23rd International Studying Leadership Conference

Sunday 30 November 2025, 12.00 to 17.00

Sunday 30 November 2025, 12.45 to 14.45

• Workshop 1A

  Methodology workshop for PhD students and early career scholars

  Navigating power, politics and ethics in leadership research

  • Led by: Professor Emma Bell, Stockholm School of Economics
  • Speakers: Professor Johan Alvehus, Lund University and Professor Sarah Robinson, IESEG, Paris La Défense

  This methodology workshop will provide PhD students and early career scholars with an opportunity for dialogue with leadership scholars about how they navigate issues related to power, ethics and politics in their research.

  Research that focuses on powerful leaders who are well-known public figures raises ethical issues related to anonymity and confidentiality. There can also be a potential risk of harm to those who are critical of political and organizational leaders – including to researchers. Such studies can attract media and public interest in ways which researchers may not be able to control. Yet the current political climate makes critical analyses of leadership increasingly important, as illustrated by recent attacks on academic freedom and the proliferation of fake news.

  The speakers in this workshop will offer methodological guidance about gaining access, managing complex political agendas, using social media to collect data and disseminate findings, navigating ethics committees and seeking practical and emotional support, and there will be plenty of opportunity for open discussions.

  By thinking about power, politics and ethics in the study of leadership, the workshop will help participants to develop ways of doing research in the broad public interest, while also maintaining boundaries that ensure care and resilience.

  We welcome the participation of PhD student/early career scholars in this session but also invite more established scholars to participate and share their contributions and insights.

• Workshop 1B

  Exploring eco-systemic leadership for sustainable impact

  Using eco-systemic leadership practices to navigate sustainable advancement across organisational boundaries

  • Led by: Dr. Kerrie O’Sullivan, Associate Dean, Academic Director, Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School, Herts, UK, and
    Professor Sharon Olivier, Professor of Practice in Leadership, Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School, Herts, UK.

  As faculty and researchers in leadership and organisational change at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, we propose a workshop designed to explore how eco-systemic leadership practices can foster sustainable advancement across organisational boundaries. This contribution aims to stimulate transformative discourse around two fundamental orientations to leadership and the coherence they create both internally and externally.

  Traditionally, leaders have sought coherence from the outside-in through styles grounded in command and control, relying heavily on ego strength and positional authority. In contrast, eco-systemic leadership views leaders as embedded within a larger whole - an interconnected, adaptive system. Within this paradigm, leaders facilitate coherence and co-creation by enabling emergence within the system rather than imposing order upon it. This workshop will explore how such an orientation enables leaders to work with, rather than against, disruption and uncertainty, reframing boundaries as opportunities for growth rather than constraints to be navigated.

  This workshop draws from complexity theory, ego–eco systemic thinking, and contemporary leadership practice to examine the intersections between ecological and social sustainable leadership.

  Theoretical background

  Hutchins (2012) opens The Nature of Business with an ancient Chinese proverb: “At times of great winds, some build bunkers while others build windmills.” This resonates strongly in the context of sustainability. Similarly, Ian Taylor, former CEO of Vitol, observed that leaders must “become a part of, and not apart from, the society or business you operate in - and this requires humility” (IBM, 2010, p. 30). While such sentiments are encouraging, the practical challenge remains: how do we encourage leaders to prioritise ecological and social sustainability over short-term profits and share price?

  Over a decade ago, Laloux (2014) and Zohar and Marshall (2004) identified a critical disconnect between “ego-system-centric” awareness and the “ecosystem-centric” reality. Hutchins (2014) argued the “ego explosion” continues to dominate human cognition, privileging control, manipulation, and analysis of the external world, while neglecting the reflective work “in here” that is essential for systemic change from the inside-out. This preoccupation with ego identity, needs, and wants creates artificial separations that weaken social and ecological systems, leaving them vulnerable to disruption.

  Towards eco-systemic leadership

  Our research, along with case studies of organisations adopting eco-systemic leadership, demonstrates how such approaches can unleash a system’s internal capacity to co-create and self-organise for the greater good. By fostering the collective, leaders can build emotional capital, psychological safety, and resilience within teams and develop capacities that extend influence far beyond formal organisational boundaries.

  This work builds on research by Olivier, Holscher, & Williams (2021), which highlights how leaders can integrate multiple intelligences to navigate disruption and complexity. An eco-systemic approach develops this further by showing how leaders can move beyond ego-system concerns to cultivate a deeper systemic awareness. Eco-systemic practices have also been linked to outcomes such as enhanced employee engagement, talent attraction and retention, brand loyalty, organisational belonging, and stronger community connections (Western, 2013). These benefits are increasingly critical in attracting younger generations who expect organisations to embody sustainable and values-driven leadership.

  Building on Scharmer and Kaufer’s (2013) work on the shift from ego- to eco-system awareness, this paper and workshop further unpacks the leadership mindset required to navigate complexity. Hutchins (2022, 2024) advances this thinking by framing organisations as living systems, drawing inspiration from regenerative principles of nature. Rather than externally “fixing the machine” or “sweating the assets,” regenerative leadership embraces inquiry, experimentation, courageous use of power, self-reflection, and the capacity to notice and shift habitual patterns into emergent ones.

  Workshop focus

  This workshop will bring eco-systemic and regenerative leadership into practice by working with participants’ real-world leadership challenges. Through facilitated dialogue and collective exploration, participants will be invited to step back from mechanistic assumptions and examine leadership through eco-systemic lenses.

  Guiding questions

  • How do relationships between organisational and societal boundaries shape sustainable leadership practices?
  • In what ways can regenerative leadership influence activity at the interface between organisations, people, and the natural environment?
  • How can leaders cultivate agility by letting go of outdated approaches that no longer serve in contexts of disruption?

  Participants will experiment with eco-systemic approaches to navigating boundaries, generating insights for embedding sustainability in their own organisations and beyond.

Sunday 30 November 2025, 15.00 to 17.00

• Workshop 2A

  Exploring leadership that breaks silence on injustice

  For a leadership that breaks the silence

  • Speakers: Dr Zahira Jaser - University of Sussex,
    Dr Mohammed Alshurafa - University of St Andrews,
    Dr Dalia Alazzeh - University of West Scotland, Stella Maris - University of St Andrews

  Introduction

  This workshop examines the roles of leaders in silencing and their power in breaking the silence during violations of human rights, international law, and justice – focusing on the current apartheid and genocide in Palestine. It explores how leadership enables and shapes silence in organisations and society within the context of mass atrocity, analysing leadership at collective, relational, and individual levels. Participants will hear first-hand accounts from Palestinians and pro-Palestinian academics and engage with the panel on how leaders can break silence ethically.

  Collective level - Epistemic silencing as racism

  Silence in organisations is often reinforced by societal assumptions about who is deemed worthy of a voice. Epistemic silencing occurs when individuals are doubted as knowers due to social identity, perpetuating systemic racism and marginalising Palestinian voices in leadership and institutional contexts.

  Relational level - Leaders imposing silence as racializing

  Leaders embedded in Western systems, complying with Zionist perspectives, discourage open discussion on Palestine, punishing dissent and framing obedience as loyalty. Such enforced silence functions as both psychological and organisational mechanisms that maintain power, trust erosion, and ethical suppression within society and organisations.

  Individual level – Leaders’ own silence as complicity

  Leaders’ personal silence during atrocities constitutes moral complicity, legitimising harmful beliefs and undermining ethical responsibility. Ethical leadership demands the courage to speak truth, even when silence feels safer, to prevent participation in injustice.

  Schedule

  The workshop begins with panel members sharing experiences of silence for 15–20 minutes each, followed by a 30-minute small group discussion and Q&A to identify leadership actions that can break silence.

  Individual contributions

  • Dr Zahira Jaser: Analysis of silence as a continuation of the Nakba and erasure of the Palestinian people.
  • Dr Mohammed Alshurafa: Autoethnography on the silencing of research on accountability and academic editorial leadership.
  • Dr Dalia Alazzeh: Reading of a poem on accountability and genocide, highlighting silenced academic voices.
  • Stell Maris: Exploration of testimonial injustice and self-sacrifice as a leader countering colonialism.

  References

  • Abu‐Laban, Y., & Bakan, A. B. (2022). Anti‐Palestinian racism and racial gaslighting. The Political Quarterly, 93(3), 508–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.13146
  • Arendt, H. (1963). Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil. Viking Press.
  • Detert, J. R., & Edmondson, A. C. (2011). Implicit voice theories: Taken-for-granted rules of self-censorship at work. Academy of Management Journal, 54(3), 461–488. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.61967925
  • Diem, S., & Carpenter, B. (2013). Examining race-related silences: Interrogating policy discourse and practice. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(3), 385–404.
  • Donohue, J. L. A. (2024). Silence as complicity and action as silence. Journal of Social Philosophy, 55(4), 3499–3505.

• Workshop 2B

  Leadership for a sustainable, human-centered fifth industrial revolution

  Leadership for a sustainable, human-centered fifth industrial revolution. Preserving the common good and co-creating Industry 5.0: Leadership for sustainability in the age of AI and the fifth industrial revolution

  • Led by: Peter Lee, MSt Candidate, The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, and Professor Elena P Antonacopoulou, American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo, Cyprus.
  • Panel participants: A multidisciplinary group of sustainability leaders, AI governance experts, and leadership scholars.

  Context and background

  The fifth industrial revolution (Industry 5.0) represents a paradigm shift in industrial development, moving beyond technology-driven focus to embrace human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. It aims to create an inclusive, sustainable, and future-proof industrial ecosystem while addressing societal and environmental challenges.

  Industry 5.0 presents complex challenges requiring a balance between innovation and human-centric values. Leaders must integrate advanced technologies like agentic AI while enhancing human wellbeing, ethical standards, and environmental sustainability. This requires rethinking business models, retraining workforces, and redesigning resilient systems aligned with societal goals.

  The panel symposium explores leadership qualities required to guide sustainability-oriented, AI-augmented workforces in the Fifth Industrial Revolution, focusing on the intersection of leadership, sustainability, and AI.

  Objectives

  1. Examine leadership qualities necessary to navigate the transition to Industry 5.0, focusing on sustainability and human flourishing.
  2. Explore embedding AI in ways of living to align with Industry 5.0.
  3. Facilitate dialogue on ethical and governance challenges of AI, including transparency, inclusivity, and bias.
  4. Shift from a “win-win” to a “common good” mentality, emphasizing co-creation and commitment to a “preferred future.”

  Structure and format

  The panel adopts an interactive format, combining panel discussions, audience engagement, and focus group-style dialogue. Total duration: 90 minutes.

  1. Opening remarks (5 minutes)
     • Introduction to Industry 5.0 and implications for leadership and sustainability.
     • Overview of panel objectives and structure.
  2. Panel discussion (50 minutes)
     • Panellists share insights on:
       • The role of AI in shaping Industry 5.0.
       • Leadership qualities for sustainability-oriented, AI-augmented workforces.
       • Ethical and governance challenges in embedding AI for human flourishing.
     • Facilitated discussions on key questions:
       • How do you imagine the future as a sustainability leader?
       • What will be your contribution and priorities to this future?
       • How can AI be effectively embedded to promote human flourishing?
       • Which KPIs would you use to assess AI’s impact on human well-being?
  3. Audience engagement (30 minutes)
     • Open Q&A between panellists and participants.
     • Attendees share perspectives and experiences.
  4. Closing remarks (5 minutes)
     • Summary of key takeaways and next steps for advancing leadership development in Industry 5.0.

  About the panel lead

  Peter Lee is a part-time MSt candidate at The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, supervised by Dr Elena P Antonacopoulou. His research focuses on leadership in the Fifth Industrial Revolution. He is also a partner in an international law firm leading its AI Governance advisory practice and contributes to The Law of Artificial Intelligence (Sweet & Maxwell). Peter is a frequent speaker and writer at international conferences.

Sunday 30 November 2025, 17.15 to 21.00