Masterclass: Harnessing communication for impact and growth

Course overview

Effective leaders can persuasively build and share a vision and drive impact through communication. Whether you’re a team leader or a global shaper, you’ll need to master the skill of creating compelling messages, conveying an inspiring vision, and rallying a group behind a crystal-clear plan of action. The purpose of this Masterclass is to help executives to discover their authentic “idea that matters”, and how to harness this to achieve impact and growth for themselves and their organisations.

During this course, delegates will learn how to move from idea to impact, by shaping and telling authentic stories: because human brains retain stories far more effectively than raw data, statistics, and details. Delegates will learn the principles of storytelling, how to structure messages for impact and use effective presentation skills, and how to develop and implement a thought leadership strategy that drives business results.

This actionable learning will take place through personal introspection and discovery, class and group discussion, case study examination, and interviews with business leaders who have successfully harnessed thought leadership for personal and business growth and impact. Delegates will leave with a thought leadership strategy and communications toolkit that they can immediately put into practice in their work and life.

Key topics

Learn how to master communication for impact and growth:

  • Discover your personal “idea that matters” and learn how to move from idea to impact
  • Learn key communication principles and tools, including:
    • Harnessing the power of stories to connect and inspire people
    • The pyramid principle: an enduring staple in management consulting toolkits
    • Synthesis: how to shape a narrative crisply and clearly to take your audience seamlessly along with you
    • Effective presentation skills
  • Understand how thought leadership can create impact and growth for your organisation, through improved:
    • Brand
    • Credibility with clients
    • Client growth
    • Talent attraction
  • Understand how to craft a thought leadership strategy and build a communications toolkit to magnify ideas, motivate colleagues, deepen relationships, and align teams towards a shared vision.

Course facilitators

Colin Douglas

I am the founder of Douglas Knowledge Partners, which helps leaders in the private, public and social sectors to shape and deliver high-impact knowledge strategies and thought leadership that shapes the world’s future for the better. From our offices in Cape Town and London, my team and I partner with clients on six continents to conceive, develop and deliver books, reports, papers, articles, digital content and convenings on topics ranging from sustainability to financial innovation and healthcare.

I was on McKinsey’s staff from 1998 to 2004, working in Johannesburg and London as a senior communication specialist and an editor of the McKinsey Quarterly. After leaving McKinsey, I worked independently with the firm and with other leading global organisations such as Sequoia Capital, PwC, the World Economic Forum and the World Bank.

Rik Kirkland

For four decades as an editor, author, speaker, moderator and manager, I've loved exploring new ideas, while helping creative teams bring them to life. At Fortune Magazine, which I ran or helped run for over 10 years, we called it Journalism and cared most about media awards won, audiences built—and ads sold. At McKinsey & Company, where I served as the partner leading global publishing from 2008 to mid-2020, we called it Thought Leadership and cared most about our impact on clients and our traction with key audiences.

With both, I learned, success comes down to getting three things right: hire and develop great talent; create memorable content (backed by brilliant design); and be smart about dissemination. These days, in addition to continuing to do my own writing and editing, I serve as Chair of Douglas Knowledge Partners, a fast-growing South African firm that understands those three key values and strives to bring them to its content work.

Nicola Weaver

I am Managing Knowledge Partner at Douglas Knowledge Partners (Cape Town and London offices). Prior to this role, I was Chief Academic Officer at iXperience, and before that, I was an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, where I convened the MPhil in Inclusive Innovation – an interdisciplinary, research-based master’s degree developing sustainable solutions for challenges in Africa.

Previously, I worked for SABMiller plc, originally in the Corporate Strategy team (London), followed by global roles in organisational development, sustainable development, and corporate affairs, and running their Foundation, whose mandate is to invest in innovation, and economic and entrepreneurial development. An economist by training, I have worked for INSEAD University (Fontainebleau) and the European Union on a joint academic-corporate project on sustainable development, developing a toolkit for industry across the EU. I have also worked as a strategy consultant for Kearney (Johannesburg) and in investment banking for Merrill Lynch (London).