Growing Together: Emerging Leaders Program

Last Tuesday, Micah Projects took another bold step in its journey of Shared Leadership with the launch of the Growing Together: Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). 

This program builds on years of commitment to growing Shared Leadership across the organisation and marks an exciting new chapter in how Micah is nurturing the next generation of leaders.

About the Growing Together: Emerging Leaders Program

Growing Together ELP is designed to support future leaders across Micah Projects to grow in confidence, capability, and connection. 

It offers leaders a practical, supported pathway for embodying Micah's six Shared Leadership principles — Justice, Inquiry, Nourishment, Confidence, Respect, and Accountability — in their daily work.

Through learning intensives, reflection, peer learning, and real-world practice, participants will be encouraged to develop and grow individually, strengthen relationships and effectiveness across Micah's clusters, and sow the seeds of Shared Leadership in every part of the organisation.

The program is designed to develop all aspects of leadership. It involves elements of Vertical Leadership Development (the capacity to operate in complex environments, manage uncertainty, appreciate multiple perspectives, learn, adapt and collaborate) and Horizontal Leadership Development (the practical skills and tools required to operate effectively in a leadership role).

At its heart, this program understands leadership as a practice of emergence. This recognises that the future of an organisation isn’t fixed — it’s constantly unfolding through the way leaders show up, learn, relate, and respond to what’s around us. It also reflects that leadership isn’t static or contained — we're always participating in something larger (whether consciously or unconsciously), and every action, decision, and conversation contributes to what becomes possible next. 

The program is underpinned by a bespoke Shared Leadership Charter, developed in collaboration with Micah Projects and designed by our team.

Why Shared Leadership?

Shared leadership is a forward-thinking, evidence-based approach where leadership responsibility is distributed across a group, rather than concentrated in a single individual or hierarchy. 

It is part of a broader shift in how people gather and lead, as society faces challenges that are too complex for one person, or even one group, to navigate alone. 

Complex organisations working for systemic change and social impact - including not-for-profits like Micah Projects are embracing leadership models grounded in collective impact: in humanity, rather than hierarchy.

Shared Leadership is about how the team shows up and creates change together - collaborating, problem-solving, and making decisions collectively, drawing on diverse perspectives and strengths. This:

• Enhances agility and responsiveness in a fast-changing landscape.

• Encourages accountability and empowerment at all levels of the organisation.

• Strengthens team cohesion and trust, ensuring leadership is not top-down but a collaborative effort.

• Supports sustainable leadership, where decision-making and responsibility are shared, rather than held by a few key individuals.

Micah Projects' Shared Leadership Journey

The ELP is just the latest chapter in Micah Projects' journey of Shared Leadership.

Over the past year, Micah Projects' Senior Leaders have been on their own Shared Leadership development journey, articulating what Shared Leadership means in their context, grounded in the six core principles, defining a Social Contract to guide behaviour, and developing the capacities, frameworks, tools and skills to lead the way.

During the Whole of Organisation Days in June 2025, we invited the whole team of nearly 400 to find their own voice and meaning in these frameworks, and to support every person in "Growing Together" to lead Micah Projects' future.

The ELP will be delivered in tandem with further work with the Cluster Leads, who will also play a vital coaching and mentoring role.

Creating Justice, Responding to Injustice

Micah Projects' commitment to Shared Leadership directly supports the team's capacity to deliver on Micah Project's mission and vision, which is built on collaboration and partnership, bridging silos of care across community service areas, creating justice and responding to injustice.

I'm so grateful to be part of this journey as it unfolds. Watch this space!

If your organisation is ready to step into a new kind of leadership, or if this works sparks your interest — I can help. Let's stoke the embers.