Leadership Convention leaves sector well equipped to manage change

With the Government and Sport England releasing strategies in the last 12 months and with the recent launch of a Code for Sports Governance, there is a great deal of change that the sector is having to face-up to. 

This year’s Convention, under a banner of Leading for Impact, aimed to help sports leaders learn more about change management and how to lead their organisations through the process.

Over the two days delegates heard from a range of speakers, including Liz Dimmock, CEO of Women Ahead, Kirk Vallis, Creativity Expert and Global Head of Behavioural Development at Google and Dame Julia Cleverdon, President of Business in the Community. All giving their own personal views on change and how to implement it.

There were also talks from sports leaders in a series of SPORT Talks – a sporty version of a TED Talk. John Boyd, CEO of BaseballSoftball UK, Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Greater Manchester Sport and Iain Graham, CEO of British Showjumping gave delegates first-hand insight on how they have dealt with various aspects of change, positive and negative, and how to try to make sure the change process is as smooth as possible. Recurring themes from each SPORT Talk were the importance of believing in the change required and listening to all stakeholders who are vested in the change.

Delegates also had the opportunity to learn more about specific changes and challenges facing sport and recreation organisations, namely around developing strategies, recruiting volunteers, increasing diversity and capturing data in four practical-based workshops that allowed them to work ‘on’ their business when they weren’t ‘in’ it.

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