutions.

Run annually, the Future Leaders Programme is delivered by the Leadership Foundation with the support of SCONUL and also the British Library, UCISA and JISC.

The new cohort of 18 participants have been competitively selected on the strength of their applications, commitment and talent for leadership, strength of their proposed change management projects and ultimately the support from their head of service to successfully complete the programme.

For the next year, the participants will develop their self-awareness, influencing and communication skills and leadership capabilities while reflecting upon strategic and organisational change management options that are available to a leader, over a series of residential modules and Action Learning days.

The programme will conclude in March 2009 with a final day (known as a Capstone Day) at which each participant will present and receive feedback on an assessment of their institutional change management project and leadership development from their peers. They will then join the ranks of the 40 alumni who have successfully completed the programme since its launch in the spring of 2006.

Anne Bell, Chair of SCONUL said,

"The academic library sector is entering a brave new world thanks to the ongoing development of digital technologies. More than ever our higher education institutions are looking to their libraries not just for delivering quality services and dependability but also for vision and leadership. That is what makes this course so important and we all wish this newest cohort every success in the next twelve months."

John Mulligan, Programme Director and Leadership Foundation Associate, added

"It has been rewarding and heartening over the past few years to witness programme participants expand their leadership aspiration and identity beyond the boundaries of their respective functions, gain the self-belief and confidence to re-vision their traditional roles and develop their capability to become key partners in the strategic leadership and realisation of their institutional mission and goals."

Notes for editors

• To arrange an interview with the Programme Director/previous participants, images or more information please contact SCONUL Communications Manager, Elliot Frankal on 07989 524780 or elliot@linstockcommunications.com
• Set up in 2004 provides dedicated development courses, programmes and advice to leaders at all levels in universities and higher education colleges in the UK and internationally.
• Future Leaders Programme has been developed and is run by the Leadership Foundation www.lfhe.ac.uk) with the support of The British Library (www.bl.uk), SCONUL (www.sconul.ac.uk), UCISA (www.ucisa.ac.uk) and JISC (www.jisc.ac.uk)
• Selection is designed to be competitive and based on merit from among applicants who have a commitment to, and talent for, leadership. A panel assessment is used to create a group with a balanced mix of participants that reflects the variety of backgrounds, perspectives and diverse expertise that constitute information services. They look for demonstrable readiness for the Programme including: position within the sponsoring department, career path to date, challenges met, projects completed; candidate's desire to take the next step; evidence of commitment to leadership; a proposed change project which should take the individual outside of their comfort zone with a strategic rather than operational focus and which involves working with staff in other departments, including those in more senior positions to the applicant (e.g. HoDs, Deans, PVCs etc)
• More details on the Future Leaders Programme can be found at www.lfhe.ac.uk/support/flp/