Best programme for leadership development – 2017

2017 winner

Dentons

So often in the area of Leadership Development, programmes are designed and developed with a hit and hope strategy. Do the same things and wish upon wish that change occurs. Occasionally a fresh approach comes along that takes this critical issue for professional services firms as seriously as it deserves to be taken. The Dentons EMEA Senior Development Programme is one such example.The programme focused on 50 senior lawyers who were high achievers and potential agents of change from over 20 offices across EMEA. It drew on the latest research in neuroscience and behavioural psychology as well as mindfulness and resilience studies to develop an experimental curriculum featuring 360 degree feedback, a wide variety of assessment and support tools, classroom and distance-learning sessions combined with group and individual coaching.

The judges were unanimous that this was the stand-out programme for this year.

From left: Austin Healey, Yvonne Garricks, Patryk Zamorski and Sally Ashworth (Harvard Business Review)

2nd place

Matheson

The Matheson Partner Development Programme came a close second in the category this year. The programme was designed in conjunction with a leading international business school and attempted to both help junior partners in their continuing development but also improve collaboration across the firm.

The use of leading business school academics as mentors to participants and having participants focus on real live issues for the firm in a highly practical and pragmatic way helped the programme distinguish itself in the eyes of the judges.