Leadership Academy Summary
Updated: February 2008
Objectives
The aims of the RFU Leadership Academy are to:
- raise awareness of Leadership in Rugby
- identify the next generation of Club and CB leaders
- invest in potential leaders to help them develop their skills and confidence
- facilitate the transfer of good Leadership practies in Rugby Union
Each Leadership Candidate:
- Attends the academy launch to network with other leadership candidates and mentors
- Identifies their current strengths and areas for development.
- Creates their personal learning plan.
- Completes formal and informal learning and development opportunities.
- Reviews their progress and gives feedback on the Academy.
The Leadership Academy runs from November to March
The approximate time commitment for each leadership candidate is:
- Academy induction
- Up to 3 sessions with mentor
- Up to 3 formal learning sessions
- Up to 3 challenge and support group sessions
- Informal activity based on the individual.
- Academy review
Depending on the needs of the candidates, the Leadership Academy will cover a number of modules:
Leadership: creating an inspiring vision; setting goals and defining roles.
Communication: working with the media; running effective meetings; presentations & speeches; influencing, negotiation & active listening.
Working with others: empowerment & delegation; motivating; giving feedback; resolving conflict; team building.
Decision making: risk analysis; managing change; problem solving
Planning: project plans; strategic plans; prioritization techniques.
Organising: time management; finding funding; budgeting and resource allocation.
Monitoring and evaluating: success criteria; measurement techniques.
Personal Values: Understanding and development of personal attributes
Leadership Checklist
Personal Characteristics
q Has the passion and perseverance to lead their club/CB.
q Has the support of key volunteers.
q Has honesty and integrity
q Shoulders the responsibility for success and failure (without casting blame).
q Intelligent, quick to learn and emotionally strong
q Confident without being arrogant.
q Takes informed risks
Strategic Management
q Sets, with input from stakeholders, the long term direction for the club/CB.
q Understands the environment and social trends.
q Identifies partners, creates strategic alliances to help further the club/CB's goals.
People Management
q Clearly communicates expectations to motivate his/her team.
q Puts the right people in the right positions at the right time with the right terms of reference.
q Identifies and deals with conflict.
q Evaluates the performance, and helps develop the potential, of each person in the club/CB.
q Shows respect for others
q Recognises achievement.
Process Management
q Manages change to continuously improve.
q Promotes innovation.
q Secures and allocate resources.
q Anticipates and solve problems.
q Creates and manages project plans and measures results.
The Leadership Candidate should demonstrate some (not all) of the items on the checklist and have potential to develop skills in other areas.
They must have the commitment to lead their club/CB and complete the academy programme. [Any voluntary role in rugby is subject to the election/appointment process of the organisation.]
Nominations
To find out more about the academy and the nominations process, please contact the relevant Leadership Academy Manager (part-time retained volunteer)
Scope
2005/06 = Midlands East + Midlands West (pilot)
2006/07 = Midlands East + Midlands West + South West
2007/08 = Midlands East + Midlands West + South West + South
2008/09 = Berkshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset & Wiltshire, East Midlands, Eastern Counties, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, North Midlands, NLD, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire and Warwickshire (subject to budget approval)
2009/10 = National programme (subject to budget approval)
Places are limited.
Benefits
The club will:
- Have a confident and competent leader with the capability to run the club.
- Benefit from new ideas and good practices to help the club reach its goals.
- Be given an item of recogition if their candidate completes the academy.
The leadership candidate will:
- Receive up to £350 worth of professional training.
- Improve their knowledge of the skills needed to run a club/CB.
- Receive coaching from an experienced mentor.
- Share good practice that will make their club better.
- Participate in a support and challenge group with their peers.
- Be presented with rugby branded clothing.
- Be reimbursed reasonable travel expenses.
The mentor will:
- Get satisfaction from helping others develop the skills to become better leaders for the good of the game.
- Learn about themselves and others through sharing their knowledge and experience.
- Widen their network.
- Be presented with rugby branded clothing.
- Be reimbursed reasonable travel expenses.
Candidates will be asked to make a contribution of £100 towards the cost as a condition of their acceptance on the programme. Candidates can seek support from clubs or other sponsor. All other elements of the programme are funded by Community Rugby.
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