When I first applied to the Student Leadership Academy (SLA) I had little idea of what the programme would entail. I had been introduced to the programme in a brief talk after a lecture early in my first year of university. I believed it would be a good opportunity to develop some life skills but I thought little more of it until I got an email informing me that I had been accepted! At this time, I did not realise how brilliant this programme would be for me, not only in my personal development as a leader but also in meeting so many inspirational, kind and driven people that I was lucky enough to become acquainted with. The first contact with anyone from the SLA was with my ‘buddy’ (peer mentor) who was a student in the programme the year before. I was able to meet with him and discuss what the programme is about and how I can get the most from it, this meeting made me very eager to get started with the programme.
A few weeks later the day of the first meeting arrived!
We started with some icebreakers, I quickly got to know many of my peers in the room. It was an amazing opportunity to hear these people be so open and honest about their stories to how they got to where they are today. Throughout the first two conference days, we heard the stories of many inspirational leaders in the NHS and within the university. They taught us many vital skills needed to become a leader, along with questioning our views on what a leader is. One of the biggest takeaway ideas that I learnt is that a leader is not just someone in a managerial position, leadership can be as simple as setting an example for others in the actions you take.
One of the topics talked about was compassionate leadership, I soon realised that this is something I am very interested in. Another speaker introduced me to a quote by David Morrison which I still think about in many aspects of my life, it has inspired me to act and speak up about certain situations where I may not have done in the past. The quote is as follows
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept” – David Morrison.
Although I had only known these people for two days, we had learnt so much about each other and developed through this experience together that it felt like we had known each other for years. I am lucky enough to have stayed in contact with some of the students I met on the course and am continually inspired by the amazing work they are doing as healthcare students in the community.
Once I was given my coach, I knew one of the things I wanted to focus on developing was my compassionate leadership. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet my coach in person due to local lockdown restrictions however, we overcame this by having all our meetings via video chat. We discussed how to implement being a compassionate leader into everyday life so that I will be able to apply these skills when on my hospital placements. My coach guided me to develop these skills by suggesting some further reading and actions I could take which have helped me develop my confidence in my skills as a compassionate leader immensely.
Our third and final SLA meeting was held in the summer of 2020 meaning it was very different from the previous meetings due to it having to be held online. Although it would have been nice to see some of these people, I met back in March, again meeting online did have its advantages. We were able to have talks from people who lived much further away than we would otherwise have been able to, allowing us to hear the stories of people who are living and working in a different culture to our own. It was also a lovely experience to be able to catch up with some of my peers that I met back in March. In this Conference, we had an inspirational talk from the chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service. He spoke to us about his journey and how he has developed as a leader throughout his life, he had gone through many drastic changes to get to where he is today. The reason for this is that he believes that the way to grow is to know when it is time to move, this can be applied to an individual or and organisation.
Since being involved in this programme I have become more self-aware and now seek and create opportunities. I now actively try to “champion” people in my personal and professional life. One way I have incorporated this into my university life is by becoming a peer mentor for a few first-year students on my course allowing me to support and encourage them to get the most out of their time in university.
Katie Ball
Audiology Student
Swansea University Student Leadership Academy 