{"id":35948,"date":"2025-05-01T11:38:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?p=35948"},"modified":"2025-05-01T11:38:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:38:30","slug":"future-of-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Future of leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding\u00a0 them towards board positions, and helping them reconnect with what makes their leadership\u00a0 meaningful. It\u2019s a privilege.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it also gives me a front-row seat to a quiet crisis that isn\u2019t being talked about enough: the\u00a0 lack of talent at the board level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why boardrooms need new voices\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many companies have a board in place, however, it does not reflect the customers or teams\u00a0 within the company. It\u2019s time we asked: What would it take to bring more diverse talent to the\u00a0 boardroom?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the catalyst behind The L Factor Ltd. Not as a brand or a business plan, but as a\u00a0 response to what I was seeing, time and again. A viscous cycle that needs to be broken.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Talented people, especially women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, are\u00a0 stuck on the edge of influence. Brilliant minds on the cusp of board-level leadership, unsure\u00a0 how to navigate the next step without losing themselves in the process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The urgency is strong. So much that the King’s Speech of 17 July 2024 outlined the UK\u00a0 government’s legislative agenda, including priorities aimed at promoting security, fairness,\u00a0 and opportunity for all.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the 40 proposed bills is the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. This draft bill\u00a0 requires organisations to expand their focus on fairness and equality in the workforce.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And we need to lead by example from the top.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rethinking how we reach the boardroom\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Getting someone to the boardroom isn\u2019t just about credentials. It\u2019s about clarity. It\u2019s about\u00a0 alignment. It\u2019s about understanding how they want to lead, and who they want to build with.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That takes more than a polished CV or a well-placed introduction. It takes space to think. To\u00a0 reflect. To be challenged in the right way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen the shift happen when someone finally names the value they bring, and believes it.\u00a0 When they stop chasing every opportunity and start choosing the right ones. When they\u00a0 learn how to ask for what they need, without apology. And, perhaps most powerfully, when\u00a0 they reconnect with their network not as a list of contacts, but as a living system of exchange\u00a0 and support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The digital age has given us access to a lot of materials.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

But access alone doesn\u2019t lead to transformation. What makes the difference is presence.\u00a0 The willingness to show up with curiosity, to listen with care, and to be changed by what we\u00a0 hear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t soft skills. They are core leadership capacities. The leaders who cultivate them\u00a0 are the ones who thrive, not just personally, but collectively. They build better teams. They\u00a0 shape more inclusive boards. They leave legacies that matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not interested in teaching people how to \u201cnetwork better\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m interested in how we build communities that hold us to our best work, challenge us to\u00a0 lead with integrity, and make space for the bold, the uncertain, and the in-between.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve learned is this: the boardroom isn\u2019t just a destination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mirror. It reflects the systems we\u2019ve built, the values we uphold, and the conversations\u00a0 we\u2019re willing to have. If we want more diverse, more human leadership at the top, we need to\u00a0 change the way we support people on their way there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Preparing the next generation of board members<\/h3>\n

That means mentoring that\u2019s honest. Events that feel like deep dialogue, not just\u00a0 handshakes. Workshops that give people language for their instincts. And a digital network\u00a0 that does more than circulate content. It builds trust, connection, and momentum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is slow work. But it\u2019s urgent. Because in a world saturated with noise, clarity is radical.\u00a0 And connection \u2013 real, intentional connection \u2013 is one of the most transformative tools we\u00a0 still have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If this resonates with you, I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts or connect to explore how we can\u00a0 support the next generation of leaders together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Read More Collaboration <\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding\u00a0 them towards board positions, and helping them reconnect with what makes their leadership\u00a0 meaningful. It\u2019s a privilege.\u00a0\u00a0 But it also gives me a front-row seat to a quiet crisis that isn\u2019t being talked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":35950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-35948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topic-bias-ethics","topic-collaboration","topic-fas-fa-graduation-cap"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFuture of leaders | Digital Leaders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Future of leaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Leaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/digitalleadersprogramme\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Louise Westcott\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Future of leaders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@DigiLeaders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DigiLeaders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Louise Westcott\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Louise Westcott\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/50d407d47f6db15304462e27d166bef1\"},\"headline\":\"Future of leaders\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\"},\"wordCount\":689,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\",\"name\":\"Future of leaders | Digital Leaders\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Future of leaders\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/\",\"name\":\"Digital Leaders\",\"description\":\"We Lead Transformation\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Digital Leaders\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Digital-Leaders\u00ae-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Digital-Leaders\u00ae-logo.jpg\",\"width\":3000,\"height\":2992,\"caption\":\"Digital Leaders\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/digitalleadersprogramme\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/DigiLeaders\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/6527637\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCK1pUziPGg9J8R1S0FhBgiQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/50d407d47f6db15304462e27d166bef1\",\"name\":\"Louise Westcott\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8269a87a68787a5652e9bbbd9e81282f6d74f763288a3268a2e3277baf66c40d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8269a87a68787a5652e9bbbd9e81282f6d74f763288a3268a2e3277baf66c40d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Louise Westcott\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Future of leaders | Digital Leaders","description":"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Future of leaders","og_description":"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions","og_url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/","og_site_name":"Digital Leaders","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/digitalleadersprogramme","article_published_time":"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Louise Westcott","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Future of leaders","twitter_description":"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions","twitter_image":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","twitter_creator":"@DigiLeaders","twitter_site":"@DigiLeaders","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Louise Westcott","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/"},"author":{"name":"Louise Westcott","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/50d407d47f6db15304462e27d166bef1"},"headline":"Future of leaders","datePublished":"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/"},"wordCount":689,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/","url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/","name":"Future of leaders | Digital Leaders","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-01T10:38:30+00:00","description":"I\u2019ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shutterstock_2101929538-scaled-e1746095698884.jpg","width":800,"height":450},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/future-of-leaders\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Future of leaders"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/","name":"Digital Leaders","description":"We Lead Transformation","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#organization","name":"Digital Leaders","url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Digital-Leaders\u00ae-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Digital-Leaders\u00ae-logo.jpg","width":3000,"height":2992,"caption":"Digital Leaders"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/digitalleadersprogramme","https:\/\/x.com\/DigiLeaders","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/6527637\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCK1pUziPGg9J8R1S0FhBgiQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/50d407d47f6db15304462e27d166bef1","name":"Louise Westcott","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8269a87a68787a5652e9bbbd9e81282f6d74f763288a3268a2e3277baf66c40d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8269a87a68787a5652e9bbbd9e81282f6d74f763288a3268a2e3277baf66c40d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Louise Westcott"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}