Congratulations and Appreciation to 2008 Leadership Circle Graduates

I am delighted to announce the graduation of 120 leaders of a number of organizations at the end of 12 months of leadership development through voluntary membership of nine Leadership Circles.

Sponsoring organizations included, and Circle members came from, The Southern Regional Pipeline Alliance Program, Evans and Peck Queensland, the Leadership team of Finance and Business Services of The University of Queensland, The Pastoral Leadership Team of St Pauls School, Strathpine and Executives of administrative functions of Griffith University.

Leadership Circles is a professional development program that provides leadership learning with colleagues in an appropriately confidential setting. The 2008 Circle graduates committed to the 12 month program whereby they attended a monthly 4 hour session which included: exposure to experienced leaders and managers who shared their "lessons learnt in life", time to help each other to work through professional and personal challenges as well as a meal together. Circle time involved an equal contribution of work time and personal time.

Circle participants engaged in timely and relevant readings and conversations throughout the year.

Each 2008 graduate was presented with a Certificate of Participation and a ‘Personal Career Passport’. The Career Passport is an impressive leather portfolio which provides opportunity to build a personal & professional historical identity around past and present career experiences; to maintain a record and evidence of past learning & development; to create and maintain a personal & professional development plan; and a record of achievements, strengths and areas in which employees wish to develop.

Leadership Circles as a leadership development strategy is being evaluated through confidential feedback from current participants in sponsoring organizations following previous evaluations in 2001 and 2003. This further evaluation report will be prepared by Professor Brian Hansford previously of QUT’s School of Education author of the previous reports and will be available on request early in 2009 to all interested parties.

Information about Leadership Circles and copies of previous evaluations can be obtained by visiting the website of The Growing Edge Consulting Service www.growingedge.com.au.
(Leadership Circles and Personal Career Passports are trademarks and registered business names of Ken Gilbert & Associates Pty Ltd and Starhit Pty Ltd.)