ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The “Accelerating Leadership Development for a Sustainable and Vibrant Civil Society in India” program addresses critical leadership gaps in India’s social development sector. Designed from within the sector, it responds to real-world challenges through an integrated approach that combines competency building with internal transformation. Led by experienced sector veterans and leadership coaches, the program offers practical insights and a 360° perspective on effective leadership. Spanning nine months, it blends structured learning with deep self-development, recognizing that strong leadership requires both technical skills and behavioural growth.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

Strengthening the leadership capabilities of emerging leaders in civil society organisations by integrating leadership competencies with personal leadership development, and contributing to a strong and sustainable leadership pipeline.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The program is built around two interconnected dimensions of leadership development, which run in parallel throughout the journey.
     

1. Leadership Competency Building (Outer Edge)

Participants engage in structured masterclass sessions that focus on leadership competencies. These sessions are grounded in sector-specific contexts rather than generic management frameworks. 

Core competency areas include:

• Broader Sectoral Perspective

• Entrepreneurial Mindset and Strategic Thinking

• Stakeholder Management

• Governance and Management

• Communications, Fundraising and Networking

These masterclasses aim to strengthen participants’ ability to analyse, plan, communicate, and lead effectively within complex organizational ecosystems.

2. Behaviour Change Self Work (Inner Edge)

Alongside technical learning, the program places strong emphasis on personal leadership development through structured mentorship and reflective practice.

This component focuses on:

• Leadership mindset and self-awareness

• Emotional intelligence and behavioural growth

• Adaptive leadership in uncertain and complex situations

• Collaborative leadership and team management

• Purpose-driven decision-making and resilience

Each participant is supported through one-on-one mentorship with experienced sector leaders, along with peer learning spaces that allow reflection, dialogue, and shared learning.

LEARNING METHODOLOGY

The course follows a hybrid learning model, combining physical and online engagement to balance depth, flexibility and continuity.
 

Onsite (Physical) Engagement:

• Three residential workshops

• Each workshop spans 5 days

• Includes leadership competency sessions and behaviour change/self-work sessions

• Focus on experiential learning, peer exchange, and deep reflection 

Online Engagement:

• Live virtual leadership competency sessions

• Mentorship interactions

• Reflection exercises and discussion forums

• Self-paced learning resources available on the LMS

Participants are expected to actively engage in both formats, apply learning within their organisational contexts, and reflect on their leadership practice over the duration of the program.