Summary

In this episode of the Leadership Lab series, Susanna Kempe, CEO of the Laidlaw Foundation, speaks with Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, on the importance of arts and humanities degrees, leading with empathy, and navigating challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field.  

Professor Shearer West became Vice-Chancellor of Leeds in 2024, having previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham and Provost at the University of Sheffield. An accomplished art historian, she has authored nine books and numerous scholarly articles and previously led the History of Art Department at the University of Birmingham. At Nottingham, she was a passionate advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, helping the institution become the first to achieve the Gold Athena Swan award for its work advancing gender equality across higher education and research.  

Reflecting on her leadership journey, Professor West reflects on the resilience required to be the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham and encourages young women aspiring to leadership roles to stay true to themselves: “We need to hold onto our authenticity of leadership...rather than particular stereotypes of leadership. The more we can all do that, the more the diversity of leadership will be accepted.”  

She also challenges the notion that empathy is a “soft” quality in leadership: "If you’re a leader and you’re empathetic, you still have to do things you know are going to have a negative impact on some people, for the greater good...I think being empathetic is actually quite strong”. 

In the wider context of global education, Professor West also discusses the difference between different higher education models. Whilst she notes that the UK’s reliance on international students can be volatile, she argues that a dependence on philanthropy, as seen in the US, can also be politicised and precarious.  

This intriguing conversation offers powerful insights into what it means to lead with empathy, courage, and authenticity – especially for those striving to challenge the status quo. A perfect listen during a sunny walk or over your morning coffee.  

Tune in now to discover what it means to lead with heart and purpose!  

Time-codes  

00:23 - We talk a lot with our scholars about leadership being a journey, not a destination. Can you talk a little bit about where it all began for you? 

01:55 - Your background is in art history. It's quite unusual for Vice Chancellors.  

02:40 - Why do you think arts and humanities sometimes gets a bit of a bad rap, or is there a switch aside underestimated in terms of its impact on the world? 

07:09 - When you were at Nottingham, previously, you were the first female Vice-Chancellor, weren't you? Why do you think it took them so long? 

09:27 - Why do you think as a society, we give women leaders a harder time than male leaders? 

10:07 – What advice would you give to young women who are passionate about a particular career, particular sector, but maybe a fearful that if they get into those positions of power and influence, they won't be able to lead the way they want to, because they'll be under so much scrutiny or attack or misperceptions. 

11:21 – Do you think programs like the Athena SWAN awards and so on help? 

12:59 - Despite this, across the UK system, only 1% of professors are black.  

14:59 - DEI is obviously under scary attack in the US at the moment. Does that make you fearful for here? 

16:45 - We're talking obviously, because we have Laidlaw scholars at Leeds. One of the components that we added just a few years ago is the International element, with the idea that if you see your own country and your own culture from a different place and a different perspective, you understand more about it. What has your global perspective given you? How does it influence the way in which you lead?  

19:50 - What would surprise your old school friends the most about what it's like living in the UK versus the US?  

21:01 - I've been interviewing lots of VCs, which is obviously an enormous privilege, and everybody brings their own perspectives and the challenges they're facing. But Hugh Brady at Imperial said to me that a challenge that all UK universities are facing is the financial model and that it's basically broken in the UK. Does that resonate for you? 

23:46 - You have committed £174m towards climate change over the next few years which is phenomenal. How do you balance the different spending priorities? 

24:50 - The US model obviously relies on donors for a lot of their funding. What are the pros and cons to that model?  

26:55 - Leeds has just gone up six places. How are you going to build on that momentum?  

28:46 - One of the things that we've been advocating for is for UK universities to have as part of their rankings the way in which they develop character, in the same way that Wall Street  

Journal has just introduced it in the US. And yet, when you look around the world right now, arguably the people who are in positions of power don't demonstrate that responsible leadership. Where do you think we are on that? Have we lost the argument? Or what can we do to say the most effective leaders in terms of impact are those that also are kind and decent and care about people and places? 

31:45 - What other values do you think are important for leaders? All the different leaders you've met around the world, and if you think about the leadership traits that really seem to cut through and make a difference. What would you say they are? 

36:37 - If you could go back to your younger self and change the university course that you took, would there have been a different route for you? 

38:02 - What's the single biggest topic that the university could focus on that will really make a difference in the world? 

39:16 - What would you like to ask the next interviewee?