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

Jaqueline Baxter, with shoulder-length grey hair, wearing glasses and a green top

In her inaugural lecture on 8 October 2026, Jacqueline Baxter, Professor of Public Leadership and Management, Open University Business School, Faculty of Business & Law, examined 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 revealed how organisational values, norms and power structures influence not only who rises to leadership— but who is overlooked. The lecture concluded that more innovative ways of recruiting, developing and retaining talent are vital to ensure the future health of our public services.