The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and The Institute of Leadership and Management are proud to launch our report ‘Leadership in Housing – a looming capability gap?’ The research offers six key recommendations to enable CIH, together with housing organisations across the sector, to develop the next generation of housing leaders.

As the professional body for housing, we recognise that our sector faces a growing challenge in developing our next generation of leaders. This leadership gap has been growing for some time. In part this gap has stemmed from future leaders not always being given the opportunity to develop the skills and experience necessary to make the transition to the most senior leadership roles. This report sets out key steps we want to take with our members, stakeholders and partners to equip the next generation of housing leaders with the skills they need.

Gavin Smart, chief executive of CIH said: “This year has been a huge challenge that has highlighted the importance of great leadership, not only in this sector, but in all areas of life. Being a leader can be challenging. It’s not just about making hard decisions, but also about being able to set out a compelling vision for your organisation’s future which can engage and inspire your colleagues and stakeholders and the ability to confidently and successfully lead your colleagues as you work together to turn that vision into reality.

It is fundamental that as a sector, we do all we can to support our aspiring future leaders in a meaningful and sustained way, to build their confidence, skills and create opportunities for them to grow into leadership. This report and the recommendations set out by The Institute of Leadership and Management will be a key driver in helping us do that.”

We are excited to also announce that our partnership will be going further. We have developed a joint membership offer with The Institute of Leadership and Management which means all current and paying CIH members can access full Institute membership for just £90 while still enjoying all their usual CIH benefits. Joint membership gives members the opportunity to draw on the expertise of The Institute of Leadership and Management; to build leadership capabilities, develop future talent and become great leaders in housing. This isn’t just about being a good leader, but a good leader in housing.

John Mark Williams, The Institute of Leadership and Management CEO said: “We are delighted to see our research and recommendations being utilised to close the leadership skills gap in the housing sector, and welcome CIH members to The Institute to build their leadership skills capabilities.

For the first time, joint members will have access to the latest leadership content and full membership benefits of The Institute of Leadership and Management, such as our award-winning leadership development platform MyLeadership, coupled with the contextual housing knowledge provided by CIH. This offers exceptional value.”

You can download the full report here and find out more on the joint membership offer here