I've always believed leadership is about inclusion, getting the best out of others, combining diverse perspectives, and creating space for people to contribute. But believing that and seeing it in practice are two different things. This summer at the Cabinet Office, I got to see what that actually looks like at the highest level of government.
I spent my summer working within the Parliament, Government, and Policy team at the Social Mobility Commission. It's a small, senior team doing work that directly shapes policy across the UK, and I had a seat at that table.
What I Was Actually Doing
My work sat at the intersection of industrial strategy and social mobility, two areas that don't always speak to each other, but should.
The UK's industrial strategy is ultimately about economic growth: job creation, skills development, and regional investment. My role was helping the Commission articulate how social mobility connects to that agenda. How do you ensure that when new sectors grow in a region, the people already living there actually benefit? How do apprenticeships, T-Levels, and technical colleges like UTCs fit into the picture? How do you make the case that investing in opportunity isn't just ethical, it's economic?
I worked closely with Jonathan Smith on Parliament, government, and policy engagement: building relationships with MPs, ministers, lords, and regional officials. I also supported Louise on regional insights work, helping shape round tables and contributing to a toolkit designed for local leaders, practical guidance on how to drive economic objectives through to real outcomes for their communities.
Beyond that, I contributed to the Economy, Growth and Investment group, sat in on discussions around the employer advisory group refresh, and helped with early thinking on a watching brief for AI and social mobility. That last one felt particularly urgent: as automation reshapes the workforce, who gets left behind? And how do we prepare 16 to 24 year olds, especially those still in school, for a world where AI is embedded in everything?
I also contributed to the State of the Nation report and supported planning for the Commission's 2025 Innovation Generation report, alongside two symposiums scheduled for London and Manchester.
One highlight was meeting Baroness Tina Stowell, the former Leader of the House of Lords, and visiting Parliament itself. Moments like that made the work feel less abstract and more grounded in something real.
What I Brought to the Table
I came in with a mix of experience that proved useful: internships at Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Citi, plus running my own grassroots organisation, Wize Foundation CIC. That blend of private sector insight and on-the-ground social mobility work turned out to be useful. I could speak to both sides of the conversation, what corporations see, and what communities actually need.
The senior advisors I worked with, particularly Jonathan Smith, gave me space to contribute meaningfully. Our regular one-to-one check-ins helped me understand how government operates: how to write to ministers, how to navigate stakeholder relationships, how to make a case that actually lands.
When I Got It Wrong
I took on too much. Five tasks at once, competing deadlines, other commitments outside the internship. It caught up with me. But that taught me something important: leadership isn't about saying yes to everything. It's about being transparent when you're stretched, communicating clearly about capacity, and asking for help before things slip.
That lesson will stick with me longer than any policy brief.
What I'm Taking With Me
The network I built this summer is extensive: senior government advisors, academics like Professor Daniel Markovits from Yale and Dorothy Byrne, former President of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, and leaders across the social mobility space. But more than contacts, I'm taking a sense of connection to this work. My contributions left a mark on the Commission's output, and that relationship doesn't end when the internship does.
What struck me most was learning about systems thinking: how policy, industry, education, and regional investment all connect, and how change at one level ripples through to others. Social mobility doesn't start in Whitehall. It starts at the grassroots level, in communities, schools, and local initiatives. That's where the real work happens.
This placement has given me a clearer sense of how my own work with Wize Foundation CIC fits into that bigger picture. I plan to continue growing the initiative, taking what I've learned about government strategy, stakeholder engagement, and place-based approaches, and applying it to the work we do on the ground. The goal is to build something that complements wider policy objectives while staying rooted in the communities that need it most.
I came in hoping to learn what leadership looks like in practice. I'm leaving with a clearer picture: it's showing up prepared, knowing when to speak and when to listen, and doing work that matters, even when no one's watching.