The Savanna CodeLeadership Programme
Rooted leadership for women shaping Africa’s future
A three-day online leadership immersion followed by a six-month group coaching journey for women leading in conservation, community development, climate action and sustainable tourism.
Based on Pam Yako’s book, The Savanna Code, this programme draws on the wisdom of the African wild to help women lead with greater confidence, clarity, courage, and purpose.
Programme at a Glance
3-Day Live Immersion
Three interactive, facilitator-led online sessions.
6 Months of Group Coaching
Ongoing support to apply the learning to real leadership challenges.
Small, Connected Cohorts
Learn alongside 10-20 women who understand the realities of your sector.
Complimentary Book Included
Every participant receives a printed or digital copy of The Savanna Code.
The Work Matters.
So Does the Woman Doing It.
Women working in conservation, community development, climate action and sustainable tourism carry enormous responsibility.
You may be making decisions that affect communities, ecosystems, livelihoods and future generations - often while navigating limited resources, competing interests and environments in which your authority may still be questioned.
You may be expected to find answers when there is no clear blueprint, remain strong when the work is difficult and keep giving when your own reserves are running low.
The Savanna Code Leadership Programme creates space to step back, reconnect with what grounds you and strengthen the way you lead.
It is not about becoming a different kind of leader. It is about recognising the wisdom, experience, and strength you already carry, and learning how to draw on them more deliberately.
Through live teaching, facilitated learning, reflection, practical tools and group coaching, the programme helps you turn the lessons of The Savanna Code into meaningful leadership practice.
What You Will Learn
Know You Belong
Recognise your lived experience as a leadership credential and take your place with greater confidence.
Find Your Ethical Anchor
Make principled decisions when people, land, money, livelihoods, and power are at stake.
Use Your Voice
Communicate with greater clarity, courage, and intention, whether your voice needs to protect, challenge or connect.
Build Sisterhood
Create relationships grounded in trust, accountability, generosity, and mutual support.
Navigate Uncertainty
Lead through change without needing to have every answer, using emotional intelligence and regenerative thinking.
Create a Living Legacy
Mentor others, make room for new voices and consider what your leadership will leave behind.
The Four-Part Savanna Code Journey
- 1
Part One
The Inner Compass
Belonging, reflection and presence
“The African woman working in the wild does not wait to be told she belongs.”
- Pam Yako Reconnect with who you are, what has shaped you and what grounds you. Explore belonging, identity, and lived experience as a source of leadership wisdom.
- 2
Part Two
The Ethical Anchor
Values, voice and sisterhood
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
- African proverb Make principled decisions when the stakes are high. Learn to use your voice with intention and build accountable sisterhood.
- 3
Part Three
The Agile Strategist
Leading through complexity and change
Navigate uncertainty through emotional intelligence, resilience, and regenerative decision-making.
- 4
Part Four
The Living Legacy
Renewal, mentorship and what comes next
Explore mentorship, succession, and renewal, and consider what your leadership will make possible for others.
“But the measure of a great tree is not how completely it shades everything beneath it. In a healthy savanna, light still reaches the grass.”
- Pam Yako
How the Programme Works
The programme combines an intensive three-day leadership immersion with six months of facilitated group coaching.
The programme can be delivered in-person should an organisation so require.
The immersion introduces the ideas, tools and practices within The Savanna Code. The coaching journey then gives you the time, support, and accountability to apply them in your work.
Three-Day Online Leadership Immersion
The journey begins with three-day live, facilitator-led online sessions.
Through teaching, reflection, practical exercises and group discussion, you will explore the four parts of the Savanna Code Compass and begin applying them to your own leadership journey.
- Four hours per day
- Three live training days
- Live, interactive online sessions
- Practical tools and reflective exercises
- Small-group discussion and peer learning
Explore the Three-Day Programme
Select a day below to view the programme in more detail.
Day One: The Inner CompassBelonging, Reflection and Presence
- Welcome, grounding and an introduction to the Savanna Code Compass
- Chapter 1: I Belong Here - moving beyond imposter syndrome and recognising lived experience as a leadership credential
- Chapter 2: The Mirror and the Map - identifying leadership drift and creating a personal leadership map
- Chapter 3: Becoming Comfortable in Your Skin - reclaiming your presence, voice, and space
- Integration circle, key insights, and a personal commitment
Day Two: The Ethical AnchorValues, Voice and Sisterhood
- Grounding, reflection, and a recap of Day One
- Chapter 4: Conservation Is Not Extraction - ethical decision-making when people, money, land, and power are at stake
- Chapter 5: Your Voice as a Shield, a Spear, and a Bridge - using your voice with greater intention
- Chapter 6: The Sisterhood Clause - building accountable relationships and practising peer coaching
- Creation of the cohort’s Sisterhood Accountability Pact
Day Three: The Agile Strategist and Living LegacyLeading Through Change and Shaping What Comes Next
- Grounding, reflection, and a recap of Day Two
- Chapter 7: Leading Without a Blueprint - regenerative decision-making in uncertain environments
- Chapter 8: Emotional Intelligence in the Field - reading team dynamics, setting boundaries, and practising repair
- Chapter 9: Resilience Is a Practice, not a Personality Trait - recovering from setbacks and strengthening resilience
- A forward look at mentorship, renewal, succession and legacy
- Closing circle and preparation for the coaching journey
Six-Month Group Coaching Journey
The three-day immersion introduces the ideas. The coaching journey helps you put them into practice.
The same cohort meets online once a month for three hours over six months. Between sessions, you will apply the programme’s tools in your work and bring real leadership challenges back to the group.
Each monthly session combines:
- Teaching RefreshersRevisit the month’s chapters and explore the theme through a practical coaching lens.
- Breakout Peer CoachingWork in small groups using structured tools from The Savanna Code.
- Live Group CoachingExplore real leadership challenges through facilitated “hot-seat” coaching.
- Monthly CommitmentsChoose one practical action to apply before the next session.
Programme Details
- One session per month for six months
- Three hours per session
- Live online
- The same small cohort throughout
Explore the Six-Month Coaching Journey
Month One: Belonging and the Inner CompassAnchor chapters: Chapters 1-3
Return to the themes of belonging, self-awareness and presence after your first month back in the field. Reflect on what has shifted and strengthen your confidence in the experience and wisdom you already carry.
Month Two: The Ethical Anchor in PracticeAnchor chapters: Chapters 4-5
Bring a real ethical dilemma to the group and explore it using the Thirty-Second Ethical Pause. Practise making grounded decisions when people, land, livelihoods, money, and power are at stake.
Month Three: Sisterhood as Leadership InfrastructureAnchor chapter: Chapter 6
Revisit the cohort’s Sisterhood Accountability Pact and consider how trust, generosity and accountability are showing up in practice. Use the 20-Minute Peer Coaching Protocol to support one another through current challenges.
Month Four: Leading Without a BlueprintAnchor chapter: Chapter 7
Apply the Regenerative Decision Filter to a live project or leadership decision. Explore how to move forward thoughtfully when conditions are changing and there is no perfect answer.
Month Five: Emotional Intelligence and ResilienceAnchor chapters: Chapters 8-9
Learn to read the emotional climate within a team, respond more consciously to difficult dynamics and reflect on a recent setback or conflict. Strengthen the practices that help you recover, adapt and remain rooted.
Month Six: Living Legacy and GraduationAnchor chapters: Chapters 10-13
Bring the journey together through succession planning, mentorship, rest as strategy and learning to recognise changing seasons. The programme concludes with personal legacy commitments and a meaningful cohort closing and graduation.
What Happens in a Monthly Coaching Session?
Check-In: Wins and Challenges
20 minutesShare a brief update on what has happened since the previous session and identify the challenge or opportunity you are bringing into the room.
Theme Refresher
40 minutesRevisit the month’s anchor chapters and explore how the theme applies to current leadership situations.
Short Break
10 minutesPause, refresh and prepare for the practical coaching portion of the session.
Peer Coaching in Small Groups
50 minutesUse structured tools from The Savanna Code, such as the Sisterhood Map and Regenerative Decision Filter, to coach and support one another.
Live Hot-Seat Coaching
45 minutesOne or two participants receive live coaching from the facilitator and cohort around a real leadership challenge.
Commitments and Close
15 minutesIdentify one practical action to take before the next session and close with clarity and intention.
What Is Included
Your Own Copy of The Savanna Code
A complimentary printed or digital copy and a companion guide to use before and throughout the programme.
12 Hours of Leadership Training
Three live, interactive online sessions delivered over three days.
18 Hours of Group Coaching
Six monthly sessions offering reflection, accountability, and support.
Programme Workbook
Reflective exercises and practical tools to help you apply the learning.
Private Cohort Group
A dedicated space to connect and support one another between sessions.
Certificate of Completion
Issued at the close of the three-day leadership immersion.
This Programme Is for You If…
- You work in conservation, climate action, community development, sustainable tourism or a connected field.
- You are already leading or preparing to take on greater responsibility.
- You sometimes question whether you belong in the room.
- You are navigating complex decisions without a clear blueprint.
- You want to lead with greater confidence, clarity, and purpose.
- You want to connect with women who understand the realities of your sector.
Your Guide on the Journey
Pam Yako
Pam Yako is a conservationist, former Director General, certified executive and women’s coach, Board leadership, and the author of The Savanna Code.
With more than two decades of executive leadership experience, she brings a rare combination of strategic insight, lived experience and a deep commitment to women, nature and Africa’s future.
Bring The Savanna Code to Your Organisation
The programme can be delivered to a dedicated cohort within your organisation, professional network or funding programme.
It is ideally suited to organisations working across conservation, biodiversity, climate action, sustainable tourism, community development and social impact.
A dedicated programme helps women develop a shared leadership language, strengthen relationships and work through challenges relevant to their environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have read the book before joining?
Every participant receives a complimentary copy of The Savanna Code and its companion guide. Some pre-reading will be recommended, and the book will remain your companion throughout the programme.
Is the programme completely online?
Yes. Both the three-day immersion and the six-month group coaching journey are delivered live online.
However the 3 day immersion can be offered in person to organisations and groups that so request. A minimum number of participants will need to be agreed to.
How much time should I set aside?
The initial immersion consists of three four-hour sessions, followed by one three-hour coaching session per month for six months. Allow some additional time for reading, reflection and applying the tools.
How many women will be in each cohort?
Each cohort will include approximately 10-20 women, allowing for meaningful conversation, connection and coaching.
Is the programme only for senior executives?
No. It is designed for established leaders, managers and emerging leaders carrying, or preparing to carry, leadership responsibility.
Can my organisation enrol a dedicated group?
Yes. Dedicated cohorts can be created for organisations, professional networks and funding partners.
Your Next Season of Leadership Starts Here
You do not have to become louder, harder or less yourself to become a more powerful leader.
Lead with courage and compassion. Remain rooted while adapting to change. Make difficult decisions without losing sight of what matters and create space for other women to rise alongside you.
Keep roaring. Keep rooted.