Leading Across Boundaries for a National Park
New Forest lies in the south of England, and its National Park Authority plays a key role in the care of this special environment and its people. The CEO, Alison Barnes, knew that the Park Authority could only achieve its goals by its people working in collaboration with many other stakeholders. This meant that technical expertise was no longer sufficient – there also needed to be an infusion of leadership skills and the confidence to work beyond boundaries.
What we did
We worked closely with Alison to develop Leading the Green Transition, a two-month leadership development programme that comprises four, one day workshops, action learning groups and online coaching. The programme equips people with an understanding of themselves and their role, giving the reflective space to convert passion into purpose and agency with others. The programme has been delivered for the Park Authorities own staff and in collaboration with other local partners.
The impact
The effect has been profound, both within the Park Authority and in partner organisations such as the Forestry Commission and the RSPB. Participants reported greater confidence in themselves as leaders, backed up by a 128% rating improvement over the course of the programme.
“This programme has been a critical component of our work to create a ‘Team New Forest’ across organisations and for the whole landscape, so that we can be greater than the sum of our parts. Leaders from organisations across the National Park landscape have had the opportunity to reflect and develop together, securing a deeper understanding of and development of skills for individual and collective leadership for our place. This is equipping us to meet some of the biggest challenges of our time for climate, nature and people.”
Alison BarnesCEO New Forest National Park Authority
