Leading with purpose and passion: Looking ahead to LLT 2026

Programme facilitator Professor Sally Everett CMBE looks forward to the 2026 Leaders in Learning and Teaching (LLT) programme.

As I prepare to facilitate the 2026 Leaders in Learning and Teaching (LLT) programme, I find myself reflecting on how important this kind of programme is at a time of such uncertainty, rapid change and disruption in higher education. This will be my third year leading LLT, and each year I am energised by the commitment, curiosity and generosity that delegates have brought to it. I have certainly seen that the power of the programme lies in the shared space it creates for business and management educators to step back from the relentless operational demands of educational leadership roles, and take time to connect with peers in a brave and constructive space. I have seen LLT directly help participants gain fresh confidence to navigate (and sometimes survive!) a sector facing profound uncertainty.

Feedback from previous cohorts consistently highlights the importance of realising that none of us are navigating this work in isolation. Across institutions, roles and missions, delegates recognise that the challenges, decisions and pressures they face are often remarkably similar. This shared understanding has a transformative effect. Participants frequently emphasise the value of “networking, sharing of experiences and time away from the office”, while others describe how “the network, inspirational speakers and hands-on activities” have stretched, challenged and supported them in equal measure. One colleague captured this when they explained that LLT enabled them to “build a safe tribe”, offering “fresh perspectives” and the reassurance of being part of an open and supportive community.

The collective insights and experiences shared by the 2024 and 2025 cohorts have directly shaped the design of LLT 2026. I remain deeply grateful to all our speakers, past and present, who continue to give their time with such generosity. Their willingness to engage, challenge and support LLT delegates plays a vital role in reimagining the future of business education leadership, and they are, without doubt, the reason the programme has its distinctive richness and impact.

I have designed the 2026 programme to be the most ambitious, interactive and sector-responsive iteration we have delivered to date. It speaks directly to the realities facing business schools and offers new opportunities to explore the possibilities of leadership in a changing landscape. As we look ahead, I am genuinely excited about the new speakers, the expanded interactive elements and the fresh perspectives they will bring.

Leading with agility and purpose: a look into the 2026 programme

The LLT journey begins with an exploration of what it really means to lead teaching and learning in a fast-moving sector. One of the most powerful themes in the first residential is the idea of agility, not as a buzzword but as a lived reality for those balancing competing pressures, strategic expectations and the unpredictable flow of daily academic life.

Kicking off with experienced academic leaders such as Professor Stefan Krummaker (QMUL) always remind us that leadership in higher education is rarely linear. His sessions prompt delegates to consider how they translate institutional aims into meaningful action, how they bring colleagues into change processes and how they sustain themselves in the midst of constant demands. I find this first session often becomes a moment of reassurance for delegates who realise they are not alone in feeling stretched, responsible and deeply committed.

We then start to focus on relationships and networks - this is thread thar runs throughout the whole programme. I am thrilled that Professor Debbie Lock returns to offer her thoughtful approach to understanding the value and vulnerability inherent in building professional communities. Her conversations always invite delegates to examine who is in their network, who is not, and why it matters. This resonates strongly with participant reflections that the programme provides a “network for life”.

Layered through the first residential is also a deeper enquiry into complexity. Long-standing speaker and contributor, Professor Christine Rivers (University of Surrey) encourages delegates to embrace the uncertainty of contemporary business education with curiosity rather than apprehension, building the mindset needed to navigate volatile environments. The opening session, therefore, sets not only the tone for the programme, but I hope it also provides an early invitation to join with self-awareness and courage.

Understanding a changing landscape

A second major theme of LLT 2026 is the shifting terrain of business education and the need for leaders who can read, interpret and respond to the wider environment. The Birmingham residential brings this sharply into focus, combining sector-level perspectives with grounded examples from practice.

Professor Edgar Meyer, Dean of Birmingham Business School, joined us last year and his session was raw, honest and engaging. Edgar challenges us to think critically about inclusive leadership and what it means to lead in ways that cultivate belonging. His reflections on institutional patterns, data and culture create an open conversation about responsibility, values and impact. This is then complemented by Professor Alison Truelove’s CMBE (Exeter) insights into the realities of managing large, diverse cohorts in an era of heightened student expectations and close regulatory scrutiny. Delegates consistently share how valuable it is to hear honest reflections on the emotional and intellectual labour of leadership, particularly when working through influence rather than formal lines of authority, and this is a chance to share all of that!

I am also thrilled that this year we are joined by Caroline Chapain, Emma Surman and Rweyemamu Ndibalema from Birmingham Business School’s Decolonisation Project Team. I have long admired their creative and research-informed approach, and their workshop will help us move beyond abstract debate into lived, collective action. These are the moments in LLT where I see participants leave with a sharper sense of how to position themselves within decolonisation and wider equity work, and with greater confidence about how to support colleagues in progressing this agenda within their own contexts.

Building on this, Jenny Lloyd (Warwick Business School) adds another crucial aspect and her focus on enabling change, particularly when working without the authority of line management, speaks directly to the realities of leadership in learning and teaching. Jenny’s practical activities will encourage participants to identify priorities, harness resources and find collaborative partners while also anticipating barriers and experimenting with new strategies for building positive relationships. Together, our sessions are designed to help participants make sense of the bigger picture and reflect on how their decisions, values and actions align with the evolving higher education landscape.

Leading through others and expanding influence

A third theme woven through LLT 2026 is the question of influence: how leaders support others, build capacity and create cultures where colleagues can thrive. Our time in Manchester consistently becomes a turning point for many participants because it addresses leadership in the absence of direct authority, something that Directors of Learning and Teaching/Associate Deans (Education) face every day.

Our Dean ‘double act’, Professor Steven Rhoden (University of Central Lancashire) and Professor Hannah Holmes CMBE (Manchester Metropolitan University), bring refreshing honesty and clarity to discussions about supporting staff, navigating institutional structures and leading with empathy. Their scenario-based activities offer delegates a safe and practical space to rehearse challenging conversations, test new approaches and reflect on how influence operates in complex environments. We then turn to questions of belonging and student engagement with Tom Lowe (University of Westminster). His interactive session always prompts colleagues to reconsider long-held assumptions about what it means for students to matter, and how engagement must evolve for cohorts whose expectations are shaped by digital, flexible and sometimes fragmented learning experiences. Tom’s work consistently encourages participants to rethink the environments they create and the conditions that help students thrive.

Of course, no programme is complete without a focus on GenAI (!) and although we reference it regularly during the programme, this session specifically engages with the tools and issues thanks to Rob Dixon’s practical Generative AI workshop. Delegates have previously welcomed this “hands-on and eye-opening” insight, and many go on to replicate aspects of the workshop in their own schools, demonstrating the multiplier effect of LLT.  

Leadership is fundamentally relational, shaped by how we influence, support and empower those around us. But it also demanding and we need to engage in our own self-care, self-development and career planning – which is where Session 4 takes us…

Identity, purpose and the future self

The final theme of LLT 2026 centres on personal identity and career direction. By the end of the programme, delegates will have explored leadership through many lenses. Our London residential invites a more introspective gaze: who am I as a leader, what do I want to be known for and what does my future look like?

I am thrilled Professor Radka Newton joins as a new speaker and her session on the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching challenges participants to see scholarship not simply as an academic output but as a form of leadership practice, and highlights its role in professional development. Her work through the Centre for Scholarship and Innovation in Management Education has consistently helped education leaders recognise the impact they already have and identify ways to strengthen their academic identity. She brings this experience to LLT. Radka’s session then connects powerfully with the session led by former academic registrar and Executive search consultant Tessa Harrison. Her insights into senior leadership recruitment help delegates reframe their experience, articulate their strengths and make strategic decisions about future roles.

Finally, there is a chance to bring it all together and what better way than with Lego! The LEGO Serious Play workshop with Liam Isaac brings the programme to a close with imagination and intentionality. Through purposeful play, delegates model their aspirations, articulate their values and set clear next steps. It offers a creative and memorable way to translate the learning from the year into a personal plan that feels grounded and achievable.

Why LLT matters: A personal reflection

Facilitating this programme remains one of the most rewarding aspects of my academic career. Every year, I am reminded of why leadership in learning and teaching matters so deeply for the future of business schools. We sit at the intersection of policy, pedagogy and people, expected to lead with clarity and compassion while holding ever-growing responsibilities in a sector battered by cultural, economic and political storms.

To me, the LLT community models exactly the type of leadership our sector needs. It is collaborative, outward-facing, purposeful and grounded in scholarly and inclusive practice. Previous delegates highlight how it has “opened up new ways of thinking”, “helps contextualise challenges” and “builds confidence through connection”. As we know, leadership in learning and teaching is rarely linear or predictable, and it can take a toll, so come and join others in friendly networking and problem-solving with peers  - so many have noted how important it is to realise “it’s not just me” -  a reminder of the value of belonging for senior educators too.

In my view, LLT 2026 is our most interactive and ambitious programme yet because it responds directly to the current challenges and future horizons of business education. It has been carefully designed around inspirational speakers, hands-on activities and university visits (including the Alliance Business School, University of Manchester with Professor Anna Goatman, LLT alum 2025) that bring leadership to life.  

I look forward to welcoming the LLT 2026 cohort from January and to another year of collective learning, leadership and impact.

Photo: The 2025 LLT cohort.