The leaders we need: Quiet influence and reflection in uncertain times

Jacqueline Baxter, Professor of Public Leadership and Management, OU Business School, Faculty of Business & Law.

Professor Baxter’s inaugural lecture will examine the powerful yet often unseen ways organisational and sociological cultures shape learning, leadership, meaning and occupational identity in today’s workplaces.

Drawing on her latest research into how leaders emerge, she will reveal how organisational values, norms and power structures influence not only who rises to leadership— but who is overlooked. The lecture concludes that more innovative ways of recruiting, developing and retaining talent are vital to ensure the future health of our public services.

Abstract

Professor Baxter will highlight how AI, increasing organisational complexity and societal issues such as the climate crisis are reshaping not only how we work, but how we learn, make meaning out of our work and understand leadership. As traditional career paths become less predictable and expertise is increasingly augmented by AI, fundamental questions emerge:

• What does it mean to learn and develop in an age when knowledge can be generated instantly?
• What remains uniquely human to work and leadership?
• What kind of behaviours are we looking for ?

Drawing on Professor Baxter’s research in leadership, governance, adult learning and organisational change, this inaugural lecture examines how public sector professionals create meaning, purpose and legitimacy in the face of growing societal complexity. It argues that judgement, professional identity and the capacity to navigate uncertainty are increasingly vital to sustaining effective work and leadership.

Professor Baxter will also present emerging findings from a recent study examining the relationship between behavioural preferences, organisational culture and leadership emergence. The findings suggest that many self-perceived introverts face significant cultural barriers to leadership, as organisational norms frequently reward extroverted behaviours, such as high visibility, rapid decision making and self-promotion, over expertise, judgement and reflective practice.

In a world characterised by persistent uncertainty and accelerating change, Professor Baxter argues that effective leadership will rest with those who can help others make sense of ambiguity while sustaining purpose, legitimacy, and hope. Ultimately, she suggests that the central question facing contemporary leaders is no longer simply what we know, but who we can become — and what kind of future our leadership enables us to create.

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