6 Lessons from the first Guernsey Future Leaders event

We were proud to support the first Guernsey Future Leaders event held at The Duke.

Consultant Robert Shepherd joined a panel of established leaders to share insights from their own career journeys. There was also a panel of emerging leaders to talk about their current experience of developing their careers. Members of our team including Ashley Kerr, Lorcan Higgins, Roxanne Williams, Beatriz Miguelez, Louis Jooste, Kaitlin Tardiff and Laura Preston were pleased to attend and support the new initiative, distilling some of their evening into six key takeaways.

One of the strongest themes from the event was that leadership begins well before somebody reaches a senior position.

Leadership can emerge through taking ownership of a project, solving a problem, bringing people together or stepping forward when something needs to be done. It can also develop outside the workplace through sport, community activities and other responsibilities.

For emerging leaders, this means development does not have to wait for promotion. Opportunities to practise leadership are already available. The important thing is having the curiosity and confidence to find them and the willingness to accept responsibility.

Organisations also have an important role to play. Giving people exposure to new challenges, stretching their capabilities and supporting them as they take on greater responsibility can help develop the judgement they will need later in their careers.

1. There is no single route to leadership

The experiences shared at the event illustrated just how varied successful careers can be.

Some careers develop through long service with an organisation, taking on different roles and adapting as the business itself changes. Others involve moving between professions, organisations or jurisdictions. Neither approach is inherently better.

What unites both routes is change. Even somebody who remains with one employer can experience new ownership, different leaders, changing teams and evolving business conditions.

Leadership therefore depends less on following the perfect career plan and more on being able to respond effectively when circumstances change.

For future leaders, the lesson is not to worry excessively about whether a career looks perfectly planned from the outside. Concentrating on the challenge in front of you, doing it well and remaining open to the next opportunity may ultimately matter more.

2. Experience cannot be shortcut

Qualifications and technical expertise provide an important foundation, but leadership also requires experience that cannot simply be learnt in a classroom.

Difficult conversations, complex decisions, changing business conditions and moments when things go wrong all help develop judgement.

A recurring theme was the importance of being willing to operate without perfect information. Leaders will not always know with certainty whether they are making the right call. Developing the confidence to make a considered decision, while recognising when to ask for help, is an important part of becoming more effective.

Some of the most enduring leadership lessons can come from decisions that did not work as intended. Owning those mistakes, understanding what happened and applying the lesson next time can be more valuable than trying to build a career in which nothing ever goes wrong.

3. Human skills are becoming more important

For all the attention being given to artificial intelligence and technology, the conversation repeatedly returned to distinctly human qualities.

Communication, curiosity, confidence, emotional intelligence, relationship building, trust, influence, kindness and respect all featured in the discussion about what makes an effective leader.

Leadership styles are also evolving. The traditional command and control model is giving way to a more collaborative approach where leaders need to bring people with them, listen to challenge and build trusted relationships.

Being good at delivering tasks is no longer sufficient on its own. Leaders increasingly need to balance getting things done with the ability to understand, motivate and develop people.

As technology changes how work is done, those interpersonal skills may become more valuable rather than less.

4. Leadership requires courage, but also self awareness

Taking on unfamiliar work, moving outside your comfort zone and accepting responsibility can all create opportunities to develop. But confidence should not be confused with pretending to have every answer.

Effective leadership also means knowing when to ask for help, being willing to listen and having enough confidence to acknowledge when something has gone wrong.

Authenticity matters too. There is no single personality type for a successful leader. Leadership does not necessarily depend on being the loudest person in the room. Understanding your own strengths and learning how to use them effectively can be more valuable than trying to replicate somebody else’s leadership style.

5. Relationships are fundamental to leadership

Again and again, the discussion came back to relationships. A leader may have authority through their position, but effective leadership requires trust. Bringing people together around a common purpose, communicating clearly and building credibility can make the difference between simply managing a group and genuinely leading it.

This becomes particularly important as leadership responsibilities increase. Senior roles can involve difficult conversations and decisions that affect colleagues, clients and businesses. Being able to maintain strong relationships while still making those decisions is an important leadership skill.

It also highlights the difference between being friendly and being a friend. As responsibilities change, leaders need to recognise how their relationships with colleagues may change too, while continuing to treat people with respect.

6. Guernsey offers opportunities to lead

Guernsey’s size creates a distinctive environment for emerging leaders. Professional and personal networks can overlap, making relationships and reputation particularly important. At the same time, those close connections can create opportunities for people to build networks, become involved in industry activity and gain experience beyond their immediate role.

Leadership opportunities do not therefore have to come exclusively through formal promotion. Industry groups, community activities, projects and other responsibilities can provide valuable opportunities to build confidence and experience.

For aspiring leaders, the message from the first Guernsey Future Leaders event was ultimately a positive one.

There is no perfect career path and there is no shortcut to becoming a good leader. Seek responsibility. Stay curious. Build relationships. Learn from mistakes. Become comfortable with change. Be prepared to have difficult conversations and remain open to challenge.

Most importantly, do not wait for a senior title before starting to lead.

The next generation of Guernsey’s leaders has an opportunity not simply to follow the models that came before, but to shape what good leadership looks like in the future.