The Mayor’s Mastermind
Conflict-Wise Leadership for Mayors and Deputy Mayors
Our signature group coaching program for Mayors and Deputy Mayors equipping you with the skills to lead with civility, manage conflict effectively and deliver values-led and respectful leadership across your term.
Duration: 6 months - February to August 2026.
· Format: Live facilitated sessions + Practical tools + Guest speakers
· Cohort size: Small groups to ensure trust, depth and impact
· “First Aid support” – upto 3-4 brief, real-time telephone support for urgent issues.
· Focus: Civility, conflict capability, wellbeing, crisis leadership & negotiation.
· Outcome: Confident, conflict-capable leaders who strengthen culture.
Building Civil, Conflict-Capable Mayors & Deputy Mayors -Leading with Civility, Confidence and Impact
Your leadership journey is shaped by your lived experience, your professional background, your values and the challenges you’ve already navigated. This program recognises that no two councillors lead the same way. Through expert guidance and structured group coaching, you’ll be supported to strengthen the skills, tools and judgement required to lead with civility, manage conflict constructively and maximise your impact as a Mayor or Deputy Mayor.
Key Features
A Different Kind of Councillor Learning
Purpose-built for the realities of local government, this program focuses on what matters most— governing well, navigating conflict and leading with civility under pressure.
Skills You Can Use Immediately
Learn practical tools, language and reflective practices you can apply straight away in meetings, debates and difficult conversations.
Intimate Cohort Experience
Small groups create the conditions for trust, candour and meaningful learning resulting in deeper insight and lasting impact.
Led by Conflict & Governance Specialists
Work with highly experienced practitioners in conflict management, mediation and leadership who have walked in your shoes and understand the unique dynamics of council environments.
Perspective Beyond Your Council
Engage with Mayors and Deputy Mayors from other municipalities, gaining fresh perspective, shared insight and reassurance that the challenges you face are widely experienced.
Structured Support That Strengthens Leadership
A carefully designed program that builds confidence, sound judgement and resilience so you can lead calmly, credibly and effectively.
Program Overview
This program is a six-month leadership accelerator designed specifically for Mayors & Deputy Mayors
to help you navigate the complex realities of modern local government.
Delivered in an online format, the program combines extended live group sessions, practical tools and structured reflection between sessions to support deep learning and real-world application. Rather than one-off training, this is a capability-building journey focused on civility, conflict leadership, wellbeing and governance under pressure.
Across the program, participants take part in live facilitated sessions, small-group practice labs & peer check-in. Each session is supported by tailored tools, scripts and templates, with guided activities between sessions to embed learning into daily leadership practice.
The program is deliberately paced to allow time for reflection, experimentation and integration so changes are sustained, not superficial.
Program Content
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Session 1 – Leading with Empathy, Role Clarity, Boundaries & Trust - 25th February 2026.
This foundational module supports Mayors and Deputy Mayors to lead with calm authority, ethical clarity and trust. Participants clarify the boundaries of the role, align leadership behaviour with values and conduct obligations and develop practical strategies for navigating competing expectations without escalation. Through real-world council scenarios, you will strengthen your ability to listen without defensiveness, set clear boundaries, and make principled decisions under pressure, building psychological safety, credibility and confidence within the chamber, with the CEO and across the community.
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Session 2 – Building Team Culture, Managing Tough Conversations & Conflict Scripts - 25th March 2026.
This module equips Mayors & Deputy Mayors with practical, science-based tools to strengthen the culture within the chamber culture and navigate difficult conversations with confidence. You will learn to use the CALM model for navigating difficult conversations and be able to recognise conflict triggers, de-escalate tension early and engage in constructive dialogue that reduces harm while protecting personal and collective wellbeing. Through real-world practice labs and guided reflection, leaders develop a repeatable framework for managing conflict conversations—building calm, respectful and resilient governance environments.
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Session 3 – Crisis & Controversy Management – Creating Change - 22nd April 2026.
This session equips Mayors & Deputy Mayors with practical frameworks to lead effectively through crises, controversies and high-risk issues. Participants develop a clear, structured approach to crisis response using the CIVILITY framework to engage in disciplined decision-making under pressure. You will learn to build confidence when engaging with the media and social-media & reduce the risk of reactive or reputational harm.
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Session 4 – Leaders as Culture Shapers - 10th June 2026.
This module develops advanced mediation and negotiation capability for managing complex council and community disputes, while deepening your understanding of how civility and culture are shaped over time. Participants learn to navigate interests versus positions, manage multi-party dynamics, and apply ethical negotiation techniques in high-stakes settings. The module positions you as an active shaper of the civic landscape, equipping you with practical tools and systems-thinking approaches to support sustainable culture transformation.
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Session 5 –Lead with Civility, Your Legacy, Embedding the Learning -5th August 2026.
The final module brings the program together, supporting participants to consolidate their learning and translate insight into sustained leadership practice. Leaders reflect on what has changed, what endures and how they will continue to lead with civility, clarity and confidence beyond the program. Participants develop a clear 90-day embedding plan, articulate a personal leadership legacy grounded in effective governance and commit to practical actions that strengthen trust and culture within their council.
