Adele Cunningham,
Operations Manager
“I cannot express how much this has transformed me as a person thus in turn as a leader whilst being so true to myself.”
Walking In with Assumptions, Walking Out with Purpose. I can still picture that first day: grey skies and Manchester rain, no surprises there. I walked into the learning set feeling like I’d been here before. As a team leader, I’ve attended plenty of leadership courses, all promising growth and insight. Honestly, the timing wasn’t ideal, but I’m professional. I’d show up, represent my agency, do my best.
I thought I had it all figured out. I was switched on, experienced, confident. Right?
What I didn’t realise then was that this programme would challenge far more than my leadership style, it would challenge my mindset.
The Moment That Changed Everything – In that first session, Fiona, one of the facilitators, immediately picked up on something in my body language. Maybe I was distant, slightly guarded. During a short break, she walked over, gently took my arms and said, “I appreciate you being here and I’ve got you.”
It was simple, but powerful. That moment stayed with me. On the train ride home, I reflected on how being seen and valued in that way had made me feel. I thought: “What if I could help others feel like that too?” And just like that, I decided, I was all in.
It’s a Commitment, and It’s Worth It – Make no mistake: this isn’t a tick-box programme. It requires time, thought, and commitment. But the investment pays off.
The learning sets, the peer groups, the openness, they create a kind of energy you carry with you. The experience goes deeper than surface-level skills. It challenges how you think, how you lead, and how you relate to others.
You get to decide the impact this programme has on you. No matter how skilled or seasoned you are, this will shift your thinking and your presence as a leader.
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work – One of the biggest takeaways for me is the blurring of lines between professional and personal leadership. I’ve realised that to lead authentically, you have to bring your whole self to work.
Before the programme, I’d hold onto interactions long after they’d passed, whether they went well or not. Now, I’ve learned how to reflect, reset, and respond with more awareness and purpose. The quality of my conversations has improved and so has the impact I have on others.
Three months after completing the programme, I was promoted. That milestone isn’t the only measure of success, but I believe that what I learned through the programme helped accelerate my growth and readiness for that next step.
This Isn’t Just Another Development Opportunity – The LAA Personal Leadership Programme is not like any other course I’ve attended. It’s practical, emotional, and deeply human. It’s not about fixing what’s broken, it’s about discovering what’s strong and using it to lead better, together.
If you’re about to start your own journey with the programme, I encourage you to lean in fully. The more you put in, the more you’ll get back. And most of all, welcome to a shared purpose: building a strength-based culture where we all have the chance to thrive.