6x 3 hour LIVE, Online course (via Zoom or MS Teams) with a professional trainer and a maximum group size of 16 people.
Future Leaders Programme for Local Government
Overview
Local authorities often create “accidental managers” — promoting high-performing individuals into leadership roles without the preparation to succeed. The result is inconsistent management, avoided conversations, poor performance management, and increased reliance on HR.
While these individuals are often excellent at their jobs, managing people requires a completely different skillset. The result? New managers who feel overwhelmed, avoid difficult conversations, struggle to manage performance, and rely heavily on HR for support. Over time, this leads to inconsistent management practice, reduced team performance, and increased pressure on already stretched HR teams.
The Future Leaders Programme is designed to change that. This practical, highly engaging and participatory 6-week online programme equips aspiring managers with the mindset, skills, and tools they need before stepping into a management role — helping organisations move away from “accidental management” and build a stronger, more confident leadership pipeline.
Who should attend?
Employees in local government who are aspiring to move into their first management role within the next 0–3 years, have recently taken on informal leadership responsibilities, or have been identified as part of a talent or succession pipeline.
Course Outline – Agenda
SESSION ONE (3 HOURS) – Stepping into Leadership: The Transition from Doer to Manager
Focus: Building the mindset, identity, and readiness to lead in a local government environment
- The reality of the shift: doer → leader in public sector roles
- Why new managers often struggle: Letting go of doing, Managing former peers, Imposter syndrome, Authority vs likability
- “What kind of manager do I want to be?” – defining your leadership approach
- Boundaries, identity, and credibility in local authority settings
- Common early mistakes new managers make (and how to avoid them)
Practical tool: Your “First 90 Days as a Manager” plan (tailored to local government context)
SESSION TWO (3 HOURS) – Communicating as a Manager (Not a Peer)
Focus: Building core communication skills required to lead, not just contribute
- The difference between peer communication and managerial communication
- Setting clear expectations and giving direction (reducing ambiguity)
- Adapting your communication style to different individuals and situations
- Listening as a leadership skill (not just responding)
- Managing up, down, and across departments in a political local authority structure
Practical toolkit: Simple communication frameworks for:
- Setting expectations
- Giving clarity
- Structuring 1:1 conversations
SESSION THREE (3 HOURS) – Understanding People: Behaviour, Trust & Motivation
Focus: Understanding what drives behaviour at work and how to build effective teams
- What drives behaviour in public sector environments (beyond pay)
- Building trust and psychological safety within teams
- What actually creates engagement (and what undermines it)
- Motivating different individuals – not a one-size-fits-all approach
- Recognising early signs of disengagement or conflict
Practical toolkit:
- Techniques to build trust in your first months as a manager
- Simple approaches to understanding individual motivators
SESSION FOUR (3 HOURS) – Managing Performance Effectively
Focus: Giving managers the confidence and structure to manage performance proactively
- Setting clear, meaningful objectives aligned to service delivery
- Translating organisational goals into individual expectations
- Monitoring performance without micromanaging
- Building regular, effective feedback into everyday management
- The role of consistency and fairness in public sector performance management
Practical toolkit:
- Objective-setting templates
- Simple feedback models managers can use immediately
SESSION FIVE (3 HOURS) – Handling Challenge: Difficult Conversations & Underperformance
Focus: Building confidence to address issues early and effectively
- Why new managers often avoid difficult conversations (and the impact on teams)
- Structuring and leading effective difficult conversations
- Managing underperformance in a clear, fair, and consistent way
- Balancing empathy with accountability in a local government context
- Knowing when and how to involve HR appropriately
Practical toolkit:
- Conversation frameworks for difficult situations
- Step-by-step approach to managing underperformance
SESSION SIX (3 HOURS) – Building Your Leadership Development Plan
Focus: Turning learning into a clear, practical plan for stepping into management
- Reflecting on your strengths and development areas as a future manager
- Identifying readiness gaps (skills, confidence, experience)
- What experience you need before stepping into a management role
- Creating a personal development roadmap (next 3, 6, and 12 months)
- How to build experience within a local authority (projects, stretch opportunities, acting roles)
Practical tool: A structured Personal Leadership Development Plan to support your transition into management
Learning Objectives (success criteria)
By the end of this course, delegates will
Develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to successfully transition from an individual contributor to a management role.
Understand the key differences between “doing” and leading others within a local government context.
Build practical capability in core management skills, including communication, performance management, and handling difficult conversations.
Apply simple frameworks and tools to manage people effectively and consistently.
Identify personal strengths and development areas to support readiness for a future management role.
Create a clear, actionable plan to build experience and capability over the next 3–12 months.
Why this programme is different
This programme is specifically designed for the local government environment, recognising the unique challenges, structures, and pressures that managers face within public sector organisations. Rather than relying on generic leadership theory, it focuses on real-world management challenges that new and aspiring managers are likely to encounter, ensuring the learning is immediately relevant and applicable.
The programme is highly practical and outcome-focused, equipping participants with simple, effective tools, frameworks, and templates that can be used straight away in the workplace. The emphasis is not just on learning, but on what participants will be able to do differently as a result — from setting clear expectations and managing performance more consistently, to handling difficult conversations with confidence and reducing reliance on HR for day-to-day people issues.
It is also designed to support organisational succession planning, helping local authorities build stronger, more confident leadership pipelines. By preparing individuals before they step into management roles, organisations benefit from smoother transitions, more consistent management practice, improved team performance, and increased engagement and retention.
Delivery is learner-centred and highly interactive, with sessions conducted live online and limited to small groups to maximise engagement. Participants will take part in discussions, case studies, and practical challenges, creating opportunities to apply learning in a safe environment and learn from others across the sector.
The programme is delivered by an experienced trainer with a strong understanding of local government, ensuring the content is grounded in real organisational contexts and reflects the realities of managing within the public sector.
Booking, Costs and Dates
If you have 6 or more people interested in this course – we would run it “on demand” – please email us at hello@lgtda.co.uk
The next open programme will run over six consecutive Friday afternoons (1:30pm–4:30pm), starting on Friday 6 November 2026. The investment is £495 per participant. To reserve a place or find out more, please contact us at hello@lgtda.co.uk – Limited to 16 participants
