Insight from Leaders | International Leadership Week 2023

International Leadership Week is a unifying opportunity for all who are committed to raising the bar when it comes to leadership practice.Curated by the Institute of Leadership and Management, there will be four days’ worth of activity beginning on March 20th. In 2023’s iteration, the Institute has noted six key areas of interest for today’s leaders: managing remote teams; embracing change; future-readiness and business agility; diversity & inclusion; young leadership; and emotional intelligence or toxic workplace environments.

At Cause4, our Trustee Leadership Programme has allowed us to connect with and guide some brilliant leaders over the years; this work has been a consistent reminder of the energised, ambitious minds that continue to evolve leadership practice. As part of International Leadership Week 2023, we’ve collated advice, learnings and other musings from some of these individuals, who each have a distinct experience of leadership. 

Both Astrid and Liz emphasised that leadership is often much more about listening to and learning from others than it is about individual conviction: 

“Don’t be put off by unknowns – you will find your feet as you go along and your commitment to an organisation you care passionately about will help shape a bit of the world. A large part of my role as Chair is to listen to and learn from my fellow trustees and to be part of a team that shares the same values and mission.”

Astrid Alben, Poetry London

“The range of perspectives around the table (or Zoom screen!) and their ability to listen to each other and problem-solve collectively is what can add true value to the executive team.” 

Liz Edwards, Unity Theatre

Offering reassurance to those embarking on their leadership journey, Zain and Rishi both highlighted the valuable learnings to come and the importance of perseverance: 

“The best thing is that if you stay persistent and do your best, it's not a one-way street because you also get a lot out of becoming a Trustee and it transforms the way you think, and the experience will allow you to have a deeper and holistic understanding of your organisation.”

Zain Hafeez, Asylum Support Appeals Project

“There is a steep learning curve, and it will take up lots of your time, so you have to be passionate about the cause. However, it will build your character and skillset very quickly in a very positive way.”

Rishi Kappor, Z-Arts

It is fantastic to see the co-leadership model working effectively as a tool for diversifying and invigorating leadership, as Jide experienced in his Co-Chair role: 

“We took the decision to introduce a Co-Chair model as an opportunity to diversify how we operate and to be more representative of the make-up of the borough population; it is our commitment as an organisation to ensure there is real diversity at all levels.”

Jide Ashimi, Co-Chair of Raw Material

Finally, Maxine rightly noted that, above all else, good leadership takes work:   

“If the Board is going to be effective, work needs to happen in-between meetings, you need to be actively engaged in strategic planning…and connect with your own networks where a useful contribution can be made.”

Maxine Evans, Brook

See the array of events on the week’s agenda, with webinars with speakers from the UK Deaf Leadership Summit, Etihad Airways and the Social Mobility to Commission (to name but a few!), on the Institute of Leadership Management’s website. Join the conversationusing the #ILW23 hashtag on Twitter. 

Learn more about Cause4’s Trustee Leadership Programme here.