Purpose
To build a connected, collective leadership ecosystem across Leeds, strengthening how leaders work across organisational, sector, and professional boundaries. The programme develops the capabilities needed to lead at place, navigate complexity, align priorities, and create inclusive cultures that support integrated care.
Key aims:
- Grow collective leadership capacity across the system.
- Strengthen relationships, shared purpose and collaboration between organisations.
- Embed inclusive, compassionate leadership behaviours in everyday practice.
- Equip leaders to tackle real system challenges with confidence and shared methods.
Strategic Drivers
- Integrated Care Delivery: Effective neighbourhood and place-based models require leaders who can think and act beyond organisational silos.
- System Workforce Strategy: Leadership capability is a core enabler of workforce transformation, integration, and culture change.
- VCSE Inclusion: Ensures the voluntary sector has equal access to leadership development and influence in system decision-making.
- Complexity & Change: Leeds faces growing demand, complexity and inequality, requiring leaders able to collaborate, innovate and adapt.
Approach
- Two Complementary Pathways:
- System Leadership Pathway: Develops skills for leading at scale—alignment, shared problem-solving, navigating ambiguity, and mobilising cross system change.
- Fellowship Pathway: Structured personal development applied to real system challenges, building capability through practical action and reflective learning. Find out more here.
- Shared Language & Methods: Common tools, frameworks, and behaviours adopted across organisations to strengthen collaboration.
- Cross Sector Cohorts: Mixed groups from NHS, local authority, social care, and VCSE to build trust and shared understanding.
- Embedded Learning: Focus on learning that is directly applied to real work, rather than classroom-based theory.
Focus
- Collective Leadership at Place: Leaders working across boundaries towards shared goals.
- Inclusive Leadership Practice: Embedding fairness, equity, and belonging in daily leadership behaviours.
- Stronger Relationships & Trust: Building partnerships that support integrated neighbourhood delivery.
- Leadership for Complexity: Developing capability to navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and system pressures.
Academy Role
- Accelerate Progress: Expand collective leadership capacity quickly through coordinated cohorts and structured development pathways.
- Connector: Bring leaders together across NHS, local authority, social care, and the VCSE to build trust and alignment.
- Catalyst: Transform system leadership practice by applying shared tools, reflective learning and real-world ‑world problem solving.
- Partnering: Work hand in‑in‑hand with system sponsors to align leadership development with population need and strategic priorities.
- Innovating: Introduce new collaborative, cross secto‑sector models of leadership development rooted in complexity, inclusivity, and collective ownership.
Expected Impact (Healthy Leeds Plan Alignment)
- Stronger system relationships enabling more integrated, person-centred care.
- A confident, collaborative leadership community across health, social care, and VCSE.
- Improved culture and inclusion, shaping healthier and more equitable workplaces.
- Leadership capability aligned to population need, supporting neighbourhood and place-level priorities.
- Accelerated transformation through shared methods, joint problem-solving, and aligned leadership behaviours.