Wavelength Connect is a fully immersive, experiential leadership programme like no other, focused on The Future of Business. We bring together leaders from sectors that would not normally interact and provide access to the world’s most admired, successful and innovative companies.
Wavelength Connect is our immersive, experiential, executive education programme, focused on The Future of Business
Since 2008, we’ve developed an enviable track record of experiential programmes and global content. We bring all of that global knowledge and access to our Wavelength Connect programme.
Based on our core belief that leaders learn best from leaders, over nine months Wavelength Connect equips each cohort of 60 peers from different sectors and industries, with the insights, connections and energy to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing the world today.
Business models have been upended, the purpose of the office re-invented, the environmental crisis, geo-political instability, black lives matter, and the continued rise of China are all challenging the status quo. We are now a digitally native world, connected virtually, but increasingly disconnected on many other levels.
Never has it been tougher to be a leader and the need for a new type of leadership has never been more clear.
Nor has the need for a different kind of leadership programme.
Wavelength Connect is that programme.
We bring together leaders from worlds that would not normally interact and provide access to the world’s most admired, successful, innovative companies and leaders.
Together we explore the opportunities and challenges in the business landscape today and how to turn those insights and lessons into tangible actions and new networks to ensure your leaders and business thrive now and into the future.
Wavelength Connect is underpinned by three pillars:
Inspiration
From Alibaba and Apple to Unilever and Xioami: unparalleled global access to an ecosystem of some of the world’s most progressive organisations.
Connection
60 peers from different industries and sectors learning together and from one another.
Application
Peer Working Groups, dedicated workshops and optional Executive Coaching sessions are at the heart of the experiential applied learning model. They draw out key insights, and shorten the timeline from inspiration to application.
Wavelength Connect 2024
Wavelength Connect is a unique executive education and leadership development programme focused on the theme of The Future of Business.
Across our nine-month, fully in-person immersive experience, we provide participants with the inspiration, education, provocation and knowledge to find solutions to core leadership and organisational challenges and to own and action them.
We are actively building our Wavelength Connect 2024 cohort right now. So do get in touch to find out more.
"Connect is extremely relevant to my business area. Over the last couple of years, the media industry has been through a tremendous change. Often in the media industry we tend to look at other media companies for a steer on how to move forwards and that is no longer enough. With all the competitive pressures and changes in consumer behaviour, we need to start looking elsewhere, to start getting inspired by what’s happening in other adjacent industries and the fantastic thing about Connect is that’s exactly what it does. I’ve got a cohort of people from across many different industries, with some of the same challenges, but with many different types of solutions and new ways of thinking. And this programme really brings all of that together, in the social interactions we have, as part of the speaker series, the questions we’re set, the coaching, it’s all about thinking outside of the norm, and that's absolutely brilliant, it’s what we need!"
★★★★★
Kenneth Danquah, FCA, CFO, Mercury Studios Co
“The atmosphere is electric! The Connect speakers have been incredibly inspiring, and quite mind blowing at times. They’ve all shared their personal stories and sometimes the lessons in leadership that we all need to take away are through those personal stories. It’s humbling to see such credible leaders open up and be vulnerable and tell us that it’s ok to be vulnerable, and show that vulnerability is the way to connect with your organisation. I’ve been in awe actually. It’s been incredible. I’ve been on quite a few programmes over the last 15 years and this is very different. Far more immersive, really thought-provoking and what I love is, it gives you the space for reflection and debate. It gives us all the platform to consider the new thinking that's coming out through leadership experience, that's relevant and not theoretical, and real."
★★★★★
Zoe Vafadari, Chief Brand and Corporate Affairs Officer, Bupa
"Connect is different to other leadership courses I’ve been on. It’s over an extended period of time so you have a sustained relationship with people, but also it's hugely varied. The Behind The Brand experiences we went on, to Liverpool Football Club, to Alder Hey Hospital and Pret A Manger, they’re really different businesses. So varied and you get to learn something different every time. The eureka moments for me - whether it’s the CEO of Liverpool Football Club, or the ex-President of Lufthansa Airlines, it’s about being human as a leader, and being prepared to wear your humility with pride, is something that I’ll certainly take away from Connect.”
★★★★★
Julia Mixter, Director of Transformation, Raven Housing Trust
Wavelength is a leadership programme with a difference – immersive, thought-provoking, inspiring and challenging. If you want a completely different learning experience, away from the traditional classroom – this is for you. Whether in a yurt deep in the countryside or touring around the country to look ‘behind the brand’ to learn from some of the most innovative and exciting brands, there is something to learn for everyone. Personally, it gave me inspiration and time to reflect on my leadership purpose; to consider the impact and outcome of each decision I am taking; to cut through the task list and really think about the value I am bringing to each interaction.
★★★★★
Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement, Samaritans
"Growth mindset + +. Not only did I come away from every Wavelength interaction with bags of new knowledge, it’s the critical thinking that I’ve brought back to the business that makes this a best in class leadership programme. I know I’ll be reflecting on all the content for years to come. The cherry to top is the brilliant connections I’ve made. Thank you Wavelength."
★★★★★
Ming Lee, Global Finance Director, Jaguar Land Rover
Connecting with fellow leaders from corporates, charities and government authorities was an enriching experience. Wavelength has awoken my consciousness on how I can make a difference in the world.
★★★★★
Suzy Hay, former Global Director Platforms & Partnerships, Guardian Media Group, now Global Director, Meta
Connect helped me navigate a time of profound change - for my industry, my company and for myself. It could not have come at a better time, and proved to be a real anchor and inspiration in a time of immense uncertainty.
★★★★★
Frederico Santos, Executive Customer Director, Carglass Portugal
I have done the MBA, I have done the business school courses but Connect is in a league of its own. A truly powerful programme which has made me think differently about my leadership and my business.
★★★★★
Emma Sceats, SVP Sales & Marketing, Abcam
"The 'eureka moment' for me on the Wavelength Connect programme has been the discovery that my purpose isn’t going to come from outside of me, that for it to be authentic, it's already within me. The presenters have been amazing. What’s really resonated with me is their personal stories and how they’ve explained their leadership journey, developing resilience, and understanding how to bring vulnerability into their roles. In an era where a lot of things are virtual, the in person element of the Wavelength programme has been so engaging, so refreshing. I’ve been really blown away."
What's the Focus of Connect?
The principal theme of Connect is The Future of Business. We will explore this topic in depth from four core angles:
Global Perspectives on Innovation & Agility
The pandemic has reinforced the need for every business and every leader to be more agile, innovative, and externally aware. Participants will be provided with access to the world’s most innovative companies from Silicon Valley, China, Africa and Europe to gain invaluable insights on innovation.
What are the new business models, technologies and consumer trends that every executive should be aware of?
How do you create and sustain an agile organisation?
What does it take to reinvent and reimagine incumbent businesses at speed?
Culture and Future Workforce
The way we work has changed irrevocably raising questions about how to lead a hybrid or virtual organisation.
We will explore how traditional ED&I and Resilience has been challenged by Black Lives Matter, gender diversity, and mental health issues.
How do you build a strong, diverse, and inclusive organisational culture?
How do you lead?
What is the purpose of the office now?
Where should you be looking to recruit the best talent?
The Responsible Organisation
Climate change is the biggest challenge facing humanity right now. We will explore how the world’s leading organisations are putting sustainability and social and environmental responsibility at the heart of their businesses.
What is the role of business in tackling climate change and rising inequality?
What does the advent of consumer activism mean?
What other societal challenges should business leaders consider?
Personal Leadership
We believe transformation starts with the individual so at the heart of and running throughout the programme we will hear personal leadership stories from some of the world’s most accomplished and inspirational leaders.
How do you remain resilient and resourceful during times of unprecedented change?
How do you lead a virtual or hybrid organisation?
How do you develop a powerful, relevant personal boardroom network of mentors, provocateurs, and allies?
What does it take to lead with and for purpose?
Who is Wavelength Connect for?
Wavelength Connect is designed for your best – your change agents, chief enthusiasts, connectors, and doers.
Entire executive teams, groups of leaders drawn from top talent pools and select individuals from the C-Suite have all previously participated.
Whilst individuals successfully participate, the programme works particularly well when organisations send a small and carefully selected cohort of this profile on Wavelength Connect.
What is the Time Commitment?
Over the course of nine months each individual participant will attend:
10 days of in-person events and immersive visits.
Optional Bolt On: 6 hours of Executive Coaching (four 90 minute sessions).
The Programme Details
In-Person Events
Dynamic and engaging in-person events for the whole cohort, setting the group up for success. These feature highly accomplished leaders from diverse worlds speaking on all our core themes of:
Global Perspectives on Innovation & Agility
Culture & Future Workforce
The Responsible Organisation
Personal Leadership
Recent speakers include senior leaders from Airbnb, Alibaba, Netflix, Unilever, The Football Association, IKEA, Timpson’s, Logitech, Amazon, Guardian Media Group, Sky, Team8, JD.com, and Xiaomi.
Immersive Behind the Brand Visits
Wavelength opens the doors to the boardrooms and shop floors of a dynamic mix of iconic brands and hidden gems for participants to experience first-hand how they create and sustain brilliant customer service, recruit and retain great talent, innovate and excel in an online omni-channel world.
Our hosts have included: Apple, LEGO, Alder Hey Innovation Centre, Elvie, ABBA Voyage, Liverpool Football Club, IKEA, Four Seasons, Pret A Manger, Guardian Media Group, Abcam, and Eden Project.
Three-Day Rural Retreat
Held at Silchester Farm, a stunning location deep in the Hampshire countryside, complete with spacious internal rooms, expansive gardens and lake, and reflective countryside walks.
This three day rural retreat is designed to drive deep connectivity amongst the cohort and will be punctuated with regular injections of inspiration from highly accomplished business leaders on topics such as:
Personal Purpose
Resilience and Resourcefulness
Leading for an Inclusive Culture
Mental Health in the Workplace
Previous speakers include senior leaders from Unilever, Netflix, W.L. Gore & Associates, Virgin America, Women of the World Festival, Samaritans, and Aravind Eye Care System.
Peer Working Groups
Small Peer Working Groups and dedicated workshops bring together participants from different organisations and sectors for sessions designed to accelerate connectivity, draw out key insights, and land key learnings.
The Peer Working Group structure is at the heart of the experiential applied learning model and helps to shorten the timeline from inspiration to application.
Optional Bolt On: Coaching to Action Sessions
Delivered in partnership with the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC), Coaching to Action is an optional bolt on to the core Wavelength Connect programme. Dedicated individual sessions with an executive coach are designed to help each participant translate the insights and learnings into concrete actions for their organisation.
Coaching to Action is ideal for those who value one to one discussions to deeply explore and reframe opportunities and barriers to action.
Each participant has four 90 minute sessions across the duration of the programme.