Over the past decade, ETF’s work has been driven by one simple conviction: the greatest and most sustained impact in further education (FE) and skills comes not from isolated practice, but from sustained leadership that strengthens the whole system. 

Since 2014, ETF has designed and delivered a connected portfolio of programmes focused on career progression, leadership pipelines and succession planning. These programmes have reached leaders at every stage of their journey, from first-time managers to senior executives and governors.  

Co-produced with experts in leadership development, including our strategic partners Oxford Saïd Business School and King’s College London, this long-term, system-oriented approach has enabled leadership development to translate into organisational improvement and, ultimately, sector-wide resilience. 

With funding from the Department for Education, ETF has supported tens of thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders through national, regional and in-house programmes  grounded in ETF’s Professional and Leadership Standards. This includes open programmes, organisation-led pathways and targeted interventions focused on inclusion, governance and senior leadership transition.  

This breadth matters. Leadership capacity is most powerful when it is distributed across roles, institutions and regions, strengthening collective capability rather than concentrating expertise in a few individuals. 

Across our programmes, a clear pattern of impact has emerged: positive outcomes for individuals, their organisations, and the FE and skills sector as a whole. This is not leadership as a badge or credential, but leadership as sustained behavioural and identity change shaped over time. The success and impact of ETF’s leadership work over the last decade have been underpinned by several consistent features: 

Through my visits and conversations with principals and CEOs during my time at ETF, a clear set of leadership traits emerges. The most impactful leaders demonstrate purpose-led leadership, grounding strategic decisions in a shared mission that reaches beyond organisational boundaries.  

They apply systems thinking, recognising their institution as part of a wider skills ecosystem and actively building partnerships with employers, communities and policymakers. They show courageous leadership, willing to hold difficult conversations, address polarisation and innovate in uncertain contexts. 

Equally evident is relational leadership: creating psychologically safe environments where people feel valued, connected and empowered to lead at every level. Above all, the strongest leaders combine ambition with humility, investing in their own development and building leadership pipelines that ensure continuity, succession and long-term impact. 

In a world where complexity is the norm, our task remains to grow leadership that does not simply succeed within the system but actively improves it. That has been the purpose of ETF’s leadership work for the past decade, and it will continue to guide us in the decade ahead.