Professor Kene Igweonu, former Provost at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, shares powerful insights on what it takes to accelerate your leadership journey in higher education – from seeking the right mentors to designing your own stretch opportunities.
Kene’s reflections, shared at a celebration of London Higher’s flagship Global Majority Mentoring Programme, offer inspiring guidance for navigating a career in London’s higher education sector. Join us at the launch event for the fifth edition of the Global Majority Mentoring Programme on 28 January 2026 – the event is open to all.
Thank you, London Higher, for the invitation, and for stewarding a programme that is shifting the dial on what leadership looks like in our universities.
Thank you to every mentor and mentee for the time, care and courage you’ve invested in this programme.
Your pathways to leadership may be unique – just as each person in this room is unique – but we all share similar leadership journeys, the essence of which is marked by action (i.e. leadership is action), influence (i.e. leadership is influence), and service (i.e. leadership is giving back and lifting others).
So, trust me when I say that I know that through this programme you’ve built the skills and habits that will accelerate your progression and help to build your leadership identity and competence, such as setting clear goals, reflective practice, peer learning, visibility and network building. Keep on practising these leadership skills and habits, as they will serve you well in your leadership journey.
Drawing on my own journey and experience, I would like to propose three sets of three – takeaways, invitations, and challenges – to enhance your leadership journey.
First, three takeaways for you.
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Seek mentors and sponsors for your next stage
I’ve always benefited from the generosity of mentors and sponsors. To clarify, I make a point of finding new mentors or sponsors for each phase of my leadership development.
Right now, for instance, I’m enjoying being challenged and mentored by two Vice-Chancellors whose guidance has been invaluable in deepening my strategic insight in my current role as Provost, as well as in strengthening my readiness for the next stage of leadership.
So, be intentional about who you ask and why.
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Narrate your impact
Keep an achievements file – a CV-style record of your projects, collaborations and measurable outcomes – and a leadership thoughts file – with quotes, ideas, and lessons from mentors, development programmes such as this one, as well as the books you have read or listened to. These will help to prepare you for opportunities before they arrive. -
Design your own stretch
Some of my most defining steps have come from projects that I either initiated or sponsored, aligned to my institution’s priorities, but stretching my skills and networks. So, don’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder.
Before I move on to the next set of threes, my invitation to you, I would like to bring these first three takeaways together with an example from the University of the Arts London (UAL).
Black Creatives Hub was launched in early 2024 as an online space designed to empower, celebrate, and increase the visibility of Black employees, students, and alumni at UAL. It was inspired by feedback from staff and students who voiced a clear desire for spaces that recognise their creativity and amplify their voices. The Hub now brings together a directory of Black artists and creatives, community groups, and targeted professional opportunities.
Although I did not initiate the Black Creatives Hub, I enthusiastically took on the role of Executive Sponsor, ensuring the project received the institutional attention and resources it needed to succeed. Today, the Hub is firmly established and already looking ahead to its next phase of development. In the long term, our ambition is to extend its impact by creating offline spaces where Black creatives can connect and showcase their work through events, exhibitions, and workshops, as well as to provide mentoring opportunities that will support their professional growth and development.
Next, I would like to share my three invitations to mentors and senior leaders (which also apply to all of you).
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Be specific in your advocacy
Speak up for your mentees and be sure to say why you think they should be advanced, and where they should go next. Convert warm words into concrete asks. -
Normalise reciprocal learning
At London College of Communication, I run what I call a three-in-three reverse mentoring scheme, which means that once a month for three months, I meet and lunch with a group of staff from each school and directorate in the College (about 12 people in each group) to discuss leadership and culture change.
I learn as much, if not more, from these conversations as they might from me. The insights gained help to shape my decision-making and to address barriers I might not have seen from my vantage point as Provost. True mentoring is a two-way exchange.
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Protect time and remove friction
The difference between potential and progression is often time and bureaucracy. Where you have influence, ring-fence development time, simplify application processes, and ensure panels are diverse and trained on bias mitigation.
In closing, here are my three challenges to all of you today:
In the next 90 days, commit to doing these three things and you will be well on your way to success:
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Reconnect: Meet one person from today for tea or coffee and swap a live challenge you could solve together.
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Step forward: Put yourself forward for one visible role or opportunity that aligns with your goals and where you want to go next in your career – this could be a committee, board, fellowship, etc.
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Pay it forward: Identify, mentor or sponsor someone coming up behind you – this way, the pipeline grows stronger with every step you take in your leadership and career.
To the wider sector, I’d say:
Schemes like the Global Majority Mentoring Programme are vital productivity strategies.
They diversify leadership pipelines, catalyse collaboration, and improve decision-making by bringing in more diverse and enriching perspectives.
Finally, to each and every one of you:
Remember, any small action you take now will keep the momentum alive long after today.
You are not only graduating from a programme, but you are also convening a movement. Hold onto each other. Keep the conversations honest. And wherever you go next on your leadership journey, take someone else with you.
Congratulations on your graduation from the programme – I wish you all the very best on your leadership journeys, and thank you for taking time to listen.
