Program content & style

Your six days will be an exciting journey where you get the chance to learn in the most fun and active way. Using a method of learning called Kolb's Experiential Learning, we facilitate a space for you to provide the learning to each other. You then put the learning into practice through team task and then using coaching we help you discover the depth of what is really going on. Next we help you understand how you can then take this learning forward, in to your everyday life.

Day 1

Transformational Leadership
What is leadership and why is it important? This session looks at the issue  of leadership, the qualities of a great leader, and at what the differences are between the qualities of a great leader, and those of a great human being. We also look at what we mean by “Transformational Leadership” - the ability to bring about change which uplifts and benefits humanity, through meeting its needs, and developing its capabilities.

The Human Framework
Our feelings, thoughts and actions are constantly at play, interacting and reacting to each other. Why is understanding this important in terms of leadership? What are our own individual default mechanisms? Are they always useful? How can we become aware of them and avoid them if we need to? This session looks at 4 aspects of the human being: Awareness, Feeling, Thinking, Doing, and at how, once we are aware of what is happening in these areas, in ourselves and in others, we can make better choices about what is needed. 

Emotional Intelligence
Taking Daniel Goleman's work on Emotional Intelligence we incorporate the key concepts into our leadership training by giving simple, practical exercises in mindfulness that helps us develop our awareness so we can be more aware of the needs around us as leaders. Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence framework can be distilled into these four areas:

 Self-awareness – the ability to read one's emotions and recognise their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
 Self-management – involves controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
 Social awareness – the ability to sense, understand, and react to others' emotions while comprehending social networks.
 Relationship management – the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict.

The Energies
How do we need to “be” in order to “do”? What impact does our energy and that of those around us have on the task at hand? How can we use our energy more effectively to shape the environment we are in, and inspire or focus others?

Taking the Lead
This session opens up the “doing” side of leadership. When you find yourself in a position of leadership, where should you start? This session introduces a simple framework on what steps we need to take in order to take the lead in any situation.

Day 2

Decision Making 
What impact do our decisions have on those around us? Who do we consider when we make decisions? What happens when we extend that consideration wider? What happens when we don’t? We are constantly making decisions. The Decision Tree provides a tool to help us consider how to make those decisions as wisely as possible.

Great Communication
Great communication is a key part of leadership, but it is not just about telling and the grand speeches. This session looks at the 4 key tools of dialogue developed by William Isaacs in his book "Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together": Listening, Respecting, Suspending, Voicing and at how to apply them to resolve conflict through thinking collectively.

Dinner out in the local town

Day 3

Personal Mastery
We already have at our disposal all the core resources we need to achieve great things. We just need to make a conscious decision to develop and cultivate those resources. The Personal Mastery session looks at what we as individuals need to develop in ourselves in order to meet the needs we see in front of us, and at how we can put in place simple, practical steps to do so. We look at some examples of leaders such as Nelson Madella and how they used the tools of Personal Mastery to be effective leaders.

Leadership Styles

We look at Daniel Goleman's leadership styles developed at Harvard Business School to develop the tool kit of our participants so they can use their awareness to meet the needs of the situation and use the leadership styles which will bring about the most effective results.

Day 4

Case Study Day - off-site

We also take a day trip to Derry with Brendan Duddy "The Secret Peacemaker" a relatively unkown figure in the island's peace process until the BBC made a documentary about him a few year ago. A notable Catholic Republican, who was a pacifist and firm believer in dialogue, Duddy became known by MI6 as "The Contact." In his book "Great Hatred; Little Room - Making Peace in Northern Ireland,"Tony Blair's political advisor Jonathan Powell described Duddy as the "key" which led to discussions between republicans and MI5, and ultimately the Northern Ireland peace process. Brendan's passion, humility, resilience and commitment act as a fantastic example of transformational leadership.

Day 5

Leading Through Sound
During this workshop we look at the power of sounds as a tool for leaders to bring about change, by listening to the words of some inspiring speeches and their impact. We also have a exercise of singing together, this can be very challenging for some people but as a team we can start to see the importance of working together and the strength that can come from the sound we make in the world as leaders.

Intent and Vision
This workshop is about creating space for personal reflection, where participants will work individually, in pairs and with their leadership coaches to reflect on what is it that we are really passionate about? How can we connect with that and use it to develop a personal vision for change in the world?

Dinner where you meet the Lucca Leadership Mentors

Day 6

Making A Difference
Consolidating all their learning from the program, participants will now look at the tools needed to implement projects or change of behaviours in their own communities and how they can translate this into action, either through individual actions or group projects designed to address one or more of the needs they have identified.

The Next 12 Months

You are given the opportunity to work with a Mentor over the year in person or over the telephone,  with a minimum of one meeting a month.

4 Service Learning Days - Give Something Back - we ask all participants to put their leadership skills into practice by committing to give 4 days throughout the year where they will act as a servant leader by doing something that is for others that are in need.

Bi-monthly meets and training opportunities are available* where you have the chance to meet up with your course participants, alumni members or coaches to refresh you and remind you of the learning that happened over your amazing week.

We empower people to make a difference in their communities. We specialise in facilitating courses that increase participants' confidence, awareness and effectiveness in leading positive change. We offer a limited number of program and travel bursaries, but do not support people or projects financially beyond this. We offer coaching during and mentoring directly after programmes. We do not provide ongoing counselling. There are a number of other great organisations that offer funding, counselling and other support, some of which can be found on our Links page.

Lucca Leadership Ireland is a member of The Wheel, The International Leadership Association, a Virgin Unite Valued Partner and a proud recipient of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland's level 1 and 2 awards.