The Early Stages of Leaders in Partnership
The Early Stages of Leaders in Partnership
Written by Zakia Sheba, Senior Project Manager, Community Team
The Leaders in Partnership programme, led by ELBA, is a high-impact initiative designed to foster collaboration between corporate professionals and community leaders. This programme strengthens the leadership capacities of charitable and not-for-profit organisations in east London by pairing senior corporate employees with third-sector leaders.
The recruitment process begins four to six weeks before the programme launch. During this period, applications are open to corporate professionals and community leaders interested in participating. Once applications are received, a rigorous selection process follows, including interviews with all applicants. These interviews help assess each candidate’s leadership goals, expertise, and areas where they seek support.
Following the interviews, participants are carefully matched based on their skills, experience, and objectives. This step is crucial in ensuring that each partnership is beneficial and aligned with the needs of both individuals. Once the matching process is complete, profiles of each participant are created and shared with their respective partners before the training and official programme launch. This allows participants to familiarise themselves with their matches in advance, setting the stage for meaningful collaboration.
Although this process is lengthy and thorough, it is vital to ensuring the success of the programme. By carefully selecting and pairing participants, this programme maximises the impact of each partnership, equipping community leaders with valuable corporate insights while providing corporate professionals with a deeper understanding of the third sector.
As each cohort embarks on this journey, the anticipated outcomes include strengthened leadership, improved decision-making, and greater organisational impact. The rigorous early stages of recruitment and matching ensure that every participant is set up for success, ultimately driving positive change in the wider community.
“Having led five cohorts now myself the process is hugely enjoyable for me to interview, and get to know each volunteer and community organisation leader in more depth and see both their journey through the 10 months. It is a very fulfilling and rewarding journey.”
– Zakia Sheba, Leaders in Partnership Project Manager
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