Leadership means something fundamentally different to me now than two years ago when I applied to the Laidlaw programme. Then, I understood it through conventional metrics: positions of authority, institutional visibility and measurable impact. I imagined myself in formal roles, driving change through direction and control.

My research on Turkish artists completely transformed this understanding. I witnessed leadership emerging not from authority but from authenticity. A jewellery maker preserving heritage despite economic precarity, a calligraphy master reclaiming religious identity, a ceramic artist continuing amidst inflation. These were acts of profound leadership precisely because they emerged from genuine conviction rather than institutional mandate.

Reflecting on workshops and letters I wrote to myself, I recognise I was grappling with similar tensions then. Those letters revealed my anxiety about maintaining integrity whilst navigating competitive environments like law firms.

Today, I understand leadership as the courage to articulate what matters and invite others into that vision. It requires listening more than speaking, facilitating rather than dictating. It is not about commanding from above but creating spaces where others can express themselves fully.

Leadership also means accepting complexity and paradox. Turkish artists navigated commodification whilst resisting it, honoured tradition whilst embracing contemporary practice. Authentic leadership does not demand perfect consistency but genuine engagement with difficult tensions.

Most importantly, leadership now means living according to one's values even when institutions make this difficult. That is where real influence lies. This understanding has fundamentally reshaped how I approach my legal career and my commitment to amplifying voices and creating spaces for authentic expression.

Leadership Development Over Two Years

Over the past two years, my leadership development has been significantly shaped by my research project on Turkish artists. Reading my initial application, I see someone who believed leadership meant visible achievement, institutional recognition and personal ambition. My research completely reframed this understanding.

The most significant development has been learning to lead through facilitation rather than direction. Conducting twenty semi-structured interviews across Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir taught me that the most powerful insights emerge when you genuinely listen to people's experiences rather than imposing frameworks upon them. I learned to create space for artists to articulate their own meanings and struggles rather than directing the conversation toward predetermined conclusions. This shift from authoritative to facilitative leadership has made me considerably more effective and authentic.

What surprised me most was discovering that leadership emerges from vulnerability and authenticity rather than appearing authoritative. The Turkish artists I interviewed demonstrated profound leadership through their conviction and refusal to compromise their values, despite systemic constraints. This challenged my earlier assumption that leadership required institutional power or visible authority.

I developed significantly in cross-disciplinary collaboration and emotional intelligence. Working with my research team across different disciplines forced me to articulate assumptions and remain intellectually humble. Navigating the political sensitivity of researching in Turkey required genuine emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust with participants who faced real risks from discussing their work openly.

Most importantly, my research taught me that authentic leadership means living according to one's values even when institutions make this difficult. Witnessing how Turkish artists continued creating despite economic precarity and political constraint showed me where real influence lies. This understanding has fundamentally reshaped how I approach my legal career and my commitment to amplifying marginalised voices.

Future Impact of the Laidlaw Programme

Having completed the Laidlaw programme has fundamentally shaped how I will engage with the world as both a human being and a professional. The programme taught me that leadership is inseparable from authentic conviction and that my role is to amplify voices rather than dominate conversations.

As a global citizen, this programme has given me frameworks for understanding how power, culture and economics intersect in ways that constrain and enable human flourishing. My research in Turkey revealed how artists navigate systemic barriers with extraordinary resilience. This understanding will inform how I approach social justice throughout my life. Whether through pro bono legal work, my commitment to the Refugee Pro-Bono Clinic or future advocacy, I now recognise that meaningful impact emerges from genuine listening and collaboration rather than imposing external solutions.

Professionally, this programme has positioned me uniquely for a career in law that goes beyond conventional success. Training contract applications emphasised private equity and dispute resolution, but the Laidlaw experience has clarified that I want my legal practice to serve communities experiencing constraint. I am now better equipped to identify where legal frameworks perpetuate injustice, particularly in areas like intellectual property law which my dissertation examines through a colonial lens.

The programme has also developed crucial skills for any legal career: interdisciplinary thinking, emotional intelligence, international experience and the ability to synthesise complex information into coherent narratives. These competencies will serve me whether I pursue magic circle firms or public interest law.

Most importantly, the Laidlaw programme has given me permission to integrate all aspects of my identity as artist, scholar and advocate into my professional life. I no longer see these as separate trajectories but as interconnected ways of leading authentically. This integration will enable me to build a career characterised by genuine impact and integrity rather than mere institutional achievement.