Manchester’s most inspiring leaders: Meet the finalists for 2017

They’re the Moses to your flock

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Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some go out of their way to have greatness thrust upon them.

We’ve scoured Manchester to find the people who, not fulfilled by mere lectures and Monday nights at Factory, have pushed themselves further to become something more.

They’ve led teams to victory, innovated sports and furthered people’s careers.

You’ve probably already heard of them, or maybe they’ve influenced your life without you knowing it. Either way, you’re going to want to see who’s made the list.

Here are your most inspiring leaders of 2017.


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Alice Brown, Captain of Manchester Netball Team

4th Year, Marketing

What made you interested in becoming Captain of Manchester’s Netball Team?

The main thing that interested me was my passion for the sport and for the club. I really enjoyed being in the club in first and second year and wanted to help out more and have a bigger role within it.

I’ve seen leaders of other clubs doing really great jobs so I was inspired by them to go for the role. Leadership comes quite naturally to me and I think I’m organised and approachable. We’ve got such a close knit family so to be a leader of that was an honour to me.

What does being a leader mean to you? 

The main thing is inspiring others. We’re in the top three sports in the uni and there’s a lot expected of us, so for me a massive thing is inspiring the whole club to want to do their best, come to training and give it their all.

I’m quite strict but I’m also really fair at the same time. We train hard and put a lot into the club but we see really good results. We’re doing the best the club has ever done in the history of the university this year which shows that hard work really pays off.


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What makes a good leader? 

Someone who’s open and transparent. It’s the way I try to lead the club so everyone knows what’s going on at all times and there’s no sense of hierarchy. The girls feel like they’re involved in the big decisions of the club.

It’s a huge commitment for the girls with loads of training so there has to be an element of fun in there or else they’d resent it, which helps people want to train and love the club. We have socials each week which are really important to get to know people because we have six teams and we wouldn’t all mix otherwise.

What drives you? 

Success drives me both in terms of career and personal life.

Being happy also drives me so I try to surround myself with good people.


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Joseff Edwards, Chairman of the Rugby Club

Third Year, History

What made you interested in becoming the Chairman of the Rugby Club?

I love rugby and I love the rugby club.

I wanted to take the club forward in its development because we have a big membership and I feel we could be playing to the top level in the country, but we struggle because we don’t get the same amount of funding as other unis. I wanted to help the club reach its goals of playing at the highest level possible.

What does being a leader mean to you?

Being real, being yourself. I’m convinced I haven’t got everything right but I hope the boys see I’ve always been real with them. I’ve kept firm to my convictions, to the goals we set out at the beginning of the year and who I am.

You’ve got to lead from the front. A saying I love is, “speed of the leader, speed of the team.” As the leader you set the pace, the intensity, and where the club will go. I’m totally dedicated to the training, I’m always at the socials, and I show professionalism on and off the pitch. I’m driven towards developing as a player myself and when you do that your boys will follow.

What kind of leader are you?

I’ve got a tendency to take on everything, but I’ve learnt that delegation and team work are really important. I’m part of the committee as a larger unit as well as having my own individual role, and part of being in the committee means we’re always looking out for each other.


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Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Next year I’m going down for an internship at a church in London. One of my biggest passions is my Christian faith so I can’t imagine anything better than spending most of my days ministering back in Wales.

What drives you? 

There are two things really. One comes from my Christian convictions – in everything you do you should work as hard as possible for the glory of the Lord. I want to do whatever I do in the best way possible and achieve excellence in order to please God.

There’s something really satisfying when you see people fulfilling their potential. I’ve been looking out for people in the rugby club to become the next chairman and have been training them in that role. Hopefully this year we’ve set the foundations for the next year club to take it onwards and upwards.


Are you driven, ambitious and resilient?

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Shourya Khanna, President of Manchester Bright Futures

Masters, International Relations

What made you interested in being President of Manchester Bright Futures? 

It’s the largest UK network for students looking for careers, connecting graduates to employers. As President my role is to communicate regularly with the national team in London, to organise the people in my committee and to help them if they need it.

What does being a leader mean to you? 

Being a leader is being a representative. Someone who’s enlightening and who you can trust, who’s responsible and available 24/7. They’ll really put their team together and find the middle ground when people don’t agree.

A leader should be able to look towards the future but also learn from the past when making decisions in the present.


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What kind of leader are you?

I believe in distributing work according to people’s skill set.

What drives you? 

I’m really passionate about introducing something into the world that can be really revolutionary.

The lightbulb is something without which no one could work at night, and the invention of the bulb led to the invention of LED light and the invention of tube lights.

I’m really looking forward to building something for society that helps in terms of environment and peace keeping.


Do you want to make a difference?

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Tom Lush, Chairman of the Manchester Hockey Team

Third Year, History and Politics

What made you want to become Chairman of the Manchester Hockey Team?

I like being in charge and the responsibility that comes with it. It’s a really good club to be part of with a great environment and I wanted to give back, so I thought the best way to do this would be by becoming Chairman.

There’s about 20 people on the committee but most of the decision about the general running of the club and its progression go through me.

What does being a leader mean to you?

A lot of clubs have big reputations and histories so being a leader comes with the responsibility of maintaining these and directing the club along my vision without changing too much. The opportunity to make my mark on something really appeals to me.

At Manchester we have a focus sport system. At the moment three clubs get extra funding and promotion so it’s my aim for at the end of this year for this club to become a focus sport.


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What kind of leader are you?

I like to think that I delegate and keep everyone involved. The general secretary of the club who’s second in command is also my housemate and we’re best friends so we work closely together.

We make sure all the captains are involved in decisions, have committee meetings every couple of months, get feedback from them and give them information about what’s happening with the club.

I involve the team a lot but ultimately a lot of the decisions are mine and it does rest on me to do things in the interest of the club.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

I don’t know – I’m very easy going in terms of the future. I guess I’m one of those students coming to the end of my university time and wondering where on earth I’m going now.


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