Leadership & Management

Leadership and management skills focus on your ability to guide and lead people within an organisation, team or project and ensure targets and goals are achieved.

Leadership skills involve engaging people with inspiring visions, motivating others, and guiding teams toward shared goals. Management skills encompass the practical abilities needed to organise tasks, direct resources, and ensure your project or team is working efficiently. Being an effective leader takes a range of skills, both practical and people-oriented, from empathy to strategic thinking.

You can see a full list of the skills included in this category at the bottom of this page.

Very few people are 'born leaders' - good leadership skills are developed through practice by taking on increasing responsibilities and learning from others. They are valuable in any group context, from societies to the workplace, and are key to achieving collective success.

Think about times you might have taken on a leadership role in your study or activities, and reflect on which skills you developed using the list at the bottom of the page. Consider how your life experiences could influence your leadership skills - facing personal challenges may have improved your compassion and empathy skills. Use the Skills Discovery Tool to evaluate your skills in this area.

Easy ways to get started

You can gradually build your confidence before taking on formal leadership positions. You could:

  • Organise informal study groups - reach out to a few people on your course, start a group chat and coordinate schedules to meet up. Find ways to keep people focused, check in on how others are doing with the course, and manage any shared resources like lecture notes.
  • Practice giving positive feedback to peers - if you're part of a committee or group project, notice when others do something well and let them know what you appreciated about their contribution.
  • Take ownership of a small project - this could be coordinating a group meal with friends, organising a birthday celebration, or planning a day trip to London.

Skills development opportunities

Here some suggestions to help you build your leadership and management skills further:

  • Run for a role on your College JCR/MCR committee. You will practice your leadership skills in all positions, from Welfare or LGBTQ+ Officer to President, while meaningfully contributing to your College community.
  • Put yourself up for leadership roles in a sport you're involved in. Organising matches, coaching and coordinating teammates and inspiring others will significantly enhance your leadership skills. Find out more on the Physical Activity & Sport page.
  • Become an academic representative for your course, helping drive positive change for fellow students by representing their views on departmental committees.
  • Access LinkedIn Learning courses including Leadership Foundations and Courageous Leadership for structured learning about leadership approaches. Find out how to access LinkedIn Learning through your University account.
  • Volunteer as a mentor for a school student, supporting disadvantaged young people to access higher education and building your mentoring and motivating skills. Find out how to do this on the Community & Volunteering page.
  • Join your College's May Ball Committee to gain experience in large-scale project management and team leadership.
  • If you're involved in theatre, apply to direct or produce a show, or look for roles involving managing others, such as Musical Director or Stage Manager.
  • Take on responsibilities for a cause you're passionate about. You could get involved in one of the many student-run charities in Cambridge doing event management, fundraising, coordination, or campaigning.
  • Get involved in editing student journals or newspapers, building your organisational and management skills. Find out more on the Theatre, Film & Arts page or the Academic Study page.
  • If you're a first-year undergraduate at Newnham, Fitzwilliam, Murray Edwards or Trinity Hall, apply to the Laidlaw Programme for leadership and research development.

Check out the activities pages for more ideas on how to get involved and develop your skills in this area.