The crucial role of leadership is to ensure an organisation is relentlessly seeking to change for the better. That means you have to paint the picture of what change will create and inspire the organisation to want to make it real.
David Kershaw, Chief Executive, M&C Saatchi, (Chair)
There is only one thing that we can be sure of – change. Change is a given, so leaders must learn to embrace it and face the future with confidence and equanimity. As Kipling has said – If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/And treat those two impostors just the same – you have every chance of succeeding.
Shreela Ghosh, Head of Programmes, inlVA
For me, self awareness is critical to effective leadership. To recognise and work on personal strengths and weaknesses and be seen to be doing so, is key to a leader's personal development and their credibility. Leaders have a huge impact on the people they work with, they should never under estimate the power of their support and presence and the direct effects, both good and bad, that they have on the climate of the organisations they lead.
Virginia Tandy, Director, Manchester City Galleries
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. But you can’t be a successful leader unless you have a vision that inspires others and, crucially, a sense of real conviction about how such a vision is to be executed. Leadership also requires resilience, the highest levels of intellectual and moral integrity as well as the ability to stand up to the status quo where it is impeding progressive change. Unlike management, leadership is a vocation, not a profession.
Tom Bewick, Director, Creative and Cultural Skills
Before any organisation can be truly successful, its members need a shared understanding of where they're going. A good leader paints and models a vibrant picture of the future, and inpires the group to a common endeavour. He or she makes sure that as many in the organisation as possible believe they played a part in the painting of that picture - the vision is owned collectively. A good leader ensures that the organisation is effectively managed so that purposeful action follows words and best intentions.
Althea Efunshile, Executive Director, Arts Planning and Investment, Arts Council England
Sue Wilkinson - Director, Policy and Advocacy, MLA
Michael Lynch, Chief Executive, South Bank Centre
We need to create meaningful networks - gathering, mentoring, buddying - and a key challenge is for organisations top be open to risk taking and new ways of working.
Gemma Emmanuel-Waterton, Eclipse Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse
