KINNECT’s Emerging Leaders Program
The KINNECT Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is our in-house professional development initiative that cultivates and enhances the leadership abilities of KINNECTers.
Open to KINNECTers from all departments, the ELP is a dynamic platform that enriches you with essential leadership skills and knowledge that improves your performance, regardless of what type of role you may hold within the company.
What is the ELP?
KINNECT is on a mission is to help more people. To do that, we need to grow the business, and for that we need to grow our people.
The ELP was created by Kevin Conlon, KINNECT’s Founder and Chairman in 2020 to fulfil a need to nurture leadership talent for the future and encourage our people to excel in their current roles. It also allows participants to learn about the inner workings of the business – a perspective many aren’t exposed to in their day-to-day roles.
Since 2021, over 40 KINNECTers have graduated from the ELP, many of whom have progressed into team leadership and management roles within the organisation.
“We’re in the helping people business and we need to invest in our people to get the best possible outcomes.
“I don’t know many businesses who do this [the ELP] – sometimes not even larger companies put effort into creating and running their own program. But it’s worth the investment.
“The ELP helps people grow in their personal lives as well. I get thank you notes from people saying that they’ve got the professional tools and understanding to grow their emotional intelligence.”
– Kevin Conlon, KINNECT Founder & Chairman
What will I learn?
This 10-month program is designed to help you enhance both your leadership and business skills, equipping you to grow within KINNECT and beyond. Through it, you’ll explore:
- Culture
- Recruitment
- Finance
- Operations
- Time Management
- Discipline and Execution
- Business Goal Setting
- Technology
Participating in the program requires dedication and time investment, both during and outside of work hours. As the saying goes, “you get out what you put in!”
How is it delivered?
- Reading: Each month you’ll read a book that focuses on a different business theme such as recruitment, productivity, teamwork and culture. This is a central component of the program.
- Virtual learning sessions: All participants come together for two, one-hour sessions each month – the first to review our monthly Kulture survey, and the second to discuss each month’s book and set action items.
- Face-to-face days: The program begins and ends with a face-to-face training day in Brisbane which includes self-evaluations, mentoring and guest speakers.
Who can apply?
KINNECT deeply believe that everyone can benefit from learning leadership skills.
That’s why the ELP is open to employees from all areas of the business – from support services and finance to workplace rehabilitation and nursing – and any job level.
The program only accepts a small cohort of around 10 participants each year so that there is plenty of opportunity for support, knowledge sharing and discussion during sessions. The group format of the program allows KINNECTers to get to know and learn from people they may not otherwise regularly work with.
Applications for the program are accepted in December each year.
What have previous graduates said about the Emerging Leaders Program?
Overwhelmingly, ELP graduates say that, in addition to learning new skills and understanding themselves better, taking a deeper look at running a national occupational health and workplace rehabilitation business is an enlightening experience.
You can discover what previous ELP participants gained from the program here:
“The book on attraction delved into a business’s ability to succeed based on their capacity to solve problems. I feel like my role doing self-evaluations and uncovering the trends we’ve seen over the years is relevant to providing the feedback we need to solve problems.”
Janna Riordan – Lead Consultant, Cairns (2024 Cohort)
“The ELP has really shaped my day-to-day interactions with my direct reports. I regularly incorporate the learnings from the books, as well as from the great interactions and knowledge sharing opportunities with all the ELP participants.”
Michael Vainer – Team Manager, Melbourne (2024 Cohort)
“Being a skilled consultant doesn’t automatically translate into being an effective leader. Leadership demands a diverse set of abilities that aren’t necessarily developed through rehabilitation-consulting alone. This is precisely why this program has proven to be immensely valuable. It has exposed me to insights and teachings that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.”
George Barbarigos – Team Manager, Melbourne (2023 Cohort)
WORK AT KINNECT
Are you ready for professional development options that will stretch your capabilities?
Join KINNECT for the opportunity to join the ELP as part of a comprehensive professional development plan.
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