Leadership Essentials: for Libraries, Information & Archives (online)

Leadership development programme embracing a work-related personal development project. Tutor support includes 3 facilitated online workshops, team coaching and individual support. A commitment to spending time on personal development is important, supported locally by your manager or mentor.

Leadership Essentials - overview

Ideally suited for team leaders and aspiring managers who have not benefitted previously from leadership training, the programme extends over a three-month period. The workshops (on Microsoft Teams) are involving and interactive, focusing on the essentials of leading people in a Libraries, Information or Archives environment. You then apply your learning in a people-based project, useful to your organisation as well as your own development. Finally, the online team coaching session, a few months later in small groups of three, is an opportunity to share experiences from projects, explore relevant and specific people issues, and learn from others.

Learning outcomes

*Provide confident leadership to motivate teams during challenging times.

*Coach and offer developmental feedback to team members and colleagues as they face new challenges.

*Communicate pro-actively and handle difficult situations as leader.

There will be some thinking and reading before each of the workshops. The leadership essentials workbook/reference guide is particularly useful, especially for your project. We encourage networking with other participants throughout, invaluable for extending horizons and to gain new insights.

Programme leader

Diana Edmonds is familiar to SWRLS, having facilitated the much acclaimed ‘Inspiring Leadership’ programme and also the online ‘Managing Projects’ workshops.

Diana specialises in leadership development, communication, change management and team effectiveness. She has experience of industries and organisations in a range of sectors, public and private, as well as having held leadership positions herself in Libraries and Information Services.

Diana has a facilitative inclusive style. People describe her as enthusiastic, positive and approachable. Her mission is to ensure that learning is relevant, worthwhile and especially enjoyable for all involved!

Previous participant testimonial: "The course I did with you was so useful and relevant, and I still think about and use many of the approaches and tools you covered. It really helped me to grow into this role and be confident in my practice and leadership."

Dates

Workshop one: Tuesday 4 November, 09.00-12.30

Workshop two: Tuesday 18 November, 09.00-12.30

Workshop three: Tuesday 2 December, 09.00-12.30

Team coaching: February 2026 tba

Fee is £150 for SWRLS members (£242 without membership subsidy).

Staff from SWRLS member organisations are prioritised. If you are from a non-member organisation and would like to attend please be in touch with Shelley at coordinator1@swrls.org.uk as additional spaces may be available.