The Value of Developing your Leaders

25 September 2025

With the proposed Employment Rights Bill promising more rights for workers from day one plus the increase in employer NI contributions, it is more important than ever to get recruitment and selection right.

According to East Midlands Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) – for Q2 2025, recruitment difficulties persist, particularly for skilled roles, with businesses increasingly operating below full capacity. Businesses also report an 11% increase over the last three months in investment in staff training.

Is developing the skills of your ‘now and next’ managers amongst your home-grown talent the answer to operational difficulties? It makes commercial sense to develop from within. It is more cost effective, it demonstrates to the wider workforce that there are opportunities to progress, and it short-cuts the process of determining that your leaders are a good fit for your culture.

As is often the case with small businesses, however, staff are promoted to management roles without any formal training. Every manager needs support in developing their own emotional intelligence, decision-making abilities, personal resilience, situational leadership (adapting their style to specific situations or team members) and building an effective team. The list goes on. Without this support, managers may struggle; not only in helping their team meet their targets but with their own ability to cope.

If you are to commit to a staff member’s long-term development, your strategy should include both formal training and wider exposure, not only to other departments in your business but also through peer support outside the business.

For businesses in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, there is a wealth of support on offer as part of the Accelerator project.

Accelerator workshops

Delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of EMCCA, Accelerator workshops and webinars are designed to give existing and potential managers the clear and practical support they need to develop their skills.

The upcoming schedule of support includes:

• Getting Started with Leadership & Management: 30 September (online)
• Friend to Supervisor – Establishing Authority: 1 October, Mansfield
• Recruitment and Selection – How to Recruit the Right Staff: 6 October, Derby
• How Leaders Recharge without Losing Control: 16 October (online)
• Building a High Performance Team: 26 October, Newark
• Practical Guide to Leadership and Management: 30 October, Clay Cross

Upcoming course dates can be viewed here.

High Growth Academy

Businesses that meet the required high growth criteria* are invited to access the High Growth Academy programme of one-day workshops, events and forums. Delivered in partnership with the University of Derby, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, the Academy helps businesses develop the skills, knowledge and resources they need to innovate, scale, and grow sustainably.

Growth Drivers (for businesses employing fewer than 25 employees or for new and emerging leaders in larger businesses)

• 9 October: Unlocking Hidden Growth, University of Derby
• 15 October: Access to Finance, University of Nottingham
• 5 November: Marketing, University of Derby

Growth Builders (for businesses employing more than 25 employees)

• 7 October: Your Personal Leadership DNA, Nottingham Trent University
• 13 October: Leadership Team Dynamics, University of Nottingham
• 10 November: Coaching for High Performance, Nottingham Trent University

High Growth forums

Monthly High Growth forums enable businesses to access support, hear from industry experts and share insight with peers. The first forum, Big Business, Small Feel: Strategy, Systems, and the Human Touch, led by Professor Marvin Cooke OBE DL, former Executive Vice President for Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Europe, takes place on 6 November at Enterprise Centre, Derby.

Upcoming High Growth Academy events can be viewed here.

Training subsidies

High Growth businesses can also apply for a £2,000 subsidy to attend one of the Chamber’s highly regarded Commercial Training courses, including:

• Director Development (five days): commencing 20 November, Chesterfield
• Manager Development (four days): commencing 13 January, Chesterfield
• Effective Team Leader (two days): commencing 3 December, Nottingham

The upcoming schedule can be accessed on the Chamber’s Events pages and more information is available from Vicki Thompson, Head of Skills at East Midlands Chamber vicki.thompson@emc-dnl.co.uk

*To qualify, businesses must be able to demonstrate 20% annual growth in revenue, employment or market share over the past three consecutive years.

The Accelerator project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

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