The Breakfast Clubs are our Leadership Event Series. They create spaces for people in the sector, at all levels of their own Leadership journeys, to come together, hear some new ideas from other leaders in the sector and connect. They start with a fireside chat with two people with experience on a particular topic. We have a mix of leaders from within the sector and other experts in certain areas. Themes are be overarching and applicable to anyone on a leadership journey. After, we host facilitated roundtables with the audience to help people reflect on what they’ve heard and get to know others in their community.
This month’s event is on the topic of Leadership and Vulnerability. There are many different styles of leadership and many different ways to ‘do’ leadership. One topic that has received lots of attention is the issue of vulnerability within leadership.
Vulnerability within leadership refers to leaders who show their emotions to their team in the hope that it will build team trust and resilience. But vulnerability in leadership is a long way from more traditional leadership styles that suggest vulnerability is showing weakness, so what’s the right answer?
The Leadership Academy Breakfast Clubs are available to anyone in the community, voluntary, nonprofit, or social enterprise space at any level, from volunteer to CEO. The events are free and delivered both online and in-person to allow for accessibility. We’ve had just under 600 people attend our events in 2023.
Our attendee profiles show an ongoing mix of people at varying stages of their leadership journey from emerging leaders and young people considering a future career in the sector, to senior leaders with years of experience. We also have everyone from volunteers in the sector, to consultants working with the sector as well as staff in the sector. We invite anyone at any stage of their own leadership journey with an interest in the sector to attend.
Academic, author, public speaker
CEO of the Irish Cancer Society
Fine Gael Councillor/ She Builds People
CEO Carmichael
CEO UCD Professional Academy
CEO Childrens Books Ireland
Co-Founder Black and Irish
CEO Mantra Strategy
Senior Manager Crosscare
Biodynamic Psychotherapist
CEO Open Doors Initiative
The Trussel Trust
CEO NOVAS
Foroige
Nonprofit Consultant
Contrary to popular belief the Breakfast Clubs were not called after Breakfast, even though it plays a valuable part in our day. It was actually called after the fabulous 1985 John Hughes movie.
In the movie five complete strangers find themselves becoming friends after spending a lengthy detention together. We had an idea that we wanted to make spaces for people from all across the sector with nothing obvious in common, to get together and connect. ‘Like that movie the Breakfast Club’, Sharon said to Mairead, and that is how The Breakfast Club stuck!