My understanding of leadership hinges on taking responsibility for others rather than acting as an authoritative figure. It means having the ability to understand your peers’ strengths, motivations and limits, while integrating these for collective success. I have realised that good leadership begins with listening and observing, rather than directing.

By working in a multidisciplinary team during my group research project, I have realised a good leader knows when to compromise. When dealing with different academic backgrounds and working styles, there are inevitably different priorities and a good leader knows how to navigate these differences in a constructive manner. They don’t view compromise as a loss of control, but a necessary process to achieve shared outcomes in complex environments.

In addition, I believe a good leader is adaptable. During my Leadership in Action project in Geneva and my research project across Brussels, Paris and Berlin, I have been challenged to respond quickly to unfamiliar environments and expectations. These situations have made me realise that leadership is not a clearly defined quality, but rather, requires flexibility when tackling decision making, communication and problem solving.

Most importantly, leadership means enabling others to come together to achieve a shared goal. It involves creating a safe space for contribution, maintaining trust between stakeholders and ensuring the team stays on track. Leadership in a group is best displayed through shared responsibility, where each individual acts as a contributor to the collective aim, rather than held by a defined leader.

Over the past two years, I have developed as a leader through my experiences. Being placed in foreign academic, professional and cultural contexts gave me the opportunity to reflect on how I communicate and interact with others. When completing my LiA in Switzerland, it highlighted the importance of adjusting communication styles in professional settings of different cultures. For instance, not scheduling meetings on a Friday, which was respected as a relaxed day to ease into the weekend. In addition, I realised the importance of responding to such situations with clarity, confidence and sensitivity.

Living abroad in a new environment challenged me to adapt quickly and be more independent. For example, when using the complicated Swiss public transport, whose signboards decidedly refused to cooperate with my very basic understanding of French. However, these experiences increased my confidence in handling uncertainty and being resourceful, both personally and professionally, which have influenced how I approach leadership.

The research project as a group further encouraged reflection on my leadership style as I found it essential to be patient when working with others, especially when coordinating schedules, delegating tasks and making collective decisions. I became aware of how imperative it is to compromise and balance efficiency with inclusivity. Rather than prioritising speed or control, I grew to value an approach based on mutual understanding and shared ownership of outcomes. Moreover, the opportunity to speak to policy analysts made me aware of how leadership can hinge on translating ideas into action. Learning to communicate research findings in an actionable way allowed me to see leadership as a bridge between knowledge and impact.

Looking to the future, the Laidlaw program has encouraged me to reflect deeply on my academic direction and professional aspirations. The research skills I have developed during the program strengthened my confidence when engaging with complex topics and solidified my interest of pursuing a master’s degree. I am well prepared to undertake further research and contribute meaningfully to academic discourse. Moreover, the international component of the programme has had a lasting impact on my outlook on topical issues. Working and conducting research across Europe has helped me recognise the value of international perspectives and has shaped my ambition to work abroad and engage with global issues.

I hope to work within environmental policies and IGOs in the future and my research project on the EU green energy transition has provided valuable insights into how environmental challenges are communicated and negotiated. This approach, paired with my leadership development, will allow me to contribute to the policy space through effective collaboration and shaping shared goals. Moreover, having the ability to build a network of policy analysts within the EU was truly unique as an undergraduate and I am confident in utilising the relationships I have built, within the Laidlaw team, other scholars and through my work, to grow further as a policy analyst in the future.

The opportunity to develop and grow reflectively is invaluable and I am grateful to the Laidlaw foundation for this opportunity.