Leading Through Systems Thinking: Priorities, Partnerships, Communication

Join us for the first in a series of webinars: Leading Through Systems Thinking: Aligning Priorities, Partnerships and Communication for Impact

Session Call to Action:

In this session we will focus on the strategic leadership behaviours that make strategy real: building partnerships, aligning stakeholders and communicating effectively to drive collective action.

Session Purpose:

To deepen leaders’ ability to create alignment and momentum for strategic priorities through effective stakeholder engagement, cross-campus partnerships, and communication.

Session Overview:

Rather than viewing strategy as a fixed blueprint, systems thinking encourages leaders to approach it as a living, evolving network of decisions, behaviours and feedback mechanisms. This mindset supports sustainable strategy by enabling leaders to:

• Trace Strategic Ripples: Recognise how decisions impact learners, teams, governance and external partners—revealing interdependencies that shape outcomes.
• Spot Leverage Points: Identify small but powerful interventions—such as feedback rituals or coaching practices—that can catalyse broader transformation.
• Pre-empt Strategic Pitfalls: Use tools like causal loop diagrams or rich pictures to anticipate unintended consequences and surface hidden tensions.
• Build Adaptive Infrastructure: Create conditions for continuous learning and strategic agility through reflective supervision, coaching spaces, and practitioner-led inquiry.

Session Outcome(s):

• A deep dive in strategic leadership
• A discussion about strategic partnerships with external stakeholders
• A reflection on sustaining strategy amidst change and uncertainty

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify and map key stakeholders and potential partners in advancing strategic goals.
• Build alignment across different interests and agendas.
• Communicate strategy in ways that inspire, clarify, and mobilize action.
• Strengthen collaboration across units and disciplines to achieve institutional outcomes.

Optional Pre-Work

• Review your college’s strategic priorities.
• Bring one active project or initiative that requires collaboration beyond your unit.
• Identify 2–3 key stakeholders you need to influence or engage.

Facilitator 1:

Barbara is a leadership and training consultant with over 30 years’ experience in Further Education and Skills. As founder of BVDE Quality Solutions, she supports senior leaders and boards to drive quality, strategy and cultural transformation across diverse delivery models. Her expertise spans executive coaching, governance, performance improvement and quality assurance, underpinned by global frameworks including the Pacific Institute® and The BluePrint Toolset™. She is a Governor at Walsall College, board member at Multiverse, Copa and Lifetime Training, and chairs the Apprenticeship Strategy and Excellence Taskforce at London South East College. Barbara co-leads the AoC Senior Leadership Development Programme and advises the Apprenticeship Workforce Development Programme. She partners with DfE, OneAdvanced and sector bodies to deliver high-impact webinars, keynotes and peer networks. Passionate about empowering leaders, board members and leadership teams, Barbara leverages a growth-mindset philosophy grounded in curiosity, collaboration, action and reflection. Her inclusive approach harnesses diversity, uncovers blind spots and aligns culture with strategy, ensuring that teams not only set ambitious goals but also deliver sustainable impact.

Facilitator 2:

Hannah is a dynamic leadership development consultant, coach and trainer. She is the Co-Founder of #WomenEd and #DiverseEd. She is the Co-Editor of Diverse Educators: A Manifesto. She is the Director of the Belonging Effect. She is an experienced outward-facing systems leader who is passionate about disseminating best practice and believes that partnerships and collaboration are key. Hannah previously taught English, Drama and Media Studies over a 20-year career in schools. She has held multiple leadership roles including curriculum, pastoral, safeguarding and staff development roles at a school and trust level. She left her trust-wide leadership role in 2019 to go independent and she now works internationally supporting schools, colleges, trusts, universities and unions on a range of strategic leadership themes. She is passionate about supporting resilient, empowered, authentic leaders to create organisations that are truly committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Hannah volunteers as a Chair of a Trust Board in the SW and as a Mentor for Young Carer. She is also the founder of the BANES WLN.

For more information contact: hello@hannah-wilson.co.uk