My Leadership Journey through a World Pandemic

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By Zoe Dixon 

My Leadership Background

I have never seen myself as a leader, but I have experienced leadership through my sport and degree in Sports and Exercise Science of leadership development. It is an experience that I would like to build on and apply to my new career as a nurse. Through my sport, I am a qualified windsurfing coach, and I have benefitted myself from being part of the UK Olympic training scheme. Through this training, I have developed an ability to lead people in a sporting context. However, I have had no experience in leadership within a professional context and being a student nurse. I have also never had any formal training in leadership until the Student Leadership Academy. 

Promotion photo for This Girl Can campaign

My Journey

My journey started when Beryl Mansel introduced us to Swansea University Student Leadership Academy during the first few weeks of starting the Adult Nursing programme. The first weeks or even month of starting Adult Nursing, I felt completely overwhelmed as it was all completely new to me. When Beryl came along and spoke to the cohort about taking part in the leadership academy, I initially thought I couldn’t do that. It’s for people who are outgoing and those who already have experience in leadership roles. So I didn’t apply. 

However, a further email was sent out advertising it again with a link to apply. It was then I thought what have I got to lose? Therefore, I applied thinking I would not get offered a place, I was wrong. I was so shocked that I had been accepted to join the Student Leadership Academy, so I decided to grasp this opportunity and throw myself into the experience. 

The first day of the conference, I felt incredibly shy, walking to campus not sure what to expect and who else would be joining me. I arrived and sat down at my designated table, greeted by everyone and a nice cup of tea and biscuits. I started introducing myself to the rest of the people on my table, getting to know what areas they are studying in, paramedic science, mental health nursing, midwifery, to name a few. They were so lovely and friendly, making me feel comfortable. I made the right choice of applying to the Student Leadership Academy (SLA). 

Once everyone was settled Beryl gave an introduction to what the next two days of the conference would entail. I was excited to listen and engage in the activities and talks from all the inspiring people. In the morning, we spoke about Emotional Intelligence the ability to monitor my emotions as well as other people’s emotions and tell apart the different emotions. Emotional intelligence consists of five elements; self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. 

My Leadership Coaching

I was lucky enough to be Coached by a Nursing Officer. My leadership Coach has had an exciting career, now working in the Welsh Government. Due to the pandemic and lockdown, my meetings with my Coach was carried out over the phone. To start with, this made me even more nervous about meeting someone in the Welsh Government. However, my Coach soon made me feel at ease. We spoke about the opportunities I will come across during my training and my career.  My coach also directed me to important policy drivers such as Delegation guidance, A Healthier Wales, NMC social media guide. The second meeting I had with her, we spoke about the current COVID-19 situation, what the hospitals and Government are doing to help fight and cope with the virus. We also talked about what assignments I was currently working on, namely, Health Promotion. I was directed to two great resources, Making Every Contact Count and the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. 

In my third meeting with my Coach, we spoke about how much my self-confidence had increased.  Being part of the SLA and starting bank shifts within the hospital certainly made a vast difference. We discussed the assignment I had recently submitted, which was about Adult Obesity in Wales. This led us to a conversation about health professionals’ diet within the workplace. During most of my placements, the majority of staff would buy food from the canteen; a fully cooked breakfast; for lunch curry and chips or the days offering. During night shifts nurses would tend to eat dinner before they came to work, but before midnight, they would go to the canteen and buy pie and chip and consume sweets throughout the night. I also found that they drank a lot of tea and coffee throughout all shifts. My Coach and I discussed what can lead to health professionals being overweight: quick and easy food; not enough time to prepare food from home; cheap canteen food; lots of vending machines around the hospital; stressful environment. 

My Coach tasked me with asking the health professionals, why they go for a cooked breakfast during work? If they eat a cooked breakfast when they are at home? To begin these discussions would help to build my confidence even further and also was an opportunity to educate my colleagues on healthy eating during a shift. During my next shift and break, I engaged with the health professionals in a discussion around healthy eating. They soon realised the need to be mindful of an unhealthy diet and accessibility of canteen food.  The conversation led to my colleagues stating that they will consider their diet during shifts and try to choose the healthier options. 

Reflecting upon this experience with Swansea Leadership Academy, I have developed my confidence to begin a conversation. I have also gained an understanding of how to be a good leader. Also, what leadership roles there are within the NHS. I have found this experience eye-opening, and now I have to confidence to approach other health professionals to discuss patient care or ask them to explain why they are doing such tests on patients and what they are hoping to find. The Swansea Leadership Academy has been a life-changing experience I will never forget. 

Thank you Beryl.

Zoe Dixon Adult Nursing Student (2020 cohort).

My Leadership Journey and Learning about Me – by Karen Cooper

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My journey started when Beryl Mansel visited St David’s Park campus and explained about the Student Leadership Academy programme. As a mature student, I have had many different careers throughout my life. I believe the role of a manager at a fast-food restaurant, moulded me into the person I am today. I started at a basic level and promoted to a management role. I already knew that being a leader, rather than a manager, creates a positive workforce. However, I felt as a first-year student nurse, I was at the bottom of the ladder and had minimal healthcare experience behind me. Many students in my university cohort appeared to be young individuals, new from college. I felt slightly lost and lacked confidence.
The leadership programme interested me, and I was intrigued to find out more, so I applied.
I remember receiving the email from the Student Leadership Academy informing me that my application had been successful, and I would be part of the first cohort. I was very excited and rather proud of myself.
As time passed, and the Student Leadership Academy study days became nearer, I did regret applying. This was not because I had lost interest. I felt nervous. I was the only student attending from St David’s Park campus, I did not know where I was going, I wasn’t going to know anyone there, and I didn’t even know what I was going to wear!
I emailed Beryl, and she was a great help and very supportive. On the first morning after parking, I wondered onto the Swansea campus. I met Beryl and another student, Angharad. We chatted, and all walked in together, this put me at total ease.

Small actions can have a considerable impact.

Angharad was a student midwife and had been part of the #150 leaders, Council of Deans of Health Student Leadership Programme.
That first day went so fast, and I enjoyed every minute. We were allocated a seat; everyone around my table made me feel welcome, thinking back, most of them were in the same situation as me.

During the morning session, we discussed emotional intelligence, and I found this concept fascinating. I didn’t know much about emotional intelligence before. I had never really explored my personal qualities, and I found the workshop made me think deeper, this taught me about self-awareness and empathy. Being aware and knowing how to handle my emotions, and how my emotions can affect people around me. I see myself as a person with a positive outlook on life, and I try and see the best in people, and situations, however, this isn’t always easy.
How emotionally intelligent are you? Take the quiz …
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ei-quiz.htm

After lunch (free lunch is always a bonus, and it was delicious) Steve Moore, the Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health board shared his leadership journey with us. The room went silent, while everyone listened with interest and enthusiasm. His leadership journey was inspiring and very personal; it was from the heart. I felt honoured to have heard his story.

On the second day, I sat next to a student nurse, Amanda. We are both studying adult nursing, Amanda studies on Swansea campus. We clicked immediately, and I felt like I had known her all my life—what a change in my feeling from the first morning, nervous and shy to happy and chatty.
After another delicious lunch, the Professor of Microbiology and Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Swansea University shared her leadership journey with us. She talked about equity and diversity, such an incredible and inspiring person. One thing she said that made me think and reflect on my journey. A quote she had seen on the back of a toilet door … ‘Don’t let the hand you’re holding, hold you down’ … this meant so much to me, without the constant support from my family, especially my husband, I would not be where I am today. This quote made me appreciate everything I have, inspired me and made me feel incredibly grateful.

Judy McKimm (Swansea University Medicine School) spoke to us about grit and resilience, and this followed on from our emotional intelligence workshop. I found this information useful and attend to explore it more in-depth. The session reminded me that I am in control of my actions and behaviours, and bouncing back when situations don’t go to plan isn’t always easy. I learnt that resilience affects a person’s values, beliefs and emotions, mentally and physically. Techniques to help with resilience include putting the situation into perspective, being optimism and allowing myself time to reflect.

We were gifted a copy of ‘ABC of Clinical Leadership’ edited by Tim Swanwick and Judy McKimm. This book is a little gem. I love the book’s layout, it is full of information and easy to flick through. This is a perfect time for me to say … Thank you!

Later on, in the year, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Cardiff, ‘Developing a Healthier Wales through a culture of Compassionate leadership’. The room was packed with people from various areas of health and social care, not just from Wales. These included people from England and Northern Ireland. The ‘star of the show’ for me was Professor Michael West, his talk on compassionate leadership was amazing and made total sense – Working together while respecting each other.

It has been an honour to be a part of the first cohort of the Student Leadership Academy. We have had the opportunity to hear from a range of guest speakers, who shared their journeys, knowledge and experiences with us.
I feel the programme has helped me to rebuild my confidence, strengthen my knowledge and teach me how to apply them in the field of nursing. I may be a student, but now I know being at the bottom of the ladder, will not stop me from achieving my goals. The programme has helped me to recognise my potential and highlighted my strengths and weakness.

Moving forward, I will share my leadership knowledge with others, encourage, guide and direct while giving support and motivation. I believe leadership can always be developed, and I will learn from others, this will continue to build on my leadership skills and knowledge. I am excited and looking forward to what the future brings.
I thank the Student Leadership Academy and everyone involved for this opportunity.
Karen Cooper
Adult Nursing Student

Mindtools. (2019). How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? Boosting Your People Skills. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ei-quiz.htm

Overcoming fears and finding myself again: A reflection by Cara Lloyd

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I did not come this far to only come this far.

I joined the Student Leadership Academy for many reasons. The primary purpose was to help me grow into a leader and to discover my inner confidence. Having now completed the programme, I have grown as a person and as a leader with the help of the inspirational Beryl Mansel and each and every member of our @SWANSLA family. 

Applying for a place on the Student Leadership Academy was one of the best decisions I have made. Before I write my reflection on the academy and share all of the valuable lessons and new-found strengths, I am going to share some of my stories prior to starting university.

I have not always lived as a confident individual; in fact, it’s taken me years to completely understand who I am and what my purpose is in this life. I lost sight of who I was during year 12 of school. I have grown up being told that I can do anything that I put my mind to, but what happens when your brain doesn’t work the same way anymore?  I used to be confident and carefree, but that was before everything went downhill. I have struggled with my mental health from the age of 15, but I was able to manage it myself with self-care and distraction. My depression did not consume me. It was just always there. It wasn’t until 2016, after the death of my dad, that I no longer had the control over my brain that I used to have. I was entirely consumed with grief, depression and anxiety. My mind felt broken, and I had no idea how to fix it. I lost sight of everything. I had 3 significant fears, and they all seemed to be becoming real all at once.

***

Fast forward two years, and here I am, reflecting on my journey so far; using my experiences to help others. 

Leading from our Hearts 

If there’s one thing I have learnt from the academy is that, with the right coaching and mentoring, you can do anything. Hearing stories from the many inspirational leaders who spoke with us broadened my mind to all the possibilities. Hearing their stories encouraged me to start pursuing my goals. In October 2019, I organised a mental health awareness day, which has always been a dream of mine. Mental Health awareness has always been a passion of mine; hence why my chosen area of nursing is Mental Health. Organising this event with the support from Swansea University was incredible. Next, year I have decided to co-ordinate mental health awareness days in schools on behalf of the university.

My favourite session was on resilience and grit, which outlined the three personal leadership qualities:

1.    Emotional Intelligence

2.    Resilience 

3.    Grit.

The leading from our HEARTS journal helped me to identify areas that I need to develop, decide on my aims and decide how I’m going to achieve these aims. One of the goals I set out to improve was my emotional intelligence. I learnt that there are four domains of emotional intelligence:  Self- Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship- Management. Throughout the year I have been focusing more on these aspects of my life and feel like I have developed in each of these domains. Resilience and grit are aspects that I will continue to develop throughout my life as I haven’t come this far only to come this far, and a FAIL is a First Attempt In Learning. I am growing as an individual and as a young leader.

Here I am ‘Spinning my Yarn’ and reflecting on my journey with the Student Leadership Academy.

Cara Lloyd, Mental Health Student Nurse.

My Leadership Journey by Adanma Okoro

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Beryl and Sam came to a lecture to talk about the Student Leadership Academy and the reasons we should identify with ‘leadership’ as students. As a first-year student, I had my examination and upcoming essays submission deadline, which were my main concerns. Hence, joining the academy and assuming any leadership roles at that time was the least of my priorities. I was not mentally ready for them because of the associated responsibilities. However, on the second thought, I wondered well there is nothing to lose if I partake in the program. Moreover, I will have some food and freebies during the sessions.

A leader, as defined by businessdictionary.com “is a person who holds a dominant or superior position within its field and able to control or influence over others”. The qualities a good leader should possess were charisma, empowerment, managerial competence, be decisiveness, loyalty, excellent communication skills, honesty and enthusiasm.

My initial thoughts on what a leader is have changed. I have now gained more insight into leadership through the leadership academy.

At the Academy, I learnt that for you to be a successful leader, three personal qualities are required: resilience, grit and emotional intelligence and how it can be developed. 

I will be taking you through my journey to the unknown, resilience, emotional intelligence and networking with the Academy.

A Journey to the Unknown

Do you know that in this world, two people may look alike, but they are all different and unique in the way we do what we do? It’s truly amazing how little you know about yourself until you take time out to reflect. I was led to my unknown self. We had the right training on self-awareness, and through reflection, I wrote out what my strengths and weaknesses were and using questionnaires such as ‘HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF’ by Powell (2000) to understand the importance of self-care, learning when to say `NO’. I have come to learn and enjoy the uniqueness of people and what makes them different from me, which I have learnt to carry as a leader. At the end of the first session with the Academy, my confidence level grew that even when I walked, I carried my head up high.

Resilience means not to give up and even after facing problem is that ability to bounce back. During the discussion we had as a group, I remembered talking about some issues I faced and how I dealt with it; it never occurred to me that I was resilient. Now, I am conscious of my strengths through hard work and being motivated (grit). I do not see myself getting overwhelmed about problems and have been able to handle them with the knowledge I have gained. 

Emotional intelligence has four domains (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management). While using the workbook, I came to understand my feelings, thoughts, emotions and that of others as well as developing new skills such as affirmations, being assertive while communicating, taking responsibility for my feelings and reflect on things and be the best version of me. 

After seeing a ted talk video by Simon Sinek https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo, I learnt that anyone could be a leader, it’s not by rank but by choice – looking out for people, sacrificing themselves and making the people feel safe and protected. Through Simons’ video, I learnt what a leader should be. Now I understand I don’t need to have a title before I act but always look out for others. We need to fake it until we become it and even while doing that, we shouldn’t lose ourselves in becoming authentic leaders.

Networking is an opportunity to meet with people across various sectors and get to build professional and making social contact. Strong networks can be built by creating a professional account on social media such as Twitter and Linkedin. I did not have a Twitter or Linkedin account, nor active on my Facebook. I learnt that these platforms are tools that is used to connect with leaders of industries. I have set up my professional account.

I have had opportunities to attend a Compassionate Leadership conference organised by HEIW and the Royal College of Nursing conference since the student leadership academy programme finished.

I made friends through the leadership academy from various disciplines. Honestly, it was such a rewarding journey. I learned so much, much more than I bargained for, and I am still a – work in leadership progress.

My Leadership Journey by Iola Megan Griffiths

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The Student Leadership Academy was my first ever experience of Leadership. This experience was eye-opening for me as I had never considered myself to be capable of becoming a leader or of ever leading others. During the initial two-day session, we were placed in groups with other students from different courses and backgrounds. I’m pleased to say we remain in contact today! During the session, we studied and discussed several different concepts; Emotional Intelligence, in particular, stood out to me as it was something I could see in my day-to-day life. It taught me the crucial aspects of what is expected of a good leader and how I could incorporate this in the future.


“Happiness can exist only in acceptance” – George Orwell


This particular quote resonated with me from the day. It was during a seminar with Dr Alys Einion, Associate Professor of Midwifery and Women’s Health, that the significance of Leadership and managing differences were highlighted. Here, we discussed why some individuals are marginalised and excluded from social and professional groups. What I found most valuable was appreciating how dangerous this is and how we, as future leaders, could prevent this from happening.


To me, the greatest attribute of the Student Leadership Academy is its wealth of opportunities and knowledge brought to the programme through its professional mentors and coaches. Each student was paired with an experienced coach/mentor, each from various Health and Social Care backgrounds. My coach brought an inspiring wealth of knowledge and experience from her work as a Policy Officer. This opportunity was invaluable and exciting! She was an incredibly friendly and welcoming professional, who managed to make me feel comfortable and relaxed even when out of my comfort zone, discussing a topic that was entirely new for me.


Further meetings with my coach throughout the year helped me to develop my confidence and leadership skills. In our first meeting, we set short term and long term goals. These included improving my confidence in speaking in front of people, to apply leadership techniques to my day-to-day life and to gain a leaders position within the University.


Following our first meeting, where I practised speaking in front of my coach, I successfully and confidently spoke during a Student Staff Forum to deliver feedback from students. Despite this being a small step to some, I was amazed that I was able to talk in front of people confidently! Since then, my confidence has dramatically improved, and I am more comfortable speaking publicly. My coach shared with me some crucial skills for interviewing for leadership roles. In particular, as preparation for my interview for College Representative for the College of Human and Health Sciences at University. It’s fair to say the interview was successful, and I felt comfortable promoting myself and my skills to the interviewers. Thanks to the hard work and coaching, I was selected as a College Representative, an honour to represent and lead my fellow students.


In our final meeting, my coach and I re-evaluated the goals that we set at the beginning and were able to gauge my development throughout my time with her and the Academy; it was remarkable to me, to see how I was able to achieve these goals! I had managed to meet my personal goals and develop my confidence and leadership style along the way.


Going ahead with the lessons learned, I have been better suited for leadership roles. My newfound appreciation and understanding of leadership styles meant that I could put myself forward for the position of Discovery Project Coordinator. With my coach’s support in preparing a pitch, I achieved the role.


Indeed, the opportunity to meet with a professional in the field of study I hope to pursue was eye-opening and valuable. My coach has equipped me with the right mindset and key attributes required of a leader for the future. I feel I have prospered as a student at Swansea University, now prepared with the right skill set for future opportunities as I progress towards completing my degree. I am incredibly grateful to my coach for all the support she has given me! When reflecting on my time spent with her, it is clear that I have managed to develop myself significantly and I have been appointed as College Representative, a Project Coordinator, a Senior Volunteer and incredibly a Trustee of a charity!


The Student Leadership Academy has also given me opportunities to meet with notable leaders in their field. During the initial two-day session, we heard from Steve Moore, Chief Executive Hywel Dda University Health Board. It was insightful to hear about his inspiring leadership journey with the emphasis on how we, as current students, could achieve high leadership positions.


A great opportunity was to attend the NHS Wales Leadership Engagement Conference on October 2019 in Cardiff with other students from the Leadership Academy. This engagement conference featured Professor Michael West, The King’s Fund, as a keynote speaker who shared his approach to implementing a culture of compassionate Leadership. His speech was thought-provoking and enthusing, learning how the use of three core principles to compassionate Leadership can create a culture of compassion which is supportive and more efficient in a team.


Nearly a year on, I am not the person who applied to be part of the programme; I am now a more well-rounded, experienced and stronger individual, prepared for the future ahead. I am incredibly grateful to Beryl and the whole Student Leadership Academy team for an experience like this! I would recommend the Academy to all!


Iola Megan Griffiths, Health and Social Care Student.

My Leadership Journey by Cerina Lee Mashirirngwane

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As a mature adult nursing student, I was apprehensive about coming to university and reconnecting with people from different cultures and ages. So, when Beryl came into my lecture to invite us, students, to attend the Student Leadership Academy, I was tempted mainly by the free food on offer as well as the possible study days I could take (Hey, don’t judge me 😊). So, in November 2018, I went to the leadership taster session with an empty stomach and an indifferent mind. What happened next was unexpected and life-changing for me.

One of the speakers at this session gave a talk that to this day has stayed with me. It was one of my lectures who we all respected because of their position of authority. However, what inspired me about her presentation was, how she reminded us all that underneath this knowledgeable, well respected successful leader, was the woman who had started as a student nurse just like me and was forever learning. She said that despite everything she has achieved in her career, she was still fundamentally a student because she never stopped learning and growing. If a person I had so much respect for was honest enough to share this with us to encourage us to embark on a leadership course to better ourselves, I would be unwise not to apply for the Student Leadership Academy programme, and I can safely say it was one of the best decisions I have made for my personal development so far.

I was lucky that my friend also came to the session and she too decided to join the academy, so both felt like fish out of water but had each other for support. That is one of the most valuable lessons I learned as part of Swansea SLA, is that leadership is not a solo activity and as part of the academy you are never alone because there is always someone there to support you, develop your leadership skills, be it the lectures, mentors, or fellow participants. We had such support form the leaders of the student leadership academy, who were keen for us to excel and provided us with resources.

I learned valuable skills such as how to listen, lead and inspire from within and be a person that others want and choose to be led by. However, I also realized that it is not easy to continue to be motivated, to stay on this leadership journey and have the same passion when faced with assignment deadlines and life pressures. Luckily, the Student Leadership Academy is well aware of the pressures on us as students and have been very patient and understanding by continuing to encourage my participation. This entailed going to a leadership conference in Cardiff where we were lucky to mingle with professionals from various sectors of the health service who we might never have an opportunity to network with as a student.

I am glad I joined the academy as my social skills and confidence have improved immensely. I have made many new friends and invaluable connections through it. I would highly recommend anyone to join it but also advise that leadership comes with responsibilities such as self-motivation so be prepared to put in the work to get the full benefit from this course. This programme, however, has not cured my social media participation reluctance as we are encouraged to use twitter and other social media platforms to improve our connections and learning opportunities. I guess that is something I have to continue to work on as part of my lifelong leadership journey.

Cerina Lee Mashirirngwane, Adult Nursing Student

Swansea University Student Leadership Academy Reflective Piece by Ross Upton

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This piece will reflect on my journey through the Swansea University Student Leadership Academy. I must however acknowledge that this has only been the beginning of a journey I hope to last a lifetime. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge and experience both the academy and especially my coach Advanced Paramedic Practitioner Ed Harry have provided me I hope to steer my journey in a path which develops my leadership, clinical knowledge, patient interaction skills and proficiency, thus allowing me to be the Paramedic I aspire to become in 2020. The emphasis on leadership in the Ambulance service is particularly important in the effectiveness of a team in time critical and life-threatening situations for staff and patient. 

Prior to my involvement in the program my view of leadership was mistaken much like many others that surrounded me in the room. When Beryl came to pitch the Academy to us, I was under the impression that the role of a leader was task management such as delegation in a given scenario. My views thanks to the academy have shown me the broad and extensive theories which revolve around leadership styles resulting in me now having the understanding and appreciation that a leader is in fact a person intrinsically central to a team and partakes in such tasks/Duties but whom also has the ability to control a situation in order to achieve optimum efficiency and patient satisfaction. 

From meeting with Ed my coach, I have established a number of theories of leadership which I find applicable and helpful to the pre-hospital care setting. Adaptive leadership theory is one of those, expanded by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky and revolves around four dimensions of adaptivity “navigating business environments – leading with empathy – learning through self-correction and reflection – creating win-win solutions”. In essence this model is about an individual’s ability to overcome unforeseen obstacles and to create alternative plans in response to such obstacles. This form of leadership is particularly applicable to the spontaneity and sporadic nature of my role as a student Paramedic (Mulder, 2017).

My thoughts and feelings surrounding my experience to date on my leadership journey have been resoundingly positive, they have brought me increased levels of confidence, the ability to recognise my potential, it has also highlighted to me the vital aspects of my role as a Student Paramedic where I need to improve in, in order to be a proficient practitioner when I qualify. Although as a first year my knowledge surrounding the pathophysiology of illnesses and other aspects of emergency care is limited at present, placement has been instrumental in improving my history taking skills and my ability to interact with patients in distress or otherwise cerebrally/ mentally compromised due to a conditions or injury/ illness. Having Ed also as my Practice Educator has proven to be of huge benefit as linking both my clinical and leadership journey together has shown the implications and impact they each have on my practice. 

The academy itself comprised of three days of guest speakers and group led discussions allowing for a remarkable environment to be achieved. As students you can only help but feel at the bottom of the pecking order, this results in less exposure to senior figures that be it down to lack of confidence and/or time restrictions. Reflecting back on my experience with the academy I have spoken to leaders and people who work in managerial roles high up within health boards and relevant services, people I feel I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn their story from had I not been present at the academy. A vital piece of information each guest speaker had me part with was, we were all students at one stage, things like attitude drive and competence are things that helped us get to all our present roles and it’s equally important to not forget where you began. Having people of such seniority egging us on and saying, “yes this is achievable” and “yes you can do this if you work hard”, whilst recognising our relevance in their lives at work has encouraged me.  I have learned that this care for others is what makes us love what we do and want to do better not just for ourselves but for our patients and that resonated in the words spoken by the guests at the training days.

In conclusion I feel that the benefits on involvement in the Swansea University Student Leadership Academy are of great benefit to those who partake in it, when applying ourselves to our work and I hope will improve my employability by the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust in my chosen locality. The chance to engage with guest speakers opens up new avenues of knowledge and particularly networking. This networking with figures of major experience and seniority within a multitude of organisations has since broken the limitations I once had in place for myself.  Having Ed as my Coach has made my experience great and unforgettable, his ability to push me and encourage me I feel has brought on new traits whilst also nurturing the ones I already possess. The Adaptive leadership theory outlined above has focused me and shown me how I can better my performance as a future leader. This is all thanks to @SWANSLA.

Ross Upton, Paramedic Science Student

ReferencesMulder, P. (2017). Adaptive Leadership. Retrieved 05/07/2019 from https://w

My Leadership Journey by Catrin Davies

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I am currently a student at Swansea University studying Paramedic Science. This year I was privileged to be chosen to participate in the student leadership programme with a number of other students studying a variety of health care subjects within the university. Throughout the programme I was fortunate to observe different leadership techniques and characteristics through the passion and enthusiasm of the course leaders which has helped me develop my own leadership qualities. I realised from the beginning of this course that it was going to inspire and motivate me on my own personal leadership journey.

As students we engaged and participated in a 3-day programme where we were able to share each other’s passed experiences and own opinions on what qualities and aspects a good and successful leader should have. We embraced the opportunity to participate in a number of deep discussions of honesty and positivity. The level of enthusiasm shown throughout the 3 -day course from everyone involved was inspiring and influential. 

Throughout the 3-day course the importance of honesty, emotional intelligence, authenticity, resilience, true connections and self-awareness were emphasised in order to become high-quality leaders. Personally, I found the discussion given from Julia Pridmore and Craig Toutt on self-awareness very inspiring and relatable as it helped me realise in order for me to be a good leader, I needed to have an understanding of my own emotions and how they affect my performance and my behaviour in health care.  

We were lucky enough to welcome a number of inspirational leaders throughout the 3 days who discussed the importance of leadership being situational. The effectiveness of adapting different leadership styles during different situations we are faced with. Each guest speaker was influential and motivating in different ways, they have allowed me to gain invaluable experience and knowledge of the importance of leadership within health care in such a short space of time and has inspired me to thrive and excel on my own leadership journey but also to try and help motivate and inspire others towards a meaningful vision of excellence within life and as a leader. 

I found the talk delivered from Steve Moore, Chief Executive Hywel Dda University Health board extremely inspirational and beneficial as he discussed his own leadership journey and the importance of networking. This gave me guidance on how I will continue and improve my leadership journey. 

The key message I took away from the guest speakers was the importance of personal leadership which I have lacked, it has helped me gain my self-confidence which was discussed by Beryl Mansel.

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It has also allowed be to crystalize my thinking and highlighted the direction I want my life to progress to. I must remain committed to achieve my final goal in life (Joel Farcht).

We also discussed the Swansea daffodil, which shows leadership in threes. Personally, I found using the daffodil very useful as it allowed me to highlight all angles of leadership including key personal qualities that are essential in order to develop into a successful and influential leader. In addition, it also highlights ways of learning which I believe is essential for a leader as they much have the ability to adapt their learning throughout their leadership journey. 

 As students we were asked to complete small group activities, scenario-building activities and self- reflection activities that pushed many off us out of our comfort zone including creating posters and presenting them in front of everyone, explaining our opinion and view point on a topic. We were asked to complete a poster on emotional intelligence where we considered self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills; this allowed us to show our initiative and creativity. We all worked well within our teams even though we had only just been introduced. We all possessed many different traits and qualities, this helped us succeed within the challenges we were given. We all as individuals had our own leadership experiences to contribute to the group discussions and activities. We all understood each other’s viewpoints and communicated well relating to each other and ensuring we had the motivation and drive to work together to achieve success. 

Another highlight of my student leadership experience was meeting with my mentor who is within the paramedic profession. I found this extremely beneficial as it allowed me to listen to his leadership experiences within paramedics which helped me relate to my clinical practice. I learnt so much from my mentor which I can now apply to my career as a paramedic, It has given me the drive to take every opportunity that will help me develop my weaknesses and improve on my strengths to become a more confident and experienced individual.

Having reflected on the leadership course I believe it will have a significant effect on my future self in practice as it has allowed me to identify certain qualities I already have and many that I need to work on within the future. It has shown me my strength and resilience that I didn’t not realise I had already used during my time in university where I have overcome challenges. I have come to learn that 

“resilient people do more than bounce back, they bounce forward.”

I found this quote inspirational and have motivated me to ensure I maintain resilience throughout my life and during my heath care career. I would highly recommend this course to all future students as it has been extremely beneficial to me. 

Catrin Davies, Paramedic Science Student.

A reflection on my time at the Student Leadership Academy by Mikey Denman

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In the future as a registered nurse and a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council I really want to make a change in the world, and now after enhancing my skills as being a part of the leadership academy I really do feel like I can. I wanted to get the best out of the programme.  I feel so, as I have gained knowledge and skills. I was fascinated by people’s opinions and enjoyed working out a conclusion as a team. This truly has educated me, as I learnt about different people’s perspectives and got to understand their opinions as they explained why they had them. It gave me a great understanding as to why they had come to these conclusions. By working together as a team, it gave me a great insight into seeing the different viewpoints and collaborating as a team. I also had the opportunity to voice my own opinion in front of others and was encouraged to test my ability to embody a leadership role. This has given me confidence in public speaking and made me reflect on why I have certain opinions. It has also given me the opportunity to reflect on other opinions and study them. I have taken the information from these sessions and been able to research the topics discussed, which has given me a great wealth of information. Learning about different categories of personalities with James Moore, was fascinating. I discovered that I was in the right place as I was in the category of being a leader. This made me happy. It was interesting and again made me reflect that even though leadership qualities are integral within any team, it is also highly important to have other personality types within the team. By having the different personalities, you are building a strong team who bring together different qualities and viewpoints.   

We also had the opportunity to get and give constructive feedback during the training days in our small groups and I felt as if this strengthened my leadership skills, my teamwork skills, my listening skills and communications skills. It has also shown me the importance of reflection and how I must use this in my everyday practise.  It was an amazing opportunity to build strong networks and relationships with people across the sector as well. Including speakers such as James Moore (Assistant Director of Organisational Development, WAST), Beryl Mansel (Director of the Student Leadership Academy) and Steve Moore (Chief Executive Hywel Dda University Health Board) who were very inspiring. This demonstrated to me the importance of the Leadership Academy and how we can build the future of the NHS, by working together with management and frontline staff. I found everyone that I met across the board, friendly, enthusiastic and dedicated, which was supportive to myself and gave me confidence within my role. The training also demonstrated to me the power behind having people and staff from different roles and professions and how this can influence the future of the NHS and working together as a team to give across the board service.

I have learnt by having the passion to make a change and being able to work as a team to try and achieve that change, can give you the opportunity to positively impact on people’s lives. I have also adapted my skills in communication, public speaking and team work during the activities especially and including the emotional intelligence workshop. Seeing the four domains of emotional intelligence gave me an understanding of how our brains work and of how people will have more of one characteristic than another. 

It has demonstrated to me the importance of self-esteem, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. I have ensured that in my placements, I have put these into practise and been aware of others. Looking at the Drivers, the Constrainers and the Enablers has shown me how different types of personalities work and how these traits can be used positively within the team. I found the visual learning of the posters valuable. Our group worked well together as a team and I thoroughly enjoyed drawing the brain and inputting the diagram, using empathy, motivation, self-esteem, commitment, interpersonal awareness and decision making. A quote that has stayed with me from that session is

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours” Wayne Dyer.

This is something I practise in life, but it is also a good reminder. 

I believe there is always room for improvement and learning, and that’s one of the main reasons to why I wanted to join the Academy, and I really do feel that I have improved many skills. I am a first language Welsh speaker and was amazed that many of the speakers during the training days were also bilingual which gave me the opportunity to converse through the medium of Welsh and make connections. I believe I have taken advantage of the fact I am a Welsh speaker during my time with the Academy. I was also able to brain storm with others, we discussed who they look up to as leaders, from this I gained an understanding of what personality type they are. It also taught me about other role models that might inspire me. Sharing any thoughts, we had on a previous speaker’s opinion during a small group discussion would help us have a better more wide understanding of the speakers topic. I have also been given a personal mentor as a part of the Student Leadership Academy who has been very helpful with any questions I have had. We have been in constant contact since I first joined the academy in March, and I am grateful for the support and knowledge he has given me.

Mikey Denman, Adult Nursing Student