Sheffield’s most inspiring leaders: Meet the finalists for 2017
They’re the Moses to your flock
Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some go out of their way to have greatness thrust upon them.
We’ve scoured Sheffield to find the people who, not fulfilled by mere lectures and Monday nights at Tank, have pushed themselves further to become something more.
They’ve invented chaired committees, worked for charities and made sport more accessible to the masses.
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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Alex Richardson, Co-Chair of Education Committee
Masters, International Political Economy
What made you interested in becoming co-chair of education committee?
It was a brand new committee they were setting up and it just seemed like a good way to stay involved in student life as a masters student.
You just have to look in the news to realise why you have to be interested in education as a student.
What does being a leader mean to you?
It means being a role model. You’re taking charge of a situation and you know you’re doing it the right way if people want to follow you. It’s a way to inspire people and bring them together.
Communication is the key – you’re not going to follow someone if you don’t know what they believe in. Strength of will is also important. If someone’s too flip floppy they can be easily manipulated so you must have an end goal and the strength of will to achieve it.
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What kind of leader are you?
I like working in teams and being able to delegate tasks. Working as a team means you get more done and it’s more effective. Working by yourself you get things wrong and forget thing – people are fallible.
How have you overcome difficulties?
There’s always time when you question”what is the point” but you get a breakthrough every now and then and you suddenly remember why you’re doing this and why you’re involved. It’s the small victories that keep you ticking along.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’d want to be in a role in which I felt the work I was doing was having an influence on greater society. I’d like something in the charitable sector but jobs like that are very hard to come by, so anything in the public sector would be great.
Do you have big plans for the future?
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Anne Katrin-Lother, Chair of Sheffield Amnesty International
3rd Year, International Relations
What made you interested in becoming Chair?
I’ve always been interested in what Amnesty International stands for and human rights in general. I was on the committee in first year but then I realised I wanted to get more involved and have my ideas in action so I decided to go for a leadership position.
I went for the role of Chair because as a leader I can get my ideas in and set the agenda. I’m really passionate about what Amnesty do and I’ve got a lot of ideas to bring in.
What does being a leader mean to you?
It’s a big responsibility but you have to believe in yourself. I find it pretty difficult to be confident in myself as I feel other people are a lot more qualified to lead. I once went to a course on female leadership and found that many other women leaders felt the same way so I try my best to keep going for it.
Being a leader has improved my confidence massively. In second year I helped organise a candlelit vigil after the Paris attacks and I did a speech in front of a thousand people which I would never have been brave enough to do without my experience.
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What are the qualities of a good leader?
Finding the balance between delegating and doing things yourself. When we make decisions in our committee we vote on them. My committee members look to me to come up with an agenda for things to do and motivate them, make sure everyone is happy with what they’re doing and that they’re all comfortable.
What are you really passionate about?
Helping people. That’s why I decided to study international politics and get involved in a human rights society.
I helped refugees get settled in Germany and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I remember I spoke to a little girl from Afghanistan and she told me she’d learnt three languages on the journey over so she wouldn’t have to think about what she was doing. I felt so humbled when she told me this in English almost better than mine.
Helping people is such a rewarding thing and when you’re passionate about it you get good at it.
Are you driven, ambitious and resilient?
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Robert Edwards, President of Engineer’s Rugby
3rd Year, Politics
What made you want to become President of Engineer’s Rugby?
In my first year I played for the BUCS rugby team but I hated the initiation side of things so when I got involved in Engineer’s rugby I made a policy to not have initiations or punish our Freshers.
In my second year I became the treasurer of Engineer’s rugby which gave me an insight of how much goes on behind the scenes. In my third year I wanted the control and to make as much of a difference as possible. I love playing rugby so it was kind of a natural fit.
I’ve always been interested in helping people and I wanted to give people a decent chance so everyone could play rugby at university.
What does being a leader mean to you?
It’s about being the most committed person out there. If you turn up to everything you set an example and your team will the be a lot more motivated and committed as well.
You also need to be approachable, so if people have problems you’re the first person they ask. They won’t moan behind your back if they can come and talk to you directly.
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What kind of a leader are you?
I’d say I’m more independent but that’s probably a flaw. I should delegate more but before I was President we delegated quite a lot and things didn’t get done.
We have a committee of 14 people but I prefer to talk to the three people who are relevant to the decision I’m making rather than getting the whole team involved.
What are you passionate about?
Giving 110% and making sure I make a positive difference in everything I do.
Are you good at dealing with high pressure situations?
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Ben Court, President of Sheffield Ski Society
3rd Year, Journalism
What made you interested in becoming President of Sheffield Ski Society?
I’ve skied since I was very young and in first year the main thing I wanted to do was get involved in Ski Society. It’s such a social sport and you meet so many people through it – there are over 400 members and I had such a good time in my first year.
Being on the committee as social sec in second year made me want to contribute more to the running of the club and become President. I want to take it my own way and give everyone the best experience of the club possible.
The main priority for me is making the club as inclusive as possible and making sure the committee seems approachable. Whether you’ve never skied before or you’ve skied for Great Britain, I want to show there’s still a place for you at the club.
What does being a leader mean to you?
It’s very important to be a representative as you’re reflecting everyone else and influencing how other people feel. It’s important to set an example and make sure everyone’s getting the most they possibly can from the club and are having the most fun they can.
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What drives you?
To see people enjoy themselves. If I’m out on any Sheffski events I’ll make a conscious effort to go round to people and check they’re having fun.
What makes a good leader?
Delegation is very important because you can’t do it on your own and you have to make sure everyone’s pulling their weight.
It’s crucial as a leader that you can take criticism and take on board what people are saying. If someone criticises you and you don’t act on it you can’t expect to get any better.
Do you have the qualities of a good leader?
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Ben Goude, President of Israeli Society
3rd Year, Psychology
What made you interested in becoming President of Israeli Society?
Some of my family converted to Judaism which opened my eyes to anti-semitism, especially in the UK which I thought was generally a very tolerant and prejudice free place to live.
I discovered that a lot of hostility towards Jews stemmed from the perceived associations with Israel. The Israel-Palestine conflict is something I’d always been aware of, vaguely, but I’d never really thought about in depth. I felt like someone had to present the other side of the argument so students can make their own minds up by listening to different opinions and drawing their own conclusions.
What does being a leader mean to you?
It’s all a bit bizarre really – I never set out with the goal of being the President of a society.
I think my friends will vouch for the fact that I have strong views and like to challenge things that are taken for granted. For me, it means leading by example and standing up for what you believe in, even if that involves going against the view held by the majority.
It also means being the person that takes the first step rather than assuming someone else will do it.
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What advice would you give to other potential leaders?
My old psychology teacher taught us that the best leaders are introverts with an internal locus of control. In other words, shy people who believe that they are in control of their own lives and don’t blame others for their problems.
I think I would agree with that sentiment. You tend to see the opposite in politics and big business though.
What are you really passionate about?
Generally, I am passionate about science and reason. I went to a Catholic school and probably gave the RE teachers a harder time than they deserved.