The prestigious setting of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst saw the launch of the inaugural group of the Churchill Leadership Fellows Programme. Following a rigorous selection process, 24 young leaders were chosen to join the programme and become Churchill Leadership Fellows in a leadership programme run by The Møller Centre and Learn to Lead as part of the ‘Churchill 2015 – 21st Century Statesmanship Global Leaders Programme’.
The Sandhurst experience was the first of three, three-day modules delivered by an esteemed faculty of leadership academics and practitioners including: internationally renowned US Leadership Scholar Georgia Sorenson, Leadership Scholar at the Møller Centre and co-founder of the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership and the International Leadership Association; civil rights icon Baroness Doreen Lawrence; Baroness Prashar of the British Council, Learn to Lead Director Krish Raval; Møller Centre CEO Gillian Secrett; and leaders from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Major Chris Head and Major Sarah Irwin.
Tola James, who describes himself as a visionary entrepreneur, is a member of the first group of young Churchill Leadership Fellows. Tola, CEO & Founder of Nari Juice and co-founder of Go-Getters explained, “Being a part of the inaugural group of the Churchill Leadership Fellows Programme has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. My experience at Sandhurst is a memory I will carry with me for decades to come; we lived, dined and studied at one of the most iconic institutions in the United Kingdom. Our leadership qualities, characteristics and manners were sharpened through an intense executive program. Learning has never been so interesting, fun and intriguing at the same time. I left Sandhurst feeling humbled, confident and privileged and as the saying goes ‘Good leaders never stop learning’; I eagerly await the start of the next module at The Møller Centre.”
Gillian Secrett, Møller Centre CEO said, “We are delighted to invest in these inspiring young people and develop their leadership potential through our Churchill Leadership Fellows Programme. Our aim is to prepare the young Churchill Fellows to take leadership responsibility with courage, confidence, authenticity and humility to develop their ability to engage and motivate others. The team at The Møller Centre works with leaders and aspiring leaders through a special combination of practitioner, academic and experiential learning to enable them to excel and reach their potential to the benefit of the organisations for which they work and society as a whole.”
Krish Raval, Director of Learn to Lead and Associate of The Møller Centre added, “Our programme is not a blind retrospective of Churchill as an iconic leader, rather, it conveys some of the “deep laws” of leading oneself and others in the fulfilment of much needed tasks. Churchill Leadership Fellows were selected according to robust criteria and in their assessments they demonstrated an understanding of a mindboggling array of issues affecting today and tomorrow. They know full well that the world they lead is changing more swiftly than could ever have been predicted 50 years ago and that they need to be ready. Our programme has been designed to strengthen their achievements, their self-esteem and character, and their potential for impact.”
One of the outcomes of the first module will be a report comprising the young leaders’ recommendations on how we might help young people develop effective leadership qualities within the mainstream education system. This will form part of a digital book being produced for ‘Churchill 2015’ and which will become a leadership blueprint for the 21st Century.