Launch of New Resource for Nonprofit Leaders: The Leadership Academy
The Wheel is delighted to launch a new initiative which aims to serve the development needs of leaders across the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.
The Leadership Academy is a new model in leadership development for the sector and will provide resources to leaders at all stages of their leadership journey.
Background
The Leadership Academy comes at a time of immense change for organisations across the sector. We’re emerging from two years of transformation brought about by the pandemic. We face into a coming decade, shaped by war, climate change, economic uncertainty, biodiversity collapse and massive demographic shifts. Today’s leaders, and future leaders, will need a range of core skills, and a growth mindset, if they are to navigate their organisations through these challenges. Leadership in the nonprofit sector is more demanding than ever before.
Recent research indicates there is a skills shortage in the Irish nonprofit sector. A study carried out by Indecon on behalf of The Wheel in 2020 looked at the levels of training and upskilling undertaken by workers from non-profit organisations. Findings indicate relatively low levels of training amongst workers in the sector, under-investment in training and a need for upskilling in a number of key areas including fundraising, HR and marketing and communications.
The majority of organisations surveyed report that upskilling will be needed in every area of their organisation if they are to meet anticipated future growth. The survey evidence indicates that, in the near future, there is also likely to be an increased demand for skills in the areas of leadership and management, governance, finance, and fundraising. The solution to these skills gaps will have to come in many forms, but investment in leadership development will be crucial to the overall impact of the sector.
The Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy is designed to help nonprofit leaders develop their essential leadership skills. Leaders from Irish charities, community organisations and social enterprises can find learning and development resources tailored to their needs.
The Leadership Academy is not a building or an institution, but aims to be the place where nonprofit leaders, at all stages in their career, can reflect on their leadership development needs and come together to learn from and inspire each other.
Visit The Leadership Academy website, where leaders are invited to take a self-assessment which will help you assess your strengths, and identify areas in need of development. Then, based on your particular needs, the website will provide you with a list of resources that include training opportunities, books & publications, events, access to networks and much more! These resources are drawn from across the nonprofit sector, further and higher education, in Ireland and internationally.
In becoming an effective leader, you need to develop a range of competencies. The Leadership Academy focuses on 39 core competencies that a nonprofit leader may need. These include sector specific skills; such as partnership working, advocacy and effective fundraising. Also included are more broadly focused soft skills and digital skills; like communication, leading hybrid teams, emotional intelligence and resilience. The Leadership Academy has compiled a variety of targeted and sector-specific resources into our library, so that busy leaders can find the support they need quickly and effectively.
Whether you are an emerging leader or an experienced one, you can benefit from the resources available. Create a free account with The Leadership Academy and invest in your leadership development today.