Keys to empowering staff

Leadership is taking a group of people somewhere better – and not necessarily somewhere where they yet want to go. It is about owning, communicating and pursuing a moral vision to fulfil the core purpose of your organisation more deeply and effectively. Passion and improvement are the lifeblood of leadership. If we’re not doing that, it’s just glorified management. So we can’t talk about “empowering staff” unless we are first clear on exactly what we’re empowering them to do and why.

The Learning Power Approach is an emerging school of thought, born of dozens of research groups and practitioners worldwide, about the purpose and practice of youth work of all kinds. We start from the assumption that our job is to build young people’s capacity and appetite for learning. If you have curiosity, an adventurous spirit, determination, imagination, flexibility and sociability, you can go far. Our job is to coach and cultivate that mindset with a focus on the most vulnerable children and young people. First leaders must empower themselves, then empower staff and then we can all work together to build the learning power of the young.