When I applied to the LSE Laidlaw programme two years ago, I mentioned how leadership to me is the ability to inspire others to find courage within themselves to achieve a collective vision which can help create lasting change on a community level and also on a global level. I wrote how I believe a good leader is someone who can carefully balance confidence within themselves with the selfless ability to put the needs of others above their own. I also mentioned how being able to empower others whilst not losing sight of your own purpose makes a strong leader.
Having embarked on this programme over the past two years, my idea of what leadership means to me has not necessarily changed but has continued to grow. I have learnt that leadership isn't simply about being in charge or having an official 'leadership role' but about thinking of your individual, unique contributions in the larger framework within your group, not being afraid to share your insights in the group and uplifting others. At the same time, this experience has reaffirmed the importance of being an active listener and learning from others.
Through working as part of a team in my Leadership-in-Action project with the Wonder Foundation and working on a group interdisciplinary research project has empowered me to trust my own ideas, have more confidence in myself and develop my project management skills, teamwork skills and research skills.
Working as a communications and outreach project manager at the Wonder Foundation was so crucial on my own self-growth and self-development journey, allowing me to grow in confidence through every task I completed and all the opportunities I was given to speak and share my ideas including during insight meetings and being invited back by the Wonder Foundation as a keynote speaker at their volunteers celebration event where I shared my experiences working at the Wonder Foundation.
Through this speech I was able to highlight the impact of the Leadership-in-Action project where I was entrusted with several tasks including leading in the planning of fundraising initiative ideas, media-mapping research, blog posts, and I had the opportunity to write an article published in the British Journal of Midwifery highlighting the Wonder Foundation’s work on increasing the midwifery capacity in the DRC to improve the health outcomes for women and their babies. With each task I completed, I grew more and more confident in myself and was so empowered to be contributing to a cause much bigger than myself. Having an openness to feedback on the tasks I completed and proactively utilising this guidance to grow in my role as a communications and outreach manager taught me the power of always adopting a growth mindset and having a commitment towards continuous personal and professional development. Through every task I completed and with one day at a time, I became more and more confident and deeply inspired by all the conversations I had with the team where I came and left the office energised to take on a new challenge.
The research project also empowered me to develop my own ideas and create an uplifting space for the sharing of ideas and learning from one another. Conducting this interdisciplinary group research project also allowed me to grow my own research skills and explore a research question through a range of different disciplines including History, Anthropology, International Relations, and Politics, highlighting the differences between the disciplines but also their interesting interconnectedness. Travelling to a new country and conducting primary research in the form of interviews was also such a transformative experience allowing me to immerse myself in the local culture and also learn from local Turkish artists and their experiences to inform my research, my own knowledge and experiences. This experience has been both transformative for my journey as a researcher, leader and as a person. Additionally, it has taught me the power of learning as you go. Through each interview I grew in confidence, developed my communication skills and grew more confident in articulating my ideas and questions.
Being selected to represent LSE and LSE Laidlaw at the annual North American Conference in New York was an exciting and transformative highlight of my Laidlaw journey and one I am so grateful for. I got to meet and learn from other Laidlaw scholars from across the world and also present my poster on my Leadership-in-Action project at the Wonder Foundation. This gave me the opportunity to develop my communication skills through communicating my insights in a clear and informative way.
Having now completed the LSE Laidlaw Programme, it has allowed me to develop a greater sense of trust in myself as a person and a leader. It has also reaffirmed the importance of understanding that leadership is not about one person, but it is about seeing myself as part of something much bigger than just me. I understand that leadership, to me, is about uplifting and empowering others, being an active listener and always having a willingness to learn.
The skills, experience and training I have received from the Laidlaw Scholars programme has given me greater clarity and confidence when thinking about my future career prospects. I hope to study a master’s in education policy or social policy. I want to embark on a career centred on social impact and empowering others and continue to be driven by this in my daily life. This programme has inspired me to remain a continuous learner and someone who leads with curiosity, social impact and purposeful action.