The Leadership in Context (LiC) programme, sponsored by the Abe Bailey Trust, was launched in 2018 to connect youth leaders at South African Higher Education institutions to broaden engagement around leadership and to challenge the hierarchical construct of leadership in Higher Education spaces. LiC places an emphasis on what is required to lead in context and to provide youth leaders exposure to the opportunities and challenges of different student leadership spaces. Accountable leadership remains a key theme.
What is LiCThe LiC programme is a month-long online leadership offering developed to enable South African youth leaders to reflect and share on their perception of leadership roles, how they are constructed within the Higher Education space and how that influences leadership in South Africa and globally. The key question explored is: How can youth leaders on a personal level, contribute to changing the way leadership perceptions are shaped and experienced, to be conducive to developing leaders for the 21st century?
MethodologyAs LSAL, LiC is a 3-phase online programme designed by staff and students to re-imagine and co-create the development of leaders in Higher Education spaces. Colleagues from partner institutions are also contributing to the programme to ensure that various leadership contexts are explored. Phase 1 consists of online material intended to prepare students for phase 2, which is the LiC engagement day consisting of panel discussions and breakout room engagement. Phase 3 consists of an implementation phase where students are required to explore their goals relevant to their specific context. The programme is conceptualised through the use of the Theory of Change to examine the environment and challenge assumptions to create a comprehensive purpose statement. The design process also involved using the Appreciative Inquiry methodological approach to identify what works well in the environment and how to build on established foundations. Through the use of panel discussions and breakout rooms, LiC provides a space for cross-institutional engagement and considers leadership against the backdrop of the broader national leadership context, and how that influences leadership within Higher Education and leadership for the 21st century. Themes such as leadership in context, confronting biases, relational and accountable leadership are prevalent in this offering.
RecognitionLiC is recognised as a registered training opportunity at Stellenbosch University and is recognised on students' academic transcripts. |