Leadership Conversation – House of Lords

This reflection may come a little later than intended, but as is often the case, October proves to be an incredibly full month. With Black History Month being celebrated across the UK, I should have anticipated how busy the period would be before scheduling The Women’s Awards, which took place on the 3rd of October this year. Lesson learned: I’ll be steering clear of October next year!

That said, this post is about acknowledging and celebrating the work of Cllr Ashiedu Joel. Her commitment to allyship, support, collaboration, and the amplification of others’ voices is both meaningful and timely. In moments like these, we are called to reflect on how we each contribute to moving others forward. Ashiedu is someone who does this exceptionally well.

She recently brought together a distinguished group of Black leaders at the House of Lords for Leading for Change & Excellence Through Uncertainty, a powerful conference centred on leadership, resilience, and navigating complexity. The panel was nothing short of extraordinary, featuring:

• Professor Ivan Brown OBE, Professor of Public Health at De Montfort University
• Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi, Mayor of Longford, Ireland
• Diane Vincent, Chair of the Metropolitan Black Police Association (Met BPA)
• Dr Shera Chok, Chair & Founder, The Shuri Network
• Dr Tunde Okewale OBE, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers
• Ade Odunlade, COO, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

The keynote address was delivered by none other than Dame Neslyn Watson-Druée DBE, author and business psychologist, whose words were both grounding and galvanising.

I was honoured to attend this gathering and to absorb the insights shared by such an illustrious panel. The discussions were inspiring, motivating, and deeply encouraging.

At the heart of it all was a vital message: allyship and collaboration are not optional, they are essential. They are the cornerstones of how we build, nurture, and advance Black leadership in today’s world.

Thank you, Ashiedu, for the invitation. The wisdom and learnings from this event will remain with me for a long time to come.