Framing and measuring leadership impact across regions
Summary
Acumen Academy runs a global Fellowship for leaders working to tackle poverty and inequality, but as the programme expanded across regions the team wanted greater clarity on how to frame and measure its impact. This work developed a global Theory of Change and measurement framework that connects leadership development to wider systems change while remaining flexible across contexts.
The challenge: clarity at scale
Acumen Academy runs a global Fellowship programme for social change leaders committed to tackling poverty and inequality. The Fellowship brings together individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets from diverse sectors and geographies globally, equips them with practical skills and moral leadership, and supports them to strengthen their leadership and influence within complex systems. Graduates become part of a long-term global community that continues learning and collaboration beyond the programme.
As the programme expanded, Acumen Academy wanted greater clarity about how to frame and measure its impact. Leadership development and systems influence are inherently complex and often long-term. While strong monitoring practices were in place, they lacked a unifying global Theory of Change that could provide coherence across regions while remaining flexible.
The task was to clarify what success looks like, define what should be measured, and strengthen the Academy’s ability to learn and improve across diverse contexts.
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The process: working with complexity
I began by reviewing the existing Theory of Change, monitoring tools and reports to understand what already existed and where there were gaps, as to be able to build on current systems.
I facilitated a discovery workshop with the Academy team to agree on the scope of the work and clarify priorities. Through focused discussions with staff and Fellows, we examined how change happens within the Fellowship: what shifts in leadership practice, networks, confidence and influence matter most, and how these might be observed over time.
From this, we co-developed a global Theory of Change linking individual leadership growth to organisational performance and to wider shifts in systems. Alongside this, we designed a measurement framework that connects programme delivery to Fellows’ growth as leaders and to the longer-term change they contribute to in their organisations and communities.
We then strengthened data collection tools, and developed practical guidance to support implementation across regions. The work continued through periodic reviews, allowing the team to reflect on emerging data, identify challenges and refine tools as needed. Finally, at the end of the first year, we synthesised learning into a report that brought together programme performance, leadership development and key insights to inform future adaptation.
What changed
Acumen Academy now has a clearer articulation of its intended outcomes at a global level, while keeping flexibility across regions. The Theory of Change makes explicit how leadership development connects to wider organisational and systems change, and provides a shared reference point across the Fellowship.
Measurement is now more focused on what matters most. The framework clarifies which outputs and outcomes are most important and how they relate to the Academy’s broader ambition. Data is used more deliberately to support reflection and adaptation rather than simply to report activity.
The work also strengthened internal capability. The team has tools that support learning across regions and a structure that helps bring together insight from different programmes into a coherent picture of impact.
As the programme lead reflected:
“Anton met us where we were: he was quickly able to determine our strengths and gaps and led us through an experimental approach which allowed us to gather and analyse data that would inform the impact of our program whilst testing our assumptions along the way. He is extremely skilled at drawing the essence of ‘what matters most’ from amidst a confusing pool of stakeholder values.”
The result is greater discipline without losing flexibility. The Academy can now understand, communicate and strengthen its leadership impact while providing the space for flexibility needed to work in complex and changing contexts.
