17/09/2026
What does leadership really mean? Reflections from the Society of Black Academics conference
I recently had the honour of attending a conference on Demystifying Leadership in Higher Education, organised by the Society of Black Academics (SBA).
Listening to Black professors and senior leaders speak openly about their journeys, successes and setbacks was something no book can offer. I felt like a ten-year-old sitting at the feet of my elders. The event inspired us, challenged us, and showed us practical pathways for progressing and thriving as Black academics in an increasingly polarised sector.
Much of what was shared resonated with me, but the idea that stood out most was a reimagining of leadership beyond titles, job descriptions and CVs. Several themes kept coming up:
🔹 Leadership starts with impact, not titles. It is about distributing power and making the invisible visible. And distributing work is not the same as distributing power.
🔹 Leadership means bringing people with you. It goes beyond service to representing others and amplifying their voices in the rooms where decisions are made.
🔹 Leadership capability should not be confined by identity.
Another conversation that stayed with me was about resilience. Black academics are often expected to be resilient. Resilience matters, but it should never become an institutional model.
The panels also explored pathways into leadership, which require both individual effort and institutional support. One professor summarised this as the 5 Ps:
💷 Pounds: securing funding to lead major research projects
⭐ Prestige: your reputation, or what people say about you when you're not in the room
📚 Publications: building a strong publication record
🎓 PhD completions: recruiting and supervising doctoral students through to completion
📣 Personal profile: building visibility within and beyond higher education
Another speaker put it simply: every door is open until you push it. This hit home. As Black academics, we can be prone to what I call self-defeat: "I won't apply because I don't think I'll get it." But as one panellist reminded us, if you don't apply, someone else will get the role.
These are only a few highlights from a rich and stimulating day of panels and breakout discussions.
I'm grateful to colleagues and leadership at Brunel University London, particularly the Department of Computer Science, for recognising my potential and giving me not only opportunities but the space to thrive and grow my career beyond my identity.
If you are a Black academic, or a friend and ally of Black academics in the UK, I encourage you to join the SBA. Together we can amplify our voices and address the underrepresentation of Black colleagues at professorial and senior leadership levels in UK universities.
