Why West Yorkshire must invest in its future business leaders – Leeds University Business School

If West Yorkshire wants to grow, we need to invest in its future leaders, writes Rebecca Padgett, Associate Professor, Leeds University Business School

The region’s Local Growth Plan aims to add £26 billion to the UK economy, create 40,000 jobs and support 18,000 new businesses.

Those are big numbers. Realistically though, growth isn't realised because a strategy says it should. It happens when people inside organisations have the confidence, judgement and skills to turn ambition into action. That is why one of the most important investments a business can make is in the people who will lead it next.

We often promote people because they are good at their job. Then, almost overnight, we ask them to do a different job: lead other people, handle difficult conversations, delegate and think beyond the demands in front of them.

That transition can be uncomfortable, but it can also be transformative. The Chartered Management Institute describes many people making it as ‘accidental managers’. Research by CMI and YouGov found that 82% of people entering management roles had received no formal management and leadership training.

For emerging leaders, development starts with understanding yourself.

On the Future Leaders Programme at Leeds University Business School, we work around three connected areas: leading yourself, leading others and leading the business. The order is important. Before someone can get the best from a team or make an impact across an organisation, they need to understand their own leadership style, behaviours, strengths and habits.

The programme draws on research and thinking in leadership and management, translating it into practical tools, frameworks and discussion that people can apply in their organisations. This is a crucial element of executive education: taking rigorous research and making it applicable to people facing real leadership challenges.

One of the most rewarding moments on our first programme came from a participant who recognised how much they were trying to control personally. We explored what required their attention and what could be delegated. When they returned later in the programme, they had already changed the shape of their working week. This is the kind of learning I care about: academically grounded, but useful on Monday morning when you've got those burning priorities.

All participants said the programme met their expectations, and every respondent agreed they would recommend it to other future leaders. They highlighted practical frameworks, greater self-awareness, delegation, honest conversations and the confidence to apply what they had learned.

Leadership development should not be treated as a reward that comes once someone has reached the top. Investing earlier helps people grow into responsibility rather than simply cope with it.

The Future Leaders Programme is an eight-week blended programme for emerging leaders, combining in-person sessions, webinars and facilitated peer learning. Participants apply the learning directly to their work and leave with a Personal Leadership Action Plan designed to continue beyond the programme.

The next cohort begins in October 2026, so there's still time to apply or find out more. Contact the team on [email protected]