I was honoured to have been recognised as the runner-up for the David Coughtrie Leadership Award by the Commercial Education Trust. Receiving this recognition, as a result of my involvement over the past four years in leading the Peter Jones Foundation’s Youth Panel, means a great deal and underscores the importance of encouraging the next generation of leaders within our society.
As a charity, the mission of the Peter Jones Foundation is to encourage, educate, and empower the next generation of business leaders through enterprise education. My role on the Youth Panel is to facilitate conversations among our fantastic panel of young and enthusiastic minds, while also articulating their opinions and constructive feedback to the Board of Trustees of the Foundation.
After adopting a model where the Youth Panel meets ahead of the Board to discuss the key issue that will be addressed by the Board, I am proud to say that now every Board decision has had consultation from young people, which, for a youth-focused charity, is vitally important and maximises impact as a result. The role itself is a pleasure to be involved with, and I have deep gratitude for the development opportunity it has provided me, particularly in planning agendas, chairing meetings, and consolidating my understanding of Board strategy and governance. These are all skills that will serve me well in my career.
The Commercial Education Trust is a charity that similarly equips young people with the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviours to help them survive and thrive in the workplace. David Coughtrie, whom I had the pleasure of meeting virtually, has an extensive record of achievements throughout his career, not least his legacy on the Commercial Education Trust, which continues to this day through this award. I take inspiration from him as a leader, as well as from the many leadership figures in my life.
However, as I highlighted to the Board, I believe that leaders should also look for inspiration from the young and developing leaders around them. While I believe it is right for boardrooms to be made up of esteemed and senior individuals who have many years of experience, they should also look to the younger, and perhaps less experienced, generation when making decisions for the long-term. Rightfully, there is continued focus given to the makeup and diversity of Boards, and I believe this should also encompass age and experience, as diversity of thought knows no bounds. Through engaging with young people at a Board level, not only does this nurture talent from within, but it also gives rise to new and fresh ideas pertaining to younger demographics, which is key in preparing businesses for the future ways of consuming.
Ultimately, the leaders of today are not going to be managing the long-term impact and legacy of the decisions they make, hence I believe it’s right to consult young minds to increase the dexterity and long-term sustainability of decision-making. We see examples where the priorities and values of individuals intrinsically correlate with age and generational factors, which should be considered when evaluating the commercial viability of decisions and ideas. This can take the form of a Shadow Board, made up of next-generation talent, on which I am fortunate to serve for UMBRA International Group.
As a young person, who has seized every opportunity to make the most of the exposures I have had, I recognise the rare opportunity this has presented me, and I firmly believe that this should be more widely available and integrated into the governance of organisations. There is tangible value in having young people and their voices at the decision-making table, but it’s worth noting that this can only have the desired impact if there is the requisite ‘buy-in’ from Boards, senior leadership teams, and also from young individuals themselves.
I hope that more organisations are able to see the benefit of these concepts and take inspiration from this article to increase their commercial appeal and reach through engaging with young people at a strategic and executive level.
