Week 1.
Fellow Laidlaw Scholar Albee and I took the first of five trains at 06:17 BST, 06/07/26, leaving behind Albee’s serene hometown of Lewes. I brought with me one suitcase, one backpack, and a rather painful mouth ulcer I had picked up by over-enthusiastically eating a plain slice of bread at Love Supreme Jazz festival three days prior. At the time of writing (15:22 CET, 10/07/2026) the ulcer has luckily faded. It did, however, disrupt the pleasure of both meals taken on the journey.
Each of the five trains was straightforward and comfortable, and we made good use of the 15 hours spent on them by perusing the literature produced by the Impact AI team (in whose office I am currently sat) at HIIG. We had agreed with them to work in Berlin, on their Impact-AI-Method – an auditing framework for AI-projects which purport to contribute to the public interest and sustainability.
Upon arriving in Berlin, we made our way to a temporary living situation. Due to certain facts pertaining to our rent agreement, we could only move into our apartment later in the week. Thus, we convinced the owners of the Generator Hostel, Alexanderplatz, to host us in the meantime. For those with a preference for privacy whilst showering, I would recommend seeking alternative arrangements. I will say no more on the matter.
In central Berlin, nestled in between Vanda Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Alfried Heidbrink’s Therapieplattform für neurogene Sprachstörungen, you will find the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (or ‘HIIG’, if you are impatient). A somewhat grand entrance leads to a bright, open space, resembling the ‘start-up’ vibe promised by such hits as Vince Vaughn’s hilariously warm The Internship and HBO’s incisive Silicon Valley.
For me, the office is an unfamiliar work environment. My more productive hours have generally been spent in libraries, kitchens, or rehearsal rooms. Our much needed orientation was hosted by the data scientist on our 6-person team, as the other members were away at conferences or with plague (fear not, they have since recovered). Tasked with familiarising ourselves with the Impact-AI-method (the method being constitutive of the project), we were fed paper after paper for close analysis and digestion. Albee and I concluded, after the first day’s work, that the project’s function was to call bullshit on purportedly positively impactful AI projects – a purpose which we designated as ‘important and cool’ [sic].
As Laidlaw Scholars, we are deeply unsettled by the prospect of serving no purpose in a work environment. There is so much waste in this world, too much waste. We mustn’t become it. That is to say: having been awarded a genuinely dream-granting opportunity of an overseas-research grant, we are anxious to put it to good use. As the token native English speakers of the office, we were asked to provide grammatical services, checking over new drafts of papers. We have also been floated the idea of coding interview transcripts, for analysis by the senior members of the team – a project which will take at least two weeks. Whilst both of these tasks excite us, we await a good discussion with the team lead – busy at a conference this week – where we can unpack the framework the team have constructed. Perhaps a review of the motivation behind the composition of this framework will be a meaningful contribution we could make to their project, but this idea remains a seedling. I look forward to focusing next week on staying collaborative, intentional, and transcendent.
Beyond the work, we have been enjoying the expansive and uncanny landscape of Berlin. Films have been watched. Meals have been eaten (mainly cheese and bread from supermarkets), and more recently, cooked (upon moving into the flat). Drinks have been drunk (responsibly). After less than one week, I can confidently and unashamedly say I would spend my entire life here, even if it meant the loss of all that is dear to me (apart from Albee).
Carl Rogers once wrote – ‘The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.’
He has clearly never been to Berlin.
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Dear Ben,
Thank you for sharing your first Leadership in Action reflection. It is an engaging, witty, and highly readable account of your first week in Berlin, and I particularly enjoyed the way you interweave observations about the project, the city, and your own experience of adapting to a new environment. Your enthusiasm for both the placement and the opportunity that Laidlaw has provided comes through very clearly.
I was especially struck by your reflection on purpose and contribution. Your observation that you and Albee were anxious not to 'serve no purpose' resonated with me because it touches on a challenge that many emerging leaders experience when entering an established organisation. Leadership is not always about arriving with answers or immediately taking charge; often it involves learning how best to contribute, identifying where you can add value, and being comfortable with a period of uncertainty before your role becomes fully defined. The fact that you are already thinking critically about where your skills can make a meaningful contribution is a positive sign.
Your description of the Impact AI project also raises some interesting leadership questions. Auditing organisations that claim to be acting in the public interest is, in many ways, an exercise in accountability and ethical leadership. As you become more familiar with the methodology, I would encourage you to reflect not only on the research itself but also on what it is teaching you about leadership. What responsibilities do leaders have when introducing new technologies? How should organisations balance innovation against potential harms? What does responsible decision-making look like in contexts characterised by uncertainty and competing interests?
I would also encourage you to build more explicit links to your own leadership development in future entries. For example, you mention providing feedback on papers, learning new methodologies, and beginning to identify potential contributions to the framework itself. How are you approaching these conversations? Have there been moments where you've needed to challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions, or advocate for an idea? Equally, what have you learned about following and listening within a team of experienced researchers? Some of the richest leadership learning can comes from observing others and understanding how influence operates in practice.
One theme I would be particularly interested to see explored further is your transition into an unfamiliar professional environment. Moving from libraries, kitchens, and rehearsal rooms into an international research institute inevitably requires adaptation. What aspects of this environment bring out strengths in you? Where have you had to adjust your habits or expectations? Effective leadership often begins with self-awareness, and there is considerable scope for reflection here.
Overall, this is a strong start. Your curiosity, humour, and thoughtfulness are evident throughout, and it is clear that you are approaching the placement with both ambition and humility. As the project develops, I would encourage you to move beyond describing what you are doing and increasingly focus on how these experiences are shaping your understanding of leadership, influence, responsibility, and collaboration.
I look forward to reading how both the project and your thinking evolve over the coming weeks.
Best wishes,
Ben