Leadership Courses

Don't just learn about leadership, learn how to lead!

Take part in a Common Purpose leadership development course...

Who are our courses for?

From young people to senior managers, from students to those nearing the end of their career, Common Purpose offers courses to suit a range of leadership development needs.

Louise Opperman

Founder, Community Timebank, Cork

Find out how a Common Purpose course in Cork, Ireland, helped the founder of a small non-profit organisation to improve her business model

What happens on our courses?

Common Purpose courses are not classroom based. Step outside your usual environment to grapple with real-life problems at first hand and visit places you might never normally see or experience: prisons; housing developments; manufacturing plants; stock exchanges; headquarters of public and private companies; hospices; charities; government departments.

Kuben Naidoo

Head of Secretariat, National Planning Commission, South Africa

What sort of unusal places might you visit on a Common Purpose course, and how can that can challenge the way you see the world?

How long do our courses last, and how much do they cost?

Courses can last for anything from five days to six months, and costs vary depending on the location and type of the course. Prices vary depending on the location in which you take part in your course, but in every instance there will be a number of almost full (every participant must make some contribution) and part bursary places provided for participants who are genuinely unable to meet the full fee.

Sarah Santa Maria

CEO, Diya Foundation

How did her Common Purpose experience help the CEO of a charity in Bangalore to boost her bottom line?

What courses do we run in your country, and how do you apply?

Each country delivers one or more of our unique suite of courses. Please visit the website of the country you are intersted in using the links on the right to find out which courses are currently delivered there, and to apply for one that suits you.

Dr. Alvina Grosu

Psychologist, Culturewise

How did taking part in Common Purpose course in Ireland inspire a psychologist to start a company that fosters mutual understanding between immigrant and local communities?

Wherever your are and whatever your level, we offer courses to suit a range of leadership development needs

People attending Common Purpose courses vary:

From junior to senior managers; from students to those nearing the end of their career; from participants who hold established leadership roles at work and in the community, to those who have held such a role but are now looking to use their leadership skills in a different way; from those beginning their careers and keen to develop their leadership potential, right through to young people at school who want to understand more about leadership and build on their existing experiences.

David Mitchell

Independent International Development Consultant

How Common Purpose inspired an international consultant to set up a local initiative developing leadership skills in 11-13 year olds

"It was a life transforming experience that turned an ordinary individual into an extraordinary leader that can lead with or without a given title. I now have a different perspective of viewing challenges, organisations and leadership itself as the main concept."

Paul Mashegoane, Entrepeneur

We value diversity...

...and constantly strive to provide equality of opportunity as an employer and in the provision and delivery of all our activities. We positively encourage applications from all sections of the community and are working hard to ensure that our courses and services meet the requirements of people with disabilities.

The ability to pay is not a barrier and full and part bursaries are available for all of our courses for those who genuinely need them.

Joey Powis

Project Manager, Distance Learning Team, Rolls-Royce

How the cross sector participant group on his course helped a young project manager at Rolls Royce to understand how different organisations work

"Of all the leadership courses that I know of, those run by Common Purpose are by far the best. You only have to see the lasting effect on those who have participated in them to know that they work and work well. Civil society in a wide range of countries has benefited hugely from Common Purpose."

Charles Handy, Writer and Social Philosopher

Our unique leadership development courses are:

Experiential...and real

Have you ever been thrown into an unfamiliar situation outside your usual environment? Our courses do just that to help you to re-examine why, when and how you lead, and to practice leadership as you go...and because our courses are rooted in reality, you can translate your learning back into your daily professional or civic life.

Tamás Fodor

Head of Rákóczi Kert Civil and Community Centre

How open and inclusive can a participant group from various backgrounds be with each other? A participant in Budapest found out...

Not classroom-based...so the learning takes place in unusal locations

What leadership lessons can be learnt by visiting a prison? Or a board room? Or a council chamber? Experience real life issues and insights by visiting places you might not normally see or experience - prisons; housing developments; manufacturing plants; stock exchanges; headquarters of public and private companies; hospices; charities; magistrates' courts; town halls; boardrooms; council chambers.

Watch Ridley Scott's video on how Common Purpose takes you to places you wouldn't normally go

International...yet rooted in local context

Make connections on a local, national and international level. With courses run in 12 countries throughout the world, there are ample opportunities throughout for participants to connect with their peers in their own and other countries. Yet our courses focus very much on the location in which they take place - the emphasis is on understanding how to be an effective leader where you live and work.

Diverse...and completely cross-sector

Explore leadership with a unique mix of people from a wide range of backgrounds, sectors, and communities. Common Purpose will make the diversity of the participant group an essential and exciting - rather than frightening - factor in the learning process. We will not deliver a course if the participant group doesn't fully represent its locality.

Different to standard leadership models...but complemented by proven learning techniques

Have your leadership development experiences consisted simply of sitting, listening and modeling? Then the Common Purpose method of learning from the successes and failures of different leaders - by doing and experiencing - can be a delight!

We also use tried and tested experiential learning techniques such as facilitated dialogue, peer coaching, action learning, storytelling, 360 feedback and role play.

Professionally facilitated...and enriched by the leadership stories of our contributors

You'll be suprised by the value of listening to personal stories, whether or not the person telling it is a recognisable leader. From the legal profession, business, finance, manufacturing, retail, transport, politics, through to faith organisations, community groups, charities and aid agencies and beyond, our contributors are leaders in their own organisations with fascinating insights into how they lead, and how they work with other bodies and individuals.

Learn from their successes...and their failures...and meet them in the environment in which they operate. Our experienced, professional staff will not "teach" leadership models, but will help you to draw the learning from the leaders you meet.

Steven Valk

Creative consultant and dramaturge

Why does a creative consultant regularly contribute to our courses in Frankfurt, and how has that helped him set up a strategic consultancy?

Whether one week or six months, residential or modular, there's a Common Purpose course to suit you

Our courses are designed to fit around your schedule

Many are modular, so you can structure your learning around your calendar - perfect for people with busy schedules!

Others are residential, immersing you in an intense learning environment.

For detailed information about the different courses we run, how long they last, pricing and bursaries, please visit the website of the country you are interested in by clicking on the links on the right hand side.

 

Alex Dick

Finance Director, Preston Road Neighbourhood Development Company

How a Common Purpose course helped a Finance Director take more of a lead on future opportunities for his organisation, and promote his facility to new users

 

Costs vary depending on the location and type of the course

If you cannot pay the full fee, you should not be deterred from applying. There are a number of almost full (every participant must make some contribution) and part bursary places provided on every Common Purpose course for participants who are genuinely unable to meet the full fee.

In addition, Common Purpose alumni are offered a 20% reduction on the fee of any future courses they attend.

Investment professional

South African financial institution

How an an investment professional at a major South African financial institution fixed his professional "blind spots" through Common Purpose, helping him with his investment decisions

Common Purpose Methods

Common Purpose courses use experiential learning methods, conventions and techniques to encourage communication and provide insights into leading in different settings.

Common Purpose course conventions

To help our participants to get the most from their experience with Common Purpose, we ask them to respect the following conventions during the course.

These "rules of engagement" have evolved over many years and have proved their worth in helping us to deliver high quality courses. So if you come on a Common Purpose course or attend any of our events we will ask you to adhere to the following conventions:

Be open - and open-minded

Be prepared to hear views that you may not normally wish to hear - and be willing to learn something from them. You will certainly hear views expressed from other participants with whom you deeply disagree; we take the view that leaders need to know what other people are thinking, if they are to work effectively across boundaries.

Avoid both giving and taking offence

It is important that everyone feels able to say what they really think. When other people's views are articulated bluntly or clumsily, we ask you to suspend instant judgment and enter into constructive discussion on them. We also ask you to communicate in a respectful way and to listen to any feedback as to why your ideas or language might cause offence.

Be a leader

Make sure that your contributions are to the point - and be prepared to ask the difficult questions. Speak as yourself. Support fellow participants when they have the courage to go out on a limb. Don't delegate issues to the Programme Director if the group is better placed to deal with them.

Be engaged - and positive

Show commitment. Make arrangements so that you can attend each event in full, keep to the timings given, prepare yourself well and ensure that you are not interrupted. Be fair and respectful in your dealings with other participants, contributors and alumni. If you can't help someone, say so. If someone can't help you, accept this. Use shared knowledge and experience for positive ends.

Adhere to the Chatham House Rule (see right)

For the learning process to be effective contributors, participants and alumni must feel that they can talk openly and gain insights from each other, so we observe the Chatham House Rule.

Chatham House Rule

The Chatham House Rule was devised at Chatham House (the home of the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London*) in 1927 and was refined in 1992 and 2002.

The Chatham House Rule is an internationally recognised and respected way of conducting meetings and it reads as follows:

"When a meeting is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed"

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This does not mean that the discussions are secret, although this is how it might appear at first sight. In fact (and in practice), the Chatham House Rule is there to encourage everyone to speak freely. Speakers can - and do - talk openly and truthfully about issues in their community, challenges in society or their own leadership dilemmas. They are also able to speak as individuals and express views that may not be those of their organisations. In these conditions, real issues or concerns can be aired, genuine debate can flourish and deeper learning can be achieved.

 

The Chatham House Rule simply means that people can talk about anything that they have learnt or discussed on the course but cannot say who it was that expressed a particular view.

As well as enhancing the learning experience for everyone this makes it easier for people to talk freely outside the programme about what they have heard.

If we did not observe the rule, everyone would be more guarded - which would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the educational experience.

* The mission of the Royal Institute for International Affairs is to be a world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all.