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"The cross-boundary aspect of Sky Blue has made it one of my most valuable educational experiences to date. We were really encouraged to challenge assumptions and collaborate well to tackle complex issues."
Who's it for?
Anyone working on a project, idea, challenge, or issue related to the environment that requires you to work with people from other sectors. The programme is inter-generational.
Duration
37 hours over 5 months
Cost
£1,995 for those who are able to pay
Free places are also available, especially for participants from the global South.
Format
The programme combines live online sessions with work to be completed in your own time on our online learning platform.
Dates
TBC
Language
English
Sky Blue is an online leadership programme for people who are working on our environmental challenges. To tackle these challenges, we will need to re-imagine and transform the systems that support our way of life. This will require a multi-disciplinary approach. We need leaders who can cross the boundaries of sector, generation, professional discipline and belief, and who can build cross sector collaborations that deliver results.
Sky Blue brings together a dynamic group of leaders from around the world, from many different fields, who have a common focus: our environment. It gives them the cross-boundary leadership skills and broader networks to increase their impact, and a community of practice that enables the exchange of experience, ideas and strategies with their peers.
Collaboration, between sectors, organizations and individuals, is hard. The different agendas, objectives and motivations of the parties involved means that they often fail. Or, they may succeed on the face of it, but the original ambition is lost because relationships deteriorate or the priorities of the parties become more important than the collective vision.
Collaborations that tackle environmental challenges are no different; many of the issues are extremely complex and cannot be solved by any one individual, organization or sector working alone.
The reward for effective collaboration is undeniable; and if we want people and our environment to flourish we need collaboration to work.
Sky Blue gives leaders at the heart of tackling these issues the skills, connections and peer-support that will increase their chances of success. Enabling them to create the quality of collaboration that is needed if we are to deliver sustainable, and socially just, solutions for both people and nature.
The aim, with this programme as the first step, is to convene a community of leaders around the world who are committed to our environment and who are working collaboratively, across sectors, to create a sustainable future.
This programme is for you if you are:
"I have changed my approach to promoting sustainability across my industry. Attending Sky Blue has helped me strengthen the way I communicate sustainability in design and the way I impact my team and our sustainability effort across the company."
"Sky Blue has helped develop my leadership and improve my communication skills. I am able to reach out and talk to the neighbouring community members, as well as the clans and tribe elders about the functions, values and benefits of the eco systems and biodiversity that we conserve in the park."
Active learning
Highly interactive, hands-on format and experiential, social learning
Real world
Real and live issues are explored through discussions with participants and through the eyes of inspirational leaders who share their experience of cross-boundary leadership – the obstacles and the successes
Peer to peer
Participants, working together in small peer coaching groups, have space to reflect on their challenges, hear new perspectives and develop a community of practice
World class facilitators
Our facilitators co-design an experiential journey and psychologically safe space for learning in partnership with you, creating the conditions for rich feedback, open sharing, and experimentation
Practical tools and tactics
Real takeaways that you can continue to practice and apply in your everyday work
Alumni
Everyone who completes the programme will join the Sky Blue alumni community which provides an opportunity to stay connected, share ideas and experience and support each other’s work
Explore real-life examples of Leading Beyond Authority in action and how it has brought about change.
Developing your Cultural Intelligence to turn potential clashes of culture into sparks of creativity.
Explore:
feel better prepared to work collaboratively
feel better prepared to make an impact on environmental challenges
would recommend Sky Blue to another person
"The cross-boundary aspect of Sky Blue has made it one of my most valuable educational experiences to date. We were really encouraged to challenge assumptions and collaborate well to tackle complex issues."
"Sky Blue brings together leaders from all sectors and backgrounds to work collaboratively on our environmental challenges. Building these networks of collaboration is the only way to address our big challenges: Sky Blue is an idea whose time has come."
Develop the ability to cross boundaries between sectors, specialisms, geographies, generations, backgrounds and beliefs.
Develop the ability to produce change beyond your direct circle of control. People who develop this ability are more effective in unfamiliar territory, where the authority (or credibility) gained in their own organization or sector is often not present.
Develop the ability to cross divides and thrive in multiple cultures. Our simple and empowering CQ framework helps leaders unpack their own culture and confidently work with others.
Step with renewed purpose into the next phase of your leadership journey with the Sky Blue programme. We want to gather an exciting and dynamic mix of people from different disciplines, geographies and generations. Diversity is important to creativity (and resilience) and we aim to convene a group of people that will inspire, challenge and support one another to develop existing projects and create new ones.
We are also committed to and accountable for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all its forms.
We actively encourage applications from people of all faiths, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, economic circumstances, backgrounds, and those from disabled communities.
If you require adjustments to take part in the application process or to participate in the programme due to a disability, neurodiversity, caring responsibilities, or any other reason, you will be able to provide details in the application form or contact us by phone or email to discuss further.
Yes, if you have any further questions or would just like to discuss the programme in more detail, please reach out to a member of our team in your specific location who would be delighted to help.
The benefits of Common Purpose leadership programmes include gaining increased:
Agility in adapting to changing circumstances and environments.
Empathy to what other people feel, think and need. Seeing things from their point of view.
Influence in leading change with limited decision-making power.
Openness to new ideas, possibilities and perspectives, including views they might deeply disagree with.
Purposefulness in leading with intentionality, determination, commitment and resilience.
Self-awareness to their behaviours and outlook, and how they interpret and respond to situations.
When it comes to learning, there is no substitute for the power of real experience and fresh perspective. Our approach uses a robust behaviour and mindset change philosophy rooted in real life leadership challenges and experiences. To turn those experiences into real learning we follow five tried and tested steps that lead to habitual change in how people think, feel and act.
Experience: Being presented with new experiences. Engaging with leaders across multiple boundaries and being immersed in new environments.
Reflection: Learning activities to gain a deeper and more personalized understanding of the learning.
Translate: Exploring how to relate new ideas and thought processes back into the learner’s role or context.
Practice: Developing a set of leadership practices that can be used to turn new behaviours into habits.
Assess: Embedding numerous assessments to help learners track their progress pre, during and even beyond the programme.
Experiential learning is a core component of our programmes.
Our programmes create a carefully constructed microclimate to explore real-life leadership challenges in a safe environment, often leading to the types of purpose-driven conversations needed to achieve transformative change.