My Leadership Exchange Experience
What would it feel like to walk in the shoes of another? The ACOSVO Leadership Exchange programme pairs leaders from across sectors, allowing participants to gain an insight into the different cultures, constraints and opportunities their counterparts work with. It offers a unique opportunity to expand your network, gain a fresh perspective, and share your plans, challenges and strategy with another leader.
Gillian Middleton - Depute CEO, Early Years Scotland - joined the March 2023 cohort and has written this blog about her experience on the programme.
My name is Gillian Middleton, I am currently employed as Depute CEO of Early Years Scotland. I signed up for the ACOSVO Leadership Exchange in the spring of 2023 after attending an information session earlier in the year.
The information session set the scene very effectively in outlining the aims and aspirations of the exchange, and it served as a superb opportunity for previous participants to reflect on their experience of the programme. Hearing previous participants’ accounts of their experience is what ultimately encouraged me to apply to the programme for the spring 23 cohort.
I was paired with Lindsay MacDougall, Head of Child Protection Unit within Scottish Government in May 2024, and upon our initial chemistry meeting I felt confident I had been paired with an exchange partner that I could offer a mutually beneficial experience to. We opted to meet every 6- 8 weeks’ whether remotely or on-site in our respective cities, the latter of which we committed to every third meeting in order to build in person interaction as part of our agreed commitment to the ethos of the exchange.
We opted to have a largely conversational, informal approach to our meetings together and we covered a wide range of topics from change management, the differences in leading and managing teams, strategic change and transitions, time management, prioritising work life balance goals, as well as cultivating individual and staff development.
I thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from Lindsay’s wisdom, active listening and presence of engagement within the agreed exchange sessions.
This part of my exchange experience informs my advice to future applicants to consider and ensure you can allocate the time required and suggested within the programme, to maximise the benefits and value of taking part in the exchange. This will support your own professional and personal development, as well as that of your prospective exchange partner who will have goals and aims of their own as their motivation for signing up.
Secondly, be courageous and discerning if you recognise that a suggested match is not best suited to your exchange profile goals, or vice versa. Self-reflection throughout the exchange will serve you well and ensure the experience and takeaway learning is valuable for both participants. I am pleased to say my exchange partner and I continue to keep in touch beyond our exchange timeline and it is refreshing to have external peer support to bounce ideas off and to going forward.
From my own experience I thoroughly recommend the leadership exchange. In a busy working world, leaders need to invest in their own wellbeing and development to progress not only as individuals, but also for their teams and organisations at large. Carving out this time in your diary to take part, to learn from a peer out with your sector or existing networks is, I feel, a gift to yourself both personally and professionally, and an opportunity to reflect, learn and develop your leadership skills for the present and the future.
Gillian Middleton
Depute CEO, Early Years Scotland