Success in business requires so much more than a strong business plan and a good product or service. As a business leader, the ability to effectively encourage and guide your team to achieve and surpass high standards will set the precedent for your business approach, and help ensure a reputation for excellence within the marketplace.

Our Leadership Essentials programme is designed exclusively for business owners and directors. It aims to help you enhance and brush up your leadership skills while gaining practical guidance on a range of topics, from managing talent through to succession planning and leading transformational change.

• Leadership Essentials

The three elements covered in the programme are:

• Personal diagnostic, leadership profiling and action planning
• Four half-day workshops covering a range of issues such as strategic leadership, building value, and developing high-performance teams
• One-to-one mentoring via Business Mentoring Scotland

So far, companies across Scotland from range of industries have increased their knowledge and performance through our leadership guidance.

Lorraine Stevely, Managing Director of Sercon, the Ayrshire-based cleaning, property management and security provider, joined a Leadership programme and, through the implementation of a new communication strategy, was able to get her employees behind her vision for the business. It also gave her the opportunity to reflect on the company’s current approach.

• Watch our Introduction to Leadership Essentials video

"It helps you to identify how you can make yourself different from your competitors – which in our case was focusing on quality of service," explains Lorraine.

"Just being able to step back is invaluable. Especially in a small business, it can help you avoid getting caught up in micro-management."

Leadership support also gave online learning company eCom Scotland the tools and strategy required to expand into international markets.

"After each workshop I came back with a new approach to try out," says Wendy Edie, Director at eCom.

"It’s brought a strategic level to my thinking and is also a great networking opportunity. The company has now broadened its horizons and is looking at international markets for its e-learning products."

Next steps

• Leadership essentials

There are currently spaces available for Leadership Essentials workshops taking place throughout September in the following locations:

• Edinburgh – 5 September
• Aberdeen – 6 September
• Glasgow – 7 September

Spaces are limited, so register your interest now