Siobhan Orchard-Webb shares a case study on how a bespoke leadership programme became a transformative journey. Blending agile learning with human-centred facilitation, the experience empowered individuals to lead with confidence, curiosity and care, showing how the most powerful learning happens not from instruction, but from listening, adapting, and growing together.
On an autumnal morning, in a quiet training room tucked away in an area of a community building, twelve managers gathered around a set of tables arranged in a semi-circle. They represented different charities, different missions and vastly different personal journeys and experiences.
One worked in women’s domestic abuse services. Another managed a team of volunteers. A third was a newly appointed operations lead. They had not all considered themselves to be “leaders” until recently. They had come together through a collaboration involving The Clare Foundation and our team, seeking to grow as leaders so they could better support those who rely on their organisations every day.
What unfolded over the coming weeks was much, much more than a management development programme. It was a lesson in agile learning: learning that adapts, responds, evolves and places individuals at the heart of the process.
The challenge: What they want, what they need, and what remains unseen
In the learning and development world, we spend a lot of time discussing relevance. Learning must resonate with learners. They need to see the value, the immediate application, and the “why this matters for me.” At the same time, effective development requires addressing areas learners may not initially recognise. There is always the classic challenge of “I don’t know what I don’t know.” A manager might believe they need help with prioritisation, when in fact the root challenge lies in delegation, confidence, or clarity of communication.
The balance is delicate. Present learners with only what they ask for and the learning can be shallow and only prepare them for immediate challenges, not developing them into all round leaders. Present them with only what we perceive they need, and we risk disengagement or frustration. The key lies in agility: responding to real people, in real time, with real challenges.
When we began designing a bespoke management development programme for this interconnected group of charities, we knew flexibility would be essential. The group represented a kaleidoscope of experience levels, from first-time managers to seasoned leaders looking to refresh or rethink old habits. Their roles varied, their environments differed, and the realities of their day-to-day demands ranged widely. The goal was not simply to teach leadership theory, it was to empower meaningful, practical growth
A blend designed for real people who manage real people
The programme combined face-to-face workshops, e-learning and virtual sessions. This blended approach allowed for reflection, application and ongoing conversation, rather than learning being a single moment in time. The face-to-face sessions created the foundation. They provided the space for individuals to share openly, challenge assumptions and build trust with one another. The e-learning elements enabled flexibility, self-direction and an opportunity to revisit concepts. The virtual sessions kept momentum alive between in-person days, allowing for coaching, collective problem-solving and shared accountability.
The design was intentional. The delivery, however, needed to remain dynamic.
Discovery through delivery
As the sessions unfolded, something important became clear. While everyone had joined the programme with the shared intent of developing leadership skills, their starting points were varied. Some delegates had strong emotional intelligence and an intuitive sense of how to support their teams, yet they needed deeper confidence when it came to strategic planning. Others were extremely comfortable with process and structure yet struggled when conversations became emotionally charged or when conflict surfaced.
This was not a surprise and yet it was significant. It meant that the programme needed to shift, to adjust to what was emerging, not simply what had been written in the initial training plan.
Agile learning requires us to listen. Not only to words spoken aloud, listen to the unspoken signals: the questions that repeat, the concepts that land heavily, the areas where silence suggests uncertainty or discomfort, or contemplation.
By listening to the delegates, we shaped each session with care:
- When several participants expressed difficulty handling challenging conversations, we expanded that topic and introduced role-play exercises that felt safe yet authentic
- When others highlighted concerns about prioritising effectively, we explored real examples from their day-to-day workload, rather than theoretical scenarios
- Many leaders were experiencing challenges with talking their people through change, and by anticipating this and working closely with the group we were able to help them focus on both the core competence needed and the specifics they are facing
This adaptability was not a deviation from the programme goals. It was the programme fulfilling its purpose.
Learning that sticks starts with ownership
One of the most powerful outcomes of agile learning is ownership. When learners have influence over the direction of the learning experience, they become more invested. They participate rather than receive. They question, explore, reflect and challenge themselves. Learning becomes an active process rather than a passive one.
In this programme, we saw that ownership grow. Throughout each of the sessions, we continually asked the group to reflect deeply on their own needs and experiences. As they talked, it became apparent that each person’s journey would look different. One participant recognised a need to step back more often so their team could step forward. Another realised that they had undervalued their own strengths and were seeking external validation unnecessarily. These insights did not emerge because we told them what to think. They emerged because the learning environment created space for discovery.
Ownership supports “stickability,” that essential element of learning where the knowledge remains long after the session ends. When learners see themselves in the content, when they can immediately apply concepts in their real environment and when they feel an internal shift, the learning stays.
The role of the facilitator: Not teacher, not expert, but guide
Facilitators in agile learning environments take on a role that differs from traditional instruction. They guide. They question. They observe. They create conditions for exploration rather than delivering answers.
In this programme, facilitation involved:
- Listening deeply to what participants said and how they said it
- Noticing patterns, gaps, resistance and breakthroughs
- Adapting session plans in response to what was unfolding
- Encouraging reflection rather than offering solutions
- Validating experiences while still challenging assumptions
When facilitators listen, they demonstrate that the learners’ experiences matter. This builds trust, which is the foundation of growth and success.
Agile learning mirrors agile leadership
Interestingly, while teaching leadership through agile learning, the group was also practising agile leadership themselves. Leadership is not static. It evolves in response to context, people and priorities. Agile leaders:
- Seek feedback, rather than fearing it
- Remain curious about their assumptions
- Adjust their approach based on what is needed now, rather than relying solely on what worked before
- Encourage shared responsibility rather than control
The programme became a lived experience of these principles. Delegates were not just learning about leadership theory. They were doing leadership, in the moment, together.
The outcome: Confidence, connection and capability
As the final sessions approached, something had shifted. Individuals who began the programme questioning whether they belonged in a leadership space now spoke of their work with grounded assurance. Participants who once hesitated to share openly were now encouraging others. A community had formed, one that would continue long after the learning ended.
The charities involved may never share the same operational focus. Their missions will always differ. Yet they now share something powerful: confident, reflective leaders who understand themselves, understand their teams and feel equipped to continue growing.
The Clare Foundation, in bringing these organisations together, helped create more than a training course. It supported a movement of leadership growth across sectors where leadership is deeply needed.
The story continues
Agile learning is not a model reserved for specialist training environments. It is a mindset that can be applied anywhere. In every team meeting where reflection is invited. In every one-to-one where a leader asks, “What do you need right now?” In every moment where curiosity leads the way.
Learning becomes meaningful when it connects to real experience. It becomes powerful when learners help shape the journey. It becomes lasting when individuals take responsibility not only for what they know today, but for who they are becoming.
This programme was a reminder that growth does not follow a straight path. It twists, it unfolds, it reveals. And when learning adapts to that process, something truly transformational happens.
Leadership does not begin with knowing. Leadership begins with noticing. With listening. With being willing to grow in ways we cannot yet see. Agile learning makes that growth possible.
Siobhan Orchard-Webb is Head of Sales at The Motivation Agency
