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If now is not the time….......

So many CEOs and senior leaders don’t know enough about technology and what it can deliver for their organisations. I know from my own time as CEO of Libraries Unlimited, I felt like I knew just about enough to shimmy through and give a good impression of someone who knew about technology! But scratch the surface and there was so much I didn’t know – about automation, AI, data analytics. You name it, there’s so much for leaders to know and so little time to gain that insight. Through my Automation Fellowship with the South West Creative Technology Network, I’ve been exploring what leaders of our arts, cultural and civic organisations know about technology and automation and what support they need to help them lead their organisations confidently around technology. Perhaps unsurprisingly, what I’ve found reflected my own experience: most CEOs and senior leaders feel they should know more and would like to know more but lack relevant opportunities to engage on the topic. As we move increasingly into an online world where, for the foreseeable future at least, being a confident and informed digital leader is absolutely essential, it’s important that we find the opportunities for senior leaders to engage and develop their skills. There are some great initiatives out there. Arts Council England’s Digital Culture Network recently launched their new website which contains a fantastic selection of online tools and resources for arts organisations. And within the South West region, the Digital Skills Partnership has been offering some brilliant Bounce Back Digital events for start ups and SMEs over the past 6 months . Cosmic, too, based here in Devon also offer some first class training programmes in digital leadership. Through my Lessons from Now commission from the South West Creative Technology Network, I’m working with James Jameson, a tech entrepreneur to explore the potential to adapt a range of existing tools and approaches to support CEOs and senior leaders to explore automation: Coaching: Coaching is a flexible approach that enables individuals to consider how they want their future to be and the goals they want to develop. We’re building a model that combines coaching with mentoring and elements of thought leadership to provide a creative and thoughtful space for CEOs to explore digital leadership and automation within their organisations Action learning: Action learning sets help colleagues and peers share and learn together, building trust and facilitating sharing of knowledge and ideas for solutions. We’re considering how action learning sets could be used in this context to support senior leaders to develop, share and collaborate. Self-help books/resources: Self-help books can be powerful platforms to inspire change. We’re exploring whether an engaging, creative approach could be taken to develop a book or resources that give leaders the insights and inspiration they need to lead well around digital. Our Lessons from Now commission is exploratory and creative – we don’t yet know whether any of these tools could help senior leaders but we’re keen to experiment and learn. James and I would love to hear from you if you’re interested in getting involved with Lessons from Now. If you’re a senior leader who is keen to explore the potential for technology and automation in your organisation, please contact us for an initial free coaching session or if you have thoughts on any of the tools outlined above and would like to share your insight, please contact us at [email protected].

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Discover the Power of Action Learning

This year, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating transformative action learning sets with leaders across different industries. One set, hosted by Plymouth Culture with funding from Arts Council England, brought together five creative leaders committed to leading with empathy and care. Another, at the University of Exeter, engaged nine department managers exploring leadership across diverse teams.

These sessions reminded me of the profound impact action learning has on leadership development. It’s one of the most effective tools for fostering self-discovery and collaborative problem-solving. Participants leave with fresh insights, actionable strategies, and stronger leadership skills.

Whether you’re a senior leader in a charity, business, or creative enterprise, action learning can result in significant transformations for you and your team. Here’s what recent participants had to say:

"The action learning set has connected me with other peer leaders interested in placing care, kindness, and empathy at the centre of their practice. We have considered how care and empathy can be forefronted both in how we work with our teams, and in how we look after ourselves." Anneliese Kesteven

"I really liked the small group environment, sense of shared endeavour and ethos of safety and security.” Tim Pithers

“I have learned to be more rigorous when it comes to looking at how I am leading, to support my team in a much better way, and it has also helped me to tackle a bit of imposter syndrome”. Francesca Hawkesworth

And as a facilitator:

“ I thought Ciara was a superb facilitator. She was calm, compassionate, and led by example. Although she was ever present, it never felt that she was intrusive and she allowed us the freedom to talk and listen." Steve Bassett

"Thank you, Ciara—it's been an inspiration! I found you to be gracious, compassionate, thoughtful, flexible... you created a container which held us and allowed us to be, and so much more." Cathy Potter

Plymouth Culture are in the process of evaluating the whole Creative Leadership programme so there will be more feedback in due course but, for now, here’s what they said:

“Action Learning sets have been key to the success of our recent Creative Leadership programme. Ciara facilitated one set, as well as offering valuable advice and strategic input into the programme as a whole. Participants highlighted the action-oriented approach as a major boost to their confidence and development as creative leaders”.

Hannah Harris, CEO, Plymouth Culture

If you’re curious about action learning, this Training Journal article has more insights on how effective it can be as an impactful, but affordable, leadership development tool. If you’d like to explore action learning for your team, feel free to book a call with me.