Working with the Institute of Leadership has been truly collaborative, says CPL One’s Louise Parfitt, editor of its magazine, Edge.
Over the past few months, we have been excited to begin a new partnership with the Institute of Leadership (IoL), producing its prestigious quarterly membership magazine, Edge, and developing a strategy for the creation of fresh digital content.
From the pitch to the publication of our first issue of Edge, the process has been one of real collaboration and teamwork. We’ve taken a collegiate approach that has already shown its benefits, including for me, as the magazine’s editor.
As an editor, you often experience familiar emotions when taking on a new magazine: excitement, eagerness, trepidation, panic. Well, hopefully not too much of the last one – although I did have a couple of late-night ‘have I remembered X’ moments as the production cycle neared its conclusion.
A solid team is a source of support, a sounding board, a sense check, and a second set of eyes. At CPL One, we involved a team of writers, editors and designers who all came together to plan, create, check and produce the autumn 2024 issue of Edge – starting with senior content strategist Martin Bewick, who had been involved in our planning with the IoL since the early summer and had detailed knowledge of the original brief.
We also fully involved our IoL colleagues, Rebecca Martin and Ciara Conway, at every step – listening to them, learning from them, and brainstorming ideas for features and designs together. We decided on the main theme: disruption and change management, where we explore and discuss team culture, leadership behaviours, organisational priorities, technological developments, and innovation. It has been great fun, and professionally rewarding.
Rebecca Martin, director of events and engagement at the Institute of Leadership, says:
“The team at CPL One have quickly become trusted partners. Communication is always straightforward and timely, which is crucial in a fast-paced publishing environment. Whether brainstorming ideas or fine-tuning articles, the team brings an energy that is both professional and dynamic. Working in partnership with such a talented and dedicated team is a pleasure.”
Only a few months in and we feel we have built a strong relationship with the Institute, and we are excited to see it develop, both with Edge magazine and in our planning for digital content. We’re excited to be part of the Institute’s future.
Our picture at the top of this post shows Louise (second left) holding the latest issue with CPL One’s Helen King and (from left to right) the IOL’s Ciara Conway, Mel Robinson and Rebecca Martin.