Future of leaders
I’ve spent years working with senior leaders, mentoring them through transitions, guiding them towards board positions, and helping them reconnect with what makes their leadership meaningful. It’s a privilege.
But it also gives me a front-row seat to a quiet crisis that isn’t being talked about enough: the lack of talent at the board level.
Many companies have a board in place, however, it does not reflect the customers or teams within the company. It’s time we asked: What would it take to bring more diverse talent to the boardroom?
This is the catalyst behind The L Factor Ltd. Not as a brand or a business plan, but as a response to what I was seeing, time and again. A viscous cycle that needs to be broken.
Talented people, especially women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, are stuck on the edge of influence. Brilliant minds on the cusp of board-level leadership, unsure how to navigate the next step without losing themselves in the process.
The urgency is strong. So much that the King’s Speech of 17 July 2024 outlined the UK government’s legislative agenda, including priorities aimed at promoting security, fairness, and opportunity for all.
Among the 40 proposed bills is the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. This draft bill requires organisations to expand their focus on fairness and equality in the workforce.
And we need to lead by example from the top.
Getting someone to the boardroom isn’t just about credentials. It’s about clarity. It’s about alignment. It’s about understanding how they want to lead, and who they want to build with.
That takes more than a polished CV or a well-placed introduction. It takes space to think. To reflect. To be challenged in the right way.
I’ve seen the shift happen when someone finally names the value they bring, and believes it. When they stop chasing every opportunity and start choosing the right ones. When they learn how to ask for what they need, without apology. And, perhaps most powerfully, when they reconnect with their network not as a list of contacts, but as a living system of exchange and support.
But access alone doesn’t lead to transformation. What makes the difference is presence. The willingness to show up with curiosity, to listen with care, and to be changed by what we hear.
These aren’t soft skills. They are core leadership capacities. The leaders who cultivate them are the ones who thrive, not just personally, but collectively. They build better teams. They shape more inclusive boards. They leave legacies that matter.
I’m not interested in teaching people how to “network better”.
I’m interested in how we build communities that hold us to our best work, challenge us to lead with integrity, and make space for the bold, the uncertain, and the in-between.
What I’ve learned is this: the boardroom isn’t just a destination.
It’s a mirror. It reflects the systems we’ve built, the values we uphold, and the conversations we’re willing to have. If we want more diverse, more human leadership at the top, we need to change the way we support people on their way there.
That means mentoring that’s honest. Events that feel like deep dialogue, not just handshakes. Workshops that give people language for their instincts. And a digital network that does more than circulate content. It builds trust, connection, and momentum.
This is slow work. But it’s urgent. Because in a world saturated with noise, clarity is radical. And connection – real, intentional connection – is one of the most transformative tools we still have.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or connect to explore how we can support the next generation of leaders together.
