One of our long-standing Ambassadors, Andy Garrett of GSK, beautifully created the phrase that a collective noun for ERG/Network leaders is an ‘Awesome’. An Awesome of ERG/Network Leaders.

Leading a disability ERG/Network requires huge skill. There is no ‘guidebook’, there is no ‘one way’ of doing ERGs/Networks; the terrain is complex and the topics personal; there are numerous variables and leaders are often operating outside of their usual sphere of influence and by following their nose … all on the side of their desk, alongside their day jobs.

And yet with the right direction and leadership and values, disability ERGs/Networks can make significant and lasting contributions to how an organisation anticipates, accommodates and celebrates its disabled talent.

This month we celebrate the art of great leadership and we are delighted to publish the refreshed and updated version of one of our most popular publications, ‘In The Chair’. Incorporating key leadership traits and tips from across the PurpleSpace community and from our #PurpleLightUp 2021 supporting campaign, Leader to Leader, it will inspire and equip ERG/Network leaders to lead their ERGs/Networks towards their own disability inclusion revolution.

Through this new version and via our helpful resources and peer engagement opportunities (listed below), we support ERG/Network leaders to learn from – and get the best from – others. We leave you with this quote from psychologist and best-selling author Dr Carol Dweck who reminds us that “Most experts and great leaders agree that leaders are made, not born, and that they are made through their own drive for learning and self-improvement”.

June learning & development opportunities

Connect with your peers at one of this month’s peer group learning sessions – these small, interactive one-hour sessions for ERG/Network leaders and those working towards disability inclusion are a great way to share good practice, swap ideas, share challenges and opportunities and build your leadership capabilities.

We have four sessions to choose from: 

• Thursday, 9th June at 08:00 – 09:00 (BST)
• Tuesday, 14th June at 16:00 – 17:00 (BST)
• Wednesday, 22nd June at 11:00 – 12:00 (BST)
• Thursday, 30th May at 13:00 – 14:00 (BST)

Positively impacting people’s lives and accelerating cultural change are among the core purposes of a high-performing ERG/Network and our Working Group meetings this month provide a unique platform for ERG/Network leaders to discuss and feed directly into our work in these areas.

PurpleSpace’s ERG Global Forum, our strategic Working Group bringing together organisations operating globally who support us to deliver tools and resources in order to accelerate cultural change for employees with disabilities around the world via the power of ERGs/Networks, will meet on Wednesday, 15th June.

On Wednesday, 29th June we will assemble PurpleSpace’s Impact Steering Group – this strategic Working Group assists us in setting the standards by which we create collateral and resources that describe the true value of disability ERGs/Networks and the impact they can have both within an organisation and beyond.

If you are interested in finding out more about our Working Groups, please do get in touch via hello@purplespace.org.

Further reading & helpful resources

Our extensive Resource Library has a number of resources to support you in embedding this month’s theme, including:

• In The Chair: A collection of top tips when creating and maintaining successful ERGs/ Networks.
• Leading by Learning: Webinar with PurpleSpace’s CEO, Kate Nash, and Director of Strategy, Brendan Roach, exploring how disability ERG/Network leaders can improve their performance through learning.
• 9 Top Tips in Disability Network/Resource Group Leadership: In this briefing Kate Nash, PurpleSpace CEO, imparts what she has learnt about great leaders working in disability rights – which can be applied to Network/Resource Group leadership.
• Spotlight On … John Turner, Lloyds Banking Group: Written interview with John Turner, chair of Access Disability Network, who shares his secrets of success in leading a high-performing Employee Resource Group.