The New Economy Leaders Academy

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The New Economy Leaders Academy

An online intergenerational leadership programme for professionals in the new economy field.

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The aim of the Academy is to strengthen the capacity of experienced and emerging leaders from these organisations to work across generations, sectors and divides to bring new thinking and new approaches to traditional economics.

The New Economy Leaders Academy is a collaboration between Partners for a New Economy, Common Purpose, and Mowgli Mentoring. This partnership came about after Jo Swinson and Anna Luiza Behrens from P4NE took part in the MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy and were inspired to launch this Academy for the new economy field.

Hear from Jo Swinson about her experience of the MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy, and the power of being part of an inter-generational programme.

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Who is it for?

The Academy is for senior and young professionals in the new economy field – whether working on campaigns & movement-building, research & academia, policy & advocacy, storytelling & communications or bringing new economic ideas to life in communities.

It is anticipated that most participants will be across Europe, though applications are welcome from anyone able to participate in sessions starting at 13.00 UK / 14.00 CET.

One senior and one young professional must apply together as a ‘duo’ – they should be from the same organisation. There can be more than one application per organisation.

We are seeking highly motivated individuals who show commitment to bring about positive change, and who can demonstrate their leadership potential and/or capability.

Senior and young professionals do not need to be on the same team or have a direct management relationship. Applicants will also require:

  • Senior professionals - more than ten years of work experience
  • Young professionals - less than ten years of work experience

The number of years of experience required is a guide and is not definitive. If you are unsure about whether you meet any of the criteria, please get in touch with Meryl Jacques to discuss your application so that we can understand your individual circumstances.

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Jo Swinson
P4NE Director
"To build a fair and green future where all people and nature can thrive, we need to transform our economy. Brilliant people are working to achieve this vision: across sectors, from different disciplines and with a variety of approaches. We hope that this Academy will give people in this nascent field some space and support to develop their skills and help to weave closer connections between these new economy leaders."
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Jovan Andevski
Programmes Manager, Vulture Conservation Foundation, Participant, MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy
"The MAVA Academy gave us a new mindset and tools to work more effectively. This is MAVA’s most important project for the future of conservation. The results of the MAVA Academy will be seen in 10 to 30 years...It is creating a movement and changing the generation who are, and will be, leading conservation efforts. If only 5% of conservation professionals have the same experience that I had in the Academy, the world will be a better place."

Why take part?

The Academy will equip the participants to lead more effectively within and beyond their organizations. Participants will:

  • Grow new networks – by connecting with diverse participants and speakers
  • Improve self-awareness and personal resilience to meet the challenges ahead
  • Develop greater inter-generational understanding and cooperation
  • Enhance their ability to Lead Beyond Authority – increasing their ability to lead and collaborate across boundaries of sector, geography, culture, and professional discipline
  • Develop mentoring and coaching skills to support effective leadership and long term personal and professional growth

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Joan Marc Simon
Executive Director, Zero Waste Europe, Participant MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy
"The organisation was going through a transition. And the Academy gave me the tools and helped me to actually reflect and zoom out…it really helped me to organise this transition in a better way."

How will it work? 

A cohort of 30 people (15 senior and 15 young professionals) will participate together over a 10 month period. The Academy has two key elements:

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This will comprise:

  • An hour of independent learning via our learning portal
  • 14 hours of live sessions
  • 4.5 hours of live peer coaching sessions
  • 1 hour 360-degree feedback assessment survey
  • A 1.5 hour live one-to-one meeting with a professional coach to debrief the 360-degree feedback assessment survey

This will comprise: 

  • For mentors (senior professionals): 14 hours of live virtual training sessions and 6 hours of independent learning
  • For mentees (young professionals): a 2 hour live virtual training session and 1 hour of independent learning
  • For all: 
    • a 2 hour live virtual matching and mentoring relationship set up session
    • 6 months of ongoing support including a mentor and mentee live virtual group peer call and a live virtual mentoring 'refresher' session.

Typically, participants will spend 2-3 hours a week on the Academy programme from February to the end of May 2023. This will be followed by ongoing mentoring sessions until November 2023. For full details of the dates and times please download the Programme Schedule here.

What is Leading Beyond Authority (LBA)?

Many successful leaders learn to lead in roles or circumstances where they have clear authority, budget, and accountability. When they move beyond this – leading peers, partners, and stakeholders – the skills that brought them success may not be sufficient. To operate effectively, they need a different approach to leadership – the ability to Lead Beyond Authority. This means that a leader can adapt to different contexts, seeing the wider picture, taking greater responsibility for the whole rather than just their individual part, and breaking down silos to work across boundaries.

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What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a long-term trust-based relationship between two people where the agenda and direction is set by the mentee. Mentors who are trained act as a sounding board but also as a guide who shares their knowledge and wisdom with no vested interest in their mentees other than to see them grow professionally and personally as individuals. When paired with other leadership development activities, effective mentoring creates a space for deeper exploration, reflection, analysis, and translation of theory into practice, amplifying the effects of learning.

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Zelkja Rajkovic
Executive Director, Biom Association, Participant, MAVA Leaders for Nature Academy
"I now recognise that previously we primarily had an emphasis on the task and outcome of our work, and not on the human and emotional aspects. This renewed focus leads to better results."

Find out more

Get in touch to discuss the Academy with one of our team.

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Common Purpose

Common Purpose is a leadership development organization that specializes in cross-boundary leadership. A not-for-profit, we run programmes in over 100 cities worldwide. Founded in 1989, we have over 115,000 alumni globally. Our leadership development programmes inspire and equip people to work across boundaries. This enables them to solve complex problems in organizations and in society.

Partners for a New Economy logo

Partners for a New Economy

Partners for a New Economy is an international donor collaborative focused on transforming the economic system. We were founded in 2015 by the MAVA, Oak, Marisla and KR Foundations. Laudes and Ford Foundations joined P4NE in 2021 and Omidyar Network in 2022. Our vision is our economy redesigned for nature and all people to flourish.

Mowgli logo

Mowgli Mentoring

Mowgli Mentoring is a specialist mentoring organisation aiming to drive economic progress and social change by making effective mentoring available and accessible for entrepreneurs and leaders so that they are better able to solve local and global challenges. We design and deliver bespoke mentoring programmes, train others to run effective mentoring initiatives, prepare mentors and mentees for high-impact mentoring, and build mentoring cultures within ecosystems. Since 2008, we have delivered mentoring programmes across the Middle East, Africa, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, Caribbean, and Latin America.