Leadership Development Sessions: 10th and 11th June
After some introductions to the programme, leadership training and expectations, we started with some ice-breakers to get to know each other, and to discuss our values and leaders who inspire us. I found it was easier than I expected to start chatting to my cohort, and during these activities we were all incredibly eager to participate and speak in front of the group. We created a group chat for the cohort and decided on some society-style roles- the difficulty was making sure we didn't have too many in each committee, as the cohort is naturally full of young people who love leading! I put myself forward for the Social and the London conference committees, where I'll be responsible for planning and organizing social events for our cohort throughout the programme.
Then, we attended a virtual global conference where, once more, I was surprised how easy it was to carry out conversations in the breakout rooms from scholars across the world. Presentations from Laidlaw leaders and alumni made me proud to be a part of the cohort and excited for the next day. In particular, I enjoyed hearing about the flexibility and wide range of opportunities offered by the Leadership in Action project.
On the 11th, we began with sessions introducing the layout for the research report and poster to be completed this summer. I was impressed by a lot of the example posters, and would love to implement some subtle colour schemes and thematic images into my own.
After lunch, we discussed our values in conjunction with the Laidlaw three C's: Character, Capacities and Change Maker. I loved the 'point of view exercise', where my partner and I had to choose an opinion we both disagreed with and then attempt to persuade each other to change our views. We chose the view 'education and learning is not important', and through the attempted persuasion, a valuable conversation arose where we established the unfairness of the education system, and how, while we cannot say that learning has no value, it can be difficult to attribute enough importance to a system which isn't manageable for everyone. These types of conversations with my fellow scholars, who I have been constantly learning from, have surpassed my expectations and allowed us all to become more open-minded in the space of only two days. For me, this aligns with the Laidlaw values of communication and global citizenship, which we defined as constantly learning from people across the whole world.
By the end of this first half of leadership training, I felt comfortable with my cohort and grateful for some profound and intelligent conversations about our values, strengths and weaknesses, and potential leadership styles.
Leadership Retreat, Ushaw College: 15th and 16th June
Upon arrival on the 15th, I was taken aback by the size and beauty of the Ushaw estate. After some much-needed coffee, we were given a tour of the buildings including many beautiful chapels and cosy dining rooms. Learning about the history of Ushaw was fascinating, and I feel it increased my appreciation of the opportunity to spend two days here.
Our first session with external speaker Guy Richardson was all about leading with impact. We discussed the qualities of a leader, with our cohort arriving at the common value of mutual trust, and the difficulties a team and leader can experience. My group defined a leader as a 'trustworthy individual who brings out the best in others and takes responsibility'. Learning about the importance of maintaining close relationships with a team, and with internal and external stakeholders, was valuable.
We were told to decide on one thing we would implement following the session, and I chose to focus on connecting with a Laidlaw colleague by discussing their achievements and making an effort to learn from them. This is something I'd like to do at the global conference later this year, as it's the perfect opportunity to lead a conversation about someone's research or work within the Laidlaw Foundation.
After a delicious lunch in the historically used professors' dining room, we returned to an informative session about conflict and communication, where we learned about negotiation techniques and Tuckman's model for effective teamwork. One of the points brought up by a fellow scholar which resonated with me was the importance of knowing your team as you know yourself: an ethical leader does not treat a team as an amorphous mass of identicals, but as clear individuals with different strengths and weaknesses which ultimately drive the team forward. Some dangers leaders can face when delegating responsibilities include gaps in roles, or not matching people's skill sets. This can be mitigated by getting to know your team and deeply considering their individual strengths and weaknesses, as mentioned above.
In the evening, we changed (and we all looked great!) to attend the formal dinner in the stunning Parlour. With delicious food and good company, it was an incredibly fun experience, elevated by the beautiful environment we were in. Before dessert, Chantelle's colleague Matete Madiba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape, shared with us about her life and experiences. I can honestly say I was enraptured by her speech: not only was she an engaging speaker, but her life story was inspiring, and the way she found strength in consistent hard work and quiet self-confidence, despite facing numerous challenges and discrimination in apartheid-era South Africa, was deeply impressive. Given the opportunity, I'd love to discuss more with her about the challenges and rewards of working in academia, as it is a career path I am considering.
After a long and exciting day, I was pleased to go to sleep - but I had found my first day at Ushaw rich with experiences and learning, and was looking forward to the next day.
On the 16th, we all arrived rather more tired than the day before. With the help of coffee in our freebie Laidlaw mugs (would recommend, they're entirely leak-proof) and some biscuits kindly provided by Chantelle and Kamil, we perked up for the recap of yesterday's session. I found this useful to read through my notes and cement what I'd learned, as well as having the opportunity to go over anything I'd missed.
After a short but useful presentation about effective management, we moved on to the main task of the day: hands-on project management training. Each group was given a hypothetical project, event or initiative to plan. While there was some guidance provided on the stages of Research, Design, Planning, Delivery and Evaluation, the challenge and ultimately the learning experience lay in the independence we were given. For each stage, we presented our plan in front of the whole cohort, with all of the groups delegating presentation responsibilities to different members each time.
My group and I were tasked with a charitable initiative to increase the nutrition content of local food in a disadvantaged community, while keeping in mind their preferences and traditional cuisine. From the outset, my group and I worked well together: we were confident enough to raise conflicting points and disagree constructively, arriving at compromises and a multi-pronged, holistic plan for the project.
I quickly began to discover more about myself as a leader: I was skilled at navigating disagreements and guiding compromises within the group, and I found it easy to remember to ask everyone's opinions and views before we cemented an idea. It was natural for me to suggest in-person interactive research, supporting local produce and making empathetic cultural considerations. Perhaps this comes easily to me as a second-generation immigrant, as I have grown up perceptive of cultural discourse, as well as being very sociable.
However, I also discovered areas I should work on. I sometimes neglected to allow enough consideration to logistics and practicalities, such as budget constraints and contingency planning. While this didn't negatively affect our group planning, as one of my fellow group members was great at working through these, I realised that to develop as a leader, I should make an effort to consider these more. Reflecting on this now, I am not awfully surprised by my strengths and weaknesses, as I know myself to be a creative and ambitious person who doesn't struggle with making plans, but should stay grounded in realism in order to carry them out as effectively as possible. As my leadership journey continues, I will keep this in mind.
Overall, all the sub-groups in the cohort received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with Guy Richardson being impressed with our detailed and passionate approaches, as well as the flexibility we all included in our plans. By the time the day was over, we were all firm friends, and had already begun to suggest socials for the coming weeks, one of which I've decided to plan.
As I continue my scholarship, I will make sure to reflect on this first stage, and am grateful for how much I have learned in such a short space of time- about leadership, my cohort and myself.