Hard work pays off: a festive graduation of the LLP
Early July was the graduation ceremony of the Leiden Leadership Programme,: a moment to reflect and celebrate the outcomes of eight months’ hard work. Leiden’s Marekerk was filled with colourful music and some wise pieces of advice: ‘Find the path that suits you best.’
Excitement fills the room as elegantly dressed students enter the Marekerk. Students, teachers, and stakeholders are warmly welcomed for the LLP graduation ceremony – a moment that the students have been working towards since November last year, when a group of motivated master's students started the adventure of the Leiden Leadership Programme.
The LLP provided them with the opportunity to learn everything about leadership as the knowledge and skill of a process of which we all are part. Through lectures, workshops, and projects, students developed their own perspective on leadership. With this graduation, they celebrate completing the programme.
'Reflecting is a skill you benefit from for the rest of your life'
A piece of advice
Hester Bijl, Rector Magnificus of Leiden University, opens the ceremony with a speech. She congratulates the students, and continues with her own experience of leadership. ‘Knowing what you want and how you can realise that is essential to leadership. But reflecting on that is just as important. It’s a skill that you can benefit from for the rest of your life.’ Even with a busy schedule, one can always find a moment to reflect. ‘I have reflection time in the shower, on the bike or in a park.’
Hester ends her speech with a piece of advice: ‘Choose a position that suits your skills and knowledge, someplace you can flourish. Find the path that suits you best.’ Following Hester’s speech is a musical intermezzo played by one of the students. Beautiful tunes chime through the church, illustrating the joyful atmosphere of today.
‘They’ve gotten to the bottom’
In the so-called ‘Leadership Labs’, the LLP students addressed issues of real-world partner organisations. The teachers that coached them through this process – their ‘Lab leaders’ – now personally address each group, applauding them for their hard work, personal growth and useful findings – presented through podcasts, explainer videos, and posters.
Exploring your interests is a valuable aspect of the programme
Merlijn Bouwman, stakeholder from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), thanked the students for their ‘excellent insights’ about equality and inclusion in the workplace. ‘They’ve gotten to the bottom of the underlying issues. Something to their credit, and something that has given me extra work’, he jokingly added.
Bouwman was pleased to guide the students, ‘contributing to a future generation of new experts.’ Most importantly, he hopes that they were able to explore their interests – a ‘particularly valuable’ aspect of the programme, Bouwman thinks.
For the common good
After everyone received their certificate, Ben Kuipers, professor of Public Leadership and co-director of the LLP, shares his final words. He thanks the students for their devotion and creativity and encourages them to use their knowledge and skills wherever they go: ‘It’s important to engage in collective leadership for the common good.’
With that, he wraps up the ceremony, and invites everyone to have some drinks and snacks. Pictures are taken and attendees seek each other. Some find themselves reflecting on the past months, something that has probably become a habit now.
Text: Lin Kookshoorn
Photos: Buro JP