Tim’s welcome
More than a decade ago I was fortunate to meet Barry Dore on a leadership programme organised by the Wildlife Trusts, who I was working for at the time. I have to admit that I was filled with a certain degree of cynicism when I walked into the room with five colleagues from other Wildlife Trusts for our first session. How could learning about leadership really help me in my day-to-day work? Well, I can honestly say now that meeting Barry is one of the most important things that has happened to me in my life. The material Barry presented made so much sense and sharing experiences with like-minded colleagues was incredibly helpful. But more than that, Barry gave me confidence in my own ability to make change. Suddenly I realised I didn’t have to accept the status quo. That I, as conservationist who wanted to make a difference, really could.
And that is what Becoming a Conservation Leader is all about. Over the next few weeks we want to show that whatever stage you’re at in your career, you can make a difference. We want to challenge you to think differently about how you approach your day-to-day work, and how your actions can influence others. If we really want to do something about the global ecological and climate crisis, then sitting on the side lines waiting for other people to do something, really isn’t going to cut the mustard. We have to all take responsibility to push for change whether that be in your local community, nature reserve, or elsewhere. We are all conservation leaders in our own right and over the course of the programme we will help you explore the concept of leadership and how it can help you in your own conservation journey and to make the change nature so desperately needs.