The Clublinks Future Leaders Program (FLP) was introduced with the aim of preparing staff for leadership roles by developing and equipping them with the appropriate skills, and as we like to say – Clublinksinifying participants.
Kate Klein, GM of People and Corporate Services, spearheaded the launch of the FLP’s second year following a successful pilot program in 2021.
The FLP aims to help our staff learn how to maximize their own potential, understand themselves better, and guide them through the next stage of their professional career.
At Clublinks, we believe it is important to invest in staff just as much as you invest in other aspects of your business. Employee engagement and satisfaction is higher in organisations with high-development cultures, demonstrating the importance and value of internal training.
Participants are selected for the program based on three P’s – passion, performance, and potential; with Sam Weston, Stefan Ratnasingham and Stephanie Chenery all nominated by their direct managers to take part in the inaugural FLP due to possessing these exact qualities. On the back of this program, all three individuals have now taken on leadership and management roles within the Clublinks network.
This remarkable achievement not only showcases the success of the FLP, but it also encourages loyalty and a sense of progress for all employees at Clublinks.
When the role of Finance Manager opened up during the year at Clublinks, our recruitment process resulted in Stefan being offered the role. Stefan credits the program in not only providing him with the necessary skills to take on a leadership role, but also providing him with the confidence to optimise his own potential within the company.
“Future leaders was a great opportunity to grow in my role and provided me with a solid foundation of knowledge. With lots going on in the business, the program not only highlighted what we do, but also the thinking behind it.” – Stefan.
Sam is another alumni of the inaugural FLP that has expanded his role and taken on greater leadership and management responsibilities at Clublinks.
Sam began his career as a casual personal trainer and group fitness instructor at DeakinACTIVE Waurn Ponds. Sam quickly moved into the Venue Manager role at Waurn Ponds before stepping up into the Acting DeakinACTIVE Venue Manager role in a maternity leave replacement contract and taking on key leadership responsibilities across the three DeakinACTIVE campuses.
When reflecting on his experience in the program, Sam explained that “As I have had no formal management education, I found the program incredibly insightful and learnt new skills from a broad range of topics which I could implement into my role.
“A key takeaway for myself from the program was my increased confidence around my ability as a manager and a leader due to my learnings, especially around people and relationship management.”
Initially joining the company as NSW Communities Manager, Stephanie has since taken on the role of GM of Communities overseeing all of our contracts. Although she was a participant of the first FLP, Stephanie took a break from the program while on maternity leave, picking up where she left off in the current 2022 FLP.
This is a great example of the flexibility offered to participants and the impact this program can have on staff in such a short timeframe. Stephanie had a unique opportunity to grow and thrive as a leader, while also supporting the shift from managing herself to managing others despite only completing half of the program before going on leave. When asked about the program, Stephanie stated that:
“For me, the Future Leaders Program really showed that as a company we have so many talented and experienced individuals, and although not everyone specialises in the area you do, there is always someone you can reach out to who will be able to provide advice and support.”
FLP has only been operating for two years, but its results and flow-on effects are incalculable. It is exciting to see our next generation of leaders progress through our organisation and shine brightly.
Sam Weston Stefan Ratnasingham Stephanie Chenery
