More than six years ago, Geraldine Moran left the corporate world to start a charity. Along with her experience she took lessons that helped her to design a program to empower disadvantaged young people. Little did she know that the charity would help her to create a business leadership course.

 

With a focus on self-leadership, it helps “to strengthen the inner leader”, so the individual can lead and support themselves then others. It has been developed to help business leaders manage change in a fast-paced evolving world.

 

At its core is mindset and behaviour strategies, however, its point of difference, is that it’s based on Centre for Hope’s five circles of community and its coaching methodology.

 

In 2011, Mrs Moran founded Centre for Hope as a helping hand for children aged 6 to 18 years identified by their schools at being “at risk”. Her driver was to support young people and community to be the best they can be.

 

These young people were continually faced with multiple stresses through their home, school, peer and community interactions. Mrs Moran believed a support mechanism with the young person at the centre that rippled out to the parents, extended family, neighbours and community was the answer and she developed the five circles of community model.

 

It was the foundation for the in-school mentoring and coaching program, which was created from her years in corporate environments developing and delivering skills and strategies to cope with stress.

The program helped to build young people’s self-worth, belief and resilience, create awareness there were options beyond their past experiences and support their goals and aspirations. In a safe space they learnt to approach challenges differently to create more empowered outcomes. In a short period of time, they stopped risky behaviours and started to share stories that explained their actions.

 

They also started to engage and support others. Its success soon spread and this year it is estimated the program will support 1200 students in the Hunter and Sydney.

 

Through Centre for Hope’s work, Mrs Moran saw simple strategies, if applied, and coupled with a support network were successful. These were lessons she used when adapting the program for adults.

 

Initially, Leadership Velocity program was created for principals and teachers who were under pressure due to the continually changing school environment. It was piloted with school leaders.

 

However, several corporate leaders were at the sessions and saw its value for the business sector. It was further developed to strengthen the individual’s leadership skills that help develop team support and stability as well as stronger outcomes for the organisation, its community and industry.

 

Through a one-day workshop, the individual learns personal leadership skills and strategies in a safe environment. They are also supported through two months of follow-up coaching sessions to help transfer the knowledge into everyday behaviour.

 

The Leadership Velocity Program not only provides new ways to lead and respond to evolving needs of businesses, it also provides revenue for Centre for Hope and its ongoing work with disadvantaged young people.