Over the past two weeks, I officially began my journey as a Laidlaw Scholar through the Leadership Development programme. It has been an inspiring start, filled with meaningful conversations, practical challenges, and the opportunity to meet an incredible cohort of scholars.
One of the biggest lessons I took away was that leadership starts with knowing your values. We spent time reflecting on the Laidlaw 3C's; Character, Capacity, Change and identifying the principles that guide our decisions. It was a reminder that leadership is often tested when our values are challenged, and having a strong sense of what matters to you provides an anchor in those moments.
Another highlight was discovering how intentionally strong communities are built. As a cohort, we developed a shared group agreement that outlined how we would communicate, support one another, and create an environment where everyone felt comfortable contributing. It reinforced that trust and collaboration don't happen by chance they are built through shared commitment.
Our leadership sessions with Guy Richardson from EIGER Performance brought these ideas into practice. Working in teams, we tackled real-world challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our team was tasked with addressing Life on Land by designing a community awareness week focused on reducing pollution in a local river. The challenge centred on educating residents about the environmental impact of everyday practices, such as disposing of petrol and washing toxic containers in the river, while encouraging more sustainable habits to protect local land and water ecosystems. Applying Guy's five-stage planning framework; research, design, planning, delivery, and evaluation gave us a structured approach to developing a practical, community-focused solution and demonstrated how effective planning can turn complex environmental challenges into achievable initiatives.
The residential concluded with a formal dinner and networking evening, where we had the privilege of hearing from Professor Matete Madiba. Her reflections on leading with integrity and creating change through individual action were a fitting conclusion to a programme centred on purpose-driven leadership.
Perhaps the most valuable part of the experience was the opportunity to reflect. Taking time to recognise how much I've already learned has made me even more excited for what's ahead.
A huge thank you to the Laidlaw Foundation, Durham University, Guy Richardson, Professor Matete Madiba, and everyone involved in delivering such an engaging programme. I'm looking forward to beginning the summer research project and continuing this journey alongside such an inspiring cohort.