Leadership Coaching

 

The Blue Future Peer Coaching Program brings together diverse leaders for a 3 month, circular, deep leadership development program.

Participants join, virtually, twice a month for a cohort seminar and workshop on key leadership and management skills, including relationship building, emotional maturity, and self-awareness.

In between the group seminars, folks meet in small groups to strengthen their relationships, discuss challenges in work and life, and coach each other on how they can show up more skillfully as a leader in whatever context they find themselves in, personally or professionally. 

Program Details

Why this program?

We do a disservice when we ask young people to lead projects, organizations, and movements without holding space for deep leadership development.

Informed by our partners and youth organizers, this program is an affordable way to bolster skill sets and expand leadership potential.

Why peer coaching?

Peer coaching can be part of the solution to many challenges Blue Future’s alumni are facing as practitioners in the movement, including preventing burnout, creating space to learn how to make better decisions, and strengthening our individual awareness and collective organizing power to win improvements in people’s lives.

Timeline

February 9 – March 7, 2023: Application accepted on a rolling basis.

March 7-13: Review applications and welcome inaugural cohort.

March 22: Program begins with first cohort session + bi-weekly small group meetings.

May 31: Program ends with possibility of continuation.

What people say about the program

This coaching program gave me insight to where I thought I was, where I actually am, and what I want to go as far as my leadership journey. It gave me a deeper understanding into what I’m doing, what I’m doing wrong, and what I could be doing better in my professional, problem-solving, and all-around team building skills. Coming out of this program I think that I am stronger in the way I actively listen and in the way I coach and motivate people this program also allowed me to strengthen my critical thinking skills when it comes to problem-solving. – Madison, 26

What people say about the program

Being a part of this peer coaching group really supported my personal reflection & growth with regard to my leadership methods and techniques! I now actively practice coaching when meeting with staff which is supporting my team members in becoming stronger leaders & problem solvers themselves! – Ava, 25

What people say about the program

Doing this program impacted multiple areas of my life; not only did I become a better leader, but also a more thoughtful friend, coworker, and family member. PLIEF prepares young people to navigate through the world with a more curious and compassionate perspective, that will in return positively impact the people the members of this program come into contact with. – Natalie, 24

Curriculum

 

All participants will contribute to creating a shared peer coaching pedagogy, including understanding key questions, developed in The Coaching Habit, to coach one another:

  • The Kickstart Question—What’s on your mind?
  • The AWE Question—And what else?
  • The Focus Question—What’s the real challenge here for you?
  • The Foundation Question—What do you want?
  • The Lazy Question—How can I help?
  • The Strategic Question—If you’re saying ‘Yes’ to this, what are you saying No to?
  • The Learning Question—What was most useful for you?

The Peer Coaching program will also focus on developing a comprehensive understanding of the Axioms for Organizing as core principles for effective organizing and organizational leadership. 

We will also share leadership assessments and evaluations before, during, and after the program to assess leadership growth.

 

What you'll gain

A key goal of this program will be to measure and evaluate effectiveness of the program based on the following Framework of Leadership Growth, adapted from The Leadership Challenge

Increase in self-awareness and motivation

By providing valuable leadership training and assessments, folks become attuned to their work and leadership potential in new and impactful ways. Our hope is this program will help folks gain greater self-awareness and become more committed to the future of progressive organizing, leading to increased motivation and innovation across the movement.

Grow in Confidence

A primary focus of Blue Future’s Inaugural Peer Coaching program is increasing awareness around one’s own leadership behavior and learned habits. By increasing self-awareness and encouraging personal discovery, young leaders will have a greater sense of how they can show up more skillfully in their work and life to embody their innate leadership. As leaders learn more about themselves, they gain a greater sense of confidence to get big things done.

Create a Community of Love, Respect, and Resilience

There is no magic cure for the common workplace challenges diverse youth leaders face, but having the language to work through these problems in community will facilitate resilience. By supporting leaders to understand themselves, their vision, and their goals – while also understanding that each of us has something to contribute – we can create a movement that works together with love and respect at the center.

Blue Future is a project of the Youth  Progressive Action Catalyst (YPAC), a  registered Hybrid Federal PAC) and the  Progressive Leadership Initiative,  our 501c4 non-profit.