As a Bangladeshi woman working in higher education, stepping into leadership has often felt like navigating unfamiliar terrain. By enrolling on Advance HE's Diversifying Leadership programme I hoped to better understand not only institutional leadership but also my place within it.
There has been some notable shift in the diversity of academics in higher education since Advance HE’s Equality and HE Staff Statistical report in 2019 however, even though there is a notable difference in the representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff, inequalities still persist with lower representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in senior management positions.
My motivation to join the Diversifying Leadership programme stemmed from a desire to grow not only as an academic but as a leader who could influence strategy, drive meaningful change and empower others. I wanted to visualise what leadership for someone like me could look like and to build the confidence and clarity to navigate those pathways on my own terms.
Authentic leadership
The course content challenged my preconceived notions about leadership, highlighting the importance of distributed leadership models that empower individuals at various levels of the institution. A powerful aspect of the Diversifying Leadership programme was the safe and supportive space that it created to explore the concept of authentic leadership. I was encouraged to reflect on my own leadership qualities and to consider which leadership models aligned with my identity, values and lived experiences.
The session on self-identity and leadership style prompted deep introspection on how my cultural background and personal values influence the way I lead. I have often internalised a quiet, service-orientated approach to leadership, centred on listening, collaboration and empowering others rather than prioritising visibility.
The course enabled me to reframe these qualities not as limitations but as legitimate strengths particularly in a sector that values emotional intelligence as well as inclusive practice. It also encouraged me to explore ways of making my leadership more visible without compromising my identity.
Networks
One area I am actively working on is expanding my professional network by engaging more with sector wide forums and attending leadership development events as well as connecting with like-minded colleagues both within and beyond my institution.
I am also developing a more intentional online presence to share my work, amplify others and contribute to conversations that matter.
Core leadership
One of the most significant realisations I gained through the programme was that I have always possessed the core attributes of a leader, but I had not consciously recognised them as such. Qualities like emotional intelligence, team-centred collaboration, reflective thinking and a quiet confidence were behaviours I demonstrated consistently in my academic role. Yet my perception of leadership has always been to be more visible, authoritative with a dominant presence.
This reflection showed me that I had been subconsciously leading all along and that the next step was to seek out opportunities through networking where these strengths could be used more strategically.
Changing the narrative
The sessions encouraged honest reflections on how systemic barriers can impact visibility, access and progression. At times, this was uncomfortable - realising that disparities in leadership are not just statistical; these are lived persistent realities.
I was able to use these moments of discomfort to form a catalyst. It enabled me to look deeply at the structural divides in higher education, to understand their roots and more importantly to ask myself, what can I do to change this narrative for myself and others?
The importance of being sponsored
The programme has also highlighted the many benefits of seeking a mentor in higher education. Mentoring can play a vital role in navigating the complexities of academia, unlocking potential and supporting future goals (Race, 2020).
Academics who partake in a mentoring programme go on to experience increased job satisfaction, enhanced research productivity and development of leadership skills as well as having greater opportunities for career progression (Rinfret et al. 2023).
Guidance from Advance HE specifically for higher education goes beyond the mentor-mentee acquaintance providing valuable resources for sponsorship-mentoring. This collaboration is different as it isn’t just limited to giving feedback and advice, sponsorship involves actively advocating for the mentee. It provides more structured support opening doors to key projects and professional networks.
In a recent autoethnographic study Hernandez and Longman (2020) found that sponsorship empowered underrepresented academics by way of increasing their confidence, directing to specific career advancement opportunities, whilst also providing strategic support to navigate institutional barriers. This approach can be especially powerful in supporting underrepresented academics to navigate institutional structures and gain visibility in spaces where they otherwise would not have had exposure to.
A powerful insight that I gained through the programme was the importance of how we as professionals from the global majority are labelled, and most importantly, how we choose to define ourselves.
Global majority
The concept of double consciousness as described by W.E.B Du Bois (1903) resonated deeply with me: the idea of seeing oneself through the lens of another, constantly measuring oneself against the standards of a dominant culture (Du Bois, 1903). Campbell-Stephens (2021) extends this concept in the context of leadership highlighting the quiet but persistent trauma of negotiating belonging. In order to integrate the global majority, professionals may unconsciously limit their own naming and knowing of self to fit the dominant expectations.
Leadership is in part attributed to group membership, therefore the group with which leaders identify are key to their internalised sense of efficacy. However, when the group with which they are identified by the wider system is a racialised minority – often viewed through a deficit lens - a fundamental question emerges: how does the individual find a better and truer self in order to effectively become and from that position to lead?
The term global majority is therefore not just a label, it is a reframing which moves beyond the limiting and deficit-based framing of ‘minority ethnic’. It reframes identity, affirming historical, cultural and intellectual agency of those previously marginalised.
Viewing leadership through the lens of global majority is simply not about holding a position, it is instead about actively reclaiming space, being heard and reshaping the narrative.
Shaping the future
If universities are to truly promote race equity and address the adverse outcomes faced by global majority staff then they must move beyond passive aspiration and take deliberate, ameliorative action.
As I have come to learn on my journey, diversifying leadership is not solely about who leads, but also how we lead, who feels they belong and whose vision of leadership gets to shape the future.
Halima Khan is a registered Children’s nurse and working as a nursing lecturer at Birmingham City University. She is passionate about inclusive education, closing attainment gaps and diversifying leadership both in higher education and nursing practice. She is committed to creating equitable opportunities and meaningful learning experiences that support student success.
References
Advance HE (2023) Equality + higher education Staff statistical report. Available at: Equality in higher education: statistical reports 2023 | Advance HE
Advance HE (2020) Sponsorship-Mentoring: development of resources for higher education institutions. Available at: Sponsorship Mentoring: development of resources for higher education institutions | Advance HE
Advance HE (2019) Equality + higher education Staff statistical report. Available at: AdvanceHE_EqHE_Staff_Stats_Report_ 2019_1569507134.pdf
Campbell-Stephens R.M. (2021) Introduction: Global Majority Decolonising Narratives. Education Leadership and the Global Majority. Pp 1-21
Du Bois, W.E. (1903) The souls of Black folk. The Pennsylvania State University: Pennsylvania. Available at: dubois_soulsblackfolk.25365853-libre.pdf
Hernandez, K.A.C. and Longamn, K.A. (2020) Changing the face of leadership in higher education: “Sponsorship” as a strategy to prepare emerging leaders of color. Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research. 15 pp.117-136 Available at: 25010487_6148737860006701 (1).pdf
Race, P. (2020) The Lecturer’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Learning and Teaching. Routledge: London
Rinfret, S.R, Young, S.L. and McDonald, B.D. (2023) The importance of mentorship in higher education: An introduction to the symposium. Journal of Public Affairs Education 29 (4) 398-403 Available at: Full article: The importance of mentorship in higher education: An introduction to the symposium