‘You Need to Slow Down’

This reflective piece explores the ways in which I negotiated my leadership identity in UK higher education, tracing the journey from being an international PhD student to becoming a senior leader. I apply reflective windows to illustrate my experience, how I developed key skills and behaviours required to be a successful leader in a fast-changing academic landscape. These include developing my sense of belonging and agency, using my international origin to collaborate effectively with diverse teams, fostering my identity through mentorship, aligning my personal work ethic with those of others, and investing in my career capital through geographical mobility. Aspiring leaders, and those already in leadership roles who wish to develop further, will not only find these insights helpful for their next career steps, but also benefit from recognising the value of reflection as a crucial skill for effective leadership.