On the Fast Track with the Leadership Academy

July 15th, 2007

Just got home from Coventry, where I spent the weekend on the final module of the ‘Fast Track’ programme of the Improvement and Development Agency’s (IDeA’s) excellent Leadership Academy for local councillors.

Since January, myself and other “young” councillors from all over the country have travelled up to the University of Warwick for some really great training on our role as councillors and almost everything involved.

This weekend, we took part in a really excellent sessions on the role of scrutiny, handling the media and a voice coaching and confidence session led by the Royal Academy for Dramatic Arts (RADA).

For my part, It’s been great to find out that I’m not the only ENTJ in the local government world

Above is a picture of my course’s bunch at our “graduation” ceremony back in June (I missed the photo because I was too busy off chatting elsewhere as usual).

They are all really lovely. Despite our totally different political, geographical and personal backgrounds, we got on like a house on fire. Thanks to Tory Ben, in particular, for making me laugh out loud on more than one occasion

Through the course, it’s also been really nice to get some space to “think out of the Waltham Forest box”, alongside my excellent colleague, Cllr Afzal Akram (pictured above right, at the Graduation Ceremony, with myself and Cllr Faiz Yunis, who was also on the Leadership Academy but in a different group to us).

As I’ve written on this site many many times before, Afzal is an extremely talented politician and is a great role model for kids in our local area, which – like me – he also grew up in. Afzal has a bright political future in our borough. Waltham Forest is lucky to have him.

I’m sure Afzal and the lovely Faiz (pictured above left ) won’t mind me thanking all the staff at the IDeA, on all our behalves, for the excellent sessions you’ve provided us with over the last few months.

I would thoroughly recommend this course to any “young” councillors who haven’t yet done it.

Click here for more information.

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