Amid AI shifts - Common Purpose wants 1,000 more Irish leaders

Common Purpose Ireland aims to develop 1,000 more leaders across the island of Ireland by 2030 as the leadership development social enterprise marks 30 years in Ireland.

The goal builds on an alumni network of more than 6,000 people who have completed its programmes since it established its Irish presence in 1996. Participation has risen from 28 people in 1996/97 to 303 in 2025/26, while 1,252 Chief Executive Officers and senior leaders have taken part in its senior programmes.

Common Purpose Ireland works across business, government and civil society, bringing participants together in settings designed to expose them to different institutions and perspectives. Its programmes have involved organisations including Google, IDA Ireland, AsIAm, Rethink Ireland and the Irish Prison Service, with learning sessions held in places ranging from prisons and mosques to technology companies and Leinster House.

The latest target signals a continued push for cross-sector leadership development as Irish organisations deal with social change, the green transition and the growing use of artificial intelligence. It also reflects a broader emphasis on leadership beyond traditional corporate pipelines, with alumni drawn from public service, science, sport, technology, community development and the not-for-profit sector.

Among those the organisation cites as part of its alumni community are Paschal Donohoe, former Minister for Finance; Dr Niamh Shaw, Engineer, Scientist and Space Communicator; Michael Darragh MacAuley, Founder and Director of MD Impact; Jack Kavanagh, Director of Move the Needle; Damien Quinn, Founder of Speire Nua; and Eileen McHugh, Founder of Hair Together.

Growing Reach

The figures point to steady expansion over three decades for an organisation that started with a small annual intake and now runs programmes for senior leaders, high-potential leaders and people under 25. Around 40% of participants attend on a bursary or subsidised fee in an effort to reduce financial barriers to entry.

Its work in Ireland forms part of a wider global network operating in more than 100 locations. In the Irish market, however, the emphasis has been on bringing together people from different sectors who might not otherwise work together, particularly on issues that cut across public policy, business and community life.

That approach is also shaping the areas where Common Purpose Ireland wants to encourage further collaboration among alumni, including disability supports, mental health, housing and the role of sport in strengthening communities.

Leadership Focus

Dara Connolly, Chief Executive Officer of Common Purpose Ireland, linked the new target to wider changes in Irish society over the past three decades. He said the organisation sees leadership as something that must cross institutional and sectoral boundaries rather than remain confined within individual organisations.

"Ireland in 2026 is almost unrecognisable from the country Common Purpose was born into 30 years ago. We believe our work convening leaders from all parts of Irish society and using place and environment as stimuli for real-life learning has supported Ireland's growth while keeping societal well-being to the fore.

"Our mission is to create good leaders, people who keep a focus on their communities while building their organisations, who can cross boundaries, understand perspectives beyond their own, and turn shared purpose into action. This anniversary recognises the impact of over 6,000 alumni, but it's also a commitment to the future: 1,000 more empowered leaders by 2030, and the practical collaboration - shared expertise, new partnerships - that no single organisation or sector can achieve alone," Connolly said.

The organisation's framing places equal weight on social outcomes and professional development, reflecting a model that often sits between corporate training, civic engagement and public-interest leadership. That position has helped it attract a mix of employers and institutions, as well as individuals whose careers span several sectors.

Its alumni list underlines that breadth. Alongside figures from politics and business, the group points to people working in social enterprise, disability advocacy, science communication and community initiatives, suggesting the programme's value rests as much on network-building as on formal teaching.

For employers and public bodies, that model may hold particular appeal as Irish organisations contend with issues that do not fit neatly into one sector. Housing, biodiversity loss, mental health and the social effects of new technology all require collaboration between public agencies, private companies and community groups, and Common Purpose Ireland is positioning itself as a forum where those relationships can be formed.

Its anniversary year will focus on how leadership is being reshaped by social change, environmental pressures and the balance between artificial and emotional intelligence as it seeks to add another 1,000 leaders to its network by the end of the decade.