The Moulding of the Polymath

Interview with Lucy Shaw, Programme Director, Oxford Cultural Leaders

Interview with Lucy Shaw, Programme Director, Oxford Cultural Leaders

As Saxton Bampfylde prepared to sponsor this year’s Oxford Cultural Leaders cohort, we sat down with Programme Director, Lucy Shaw, who shared with us her perspective of leadership and how to cultivate it in our current and future leaders. Complexity is a constant in this sector and it therefore requires interesting and innovative approaches that position self-reflection and the recognition for ongoing development among leaders and supporting the needs of their teams as a priority.


 

Complexity and the polymath. How is leadership development meeting this increasing need?

Cultural organisations across the globe are operating within increasingly complex operating environments, shaped by new and often constrained funding models, changing audiences, new technology and rapidly evolving political and societal trends. Coupled with this are additional pressures from more and different stakeholders and the need to engage with different kinds of people using new skills. These issues are multi-layered and interconnected. As such, they present significant challenges for CEOs, directors and senior management teams to navigate.

Leaders need to think about how they can work with their teams to embrace significant transformation in the way their people work, to develop new approaches and to even reinvent themselves as businesses, whether commercial or not-for-profit, with entrepreneurial ways of thinking and behaving.

Having access to expertise from across the cultural and business sectors has enabled Oxford University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums Division to develop a unique programme for cultural leaders in partnership with colleagues from the Saïd Business School. The programme was held for the first time in March 2015, and each year since it has brought together dynamic leaders from across the world to experiment and take risks with new business models and to explore new ways of working and creating organisational cultures that are dynamic, inclusive and foster innovation.

Oxford Cultural Leaders (OCL) is a week-long residential programme that is held annually in the spring. It aims to develop a cadre of leaders who are able to skilfully and confidently tackle these challenges. It is designed for dynamic and reflective directors, heads of department and senior managers who want to challenge and redefine their identity as a leader and their vision for their organisation at a time of great challenge and complexity for the cultural sector.

The programme encourages and prepares leaders to embrace adaptive and transformative change: the sort of change that occurs when people and organisations are forced to adjust to a radically altered environment. Adaptive work becomes a necessity when an organisation’s core principles are questioned, when the values that made the organisation successful become less relevant, and when legitimate yet competing perspectives emerge with no obvious solutions. When this happens, leaders have to look beyond providing leadership in the form of solutions and authoritative expertise, and challenge the way they work: how can we adapt, and still be authentic – how can we be different but still the same?

An ‘adaptive leadership’ approach can be effective when a situation or challenge arises that is outside the current leadership / management toolkit or repertoire.  It can be the bridge between what an organisation wants to achieve, and what it is currently capable of achieving. Part of this process has to include recognition of the organisation’s limitations and a willingness to accept that the ‘business as usual’ approach isn’t enough.

 

“An ‘adaptive leadership’ approach can be effective when a situation or challenge arises that is outside the current leadership toolkit or repertoire.”

 

Today’s leaders need to have the insight and ability to uncover the hidden talents and qualities of their people. They must understand how developing and encouraging new ways of thinking, changing behaviours and acquiring new skills will help their organisations adapt, enabling them to become more sustainable and resilient. Arguably, they need to be a polymath capable of balancing multiple stakeholders within complex, changing and multi-layered environments.
OCL’s programme has been developed and honed over the last five years to support leaders with such demanding challenges and this year we are delighted to be working with Saxton Bampfylde as our Corporate Partner and Sponsor for our 2020 programme. Saxton Bampfylde’s values mirror those of OCL and we look forward to continuing this new partnership and to be supporting the future development of cultural sector leadership together.


Lucy Shaw Biography

Lucy works for the University of Oxford, where she is Programme Director for Oxford Cultural Leaders (OCL) – an international executive leadership programme for museums, heritage and the arts, which she launched in 2015 in partnership with the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She curates and facilitates OCL, as well as developing new content and teaching on the programme. This work includes research exploring the changing expectations and demands of museum leadership: The Museum Leader’s Report. Lucy is also Head of Programmes and Partnerships at the University’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums Division (GLAM), where she works within the divisional office team leading the Partnership and Engagement Team.

 

Latest

ActionAble publishes 2025 Impact Report

From Analogue to Digital: Rethinking Patient-Centred Healthcare: Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli

Professor Paul Monks appointed as new Henry Royce Institute Chair

Dr Helen Phillips appointed as new Chair of the General Dental Council

Radical Simplification? The Leadership of Development Funding

MAT Talks: Nicole McCartney, CEO of Creative Academies Trust

Matt Risley appointed National Theatre’s first Chief Digital Officer

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust appoints new Chief Executive

Orbit appoints three new non-executive directors to its Common Board

SRA appoints Sarah Rapson as new Chief Executive Officer

“Always expect the unexpected. That’s leadership” – A conversation with Ian Funnell, Chair of NG Bailey 

Xavier Salomon appointed to be new Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Leadership in the Age of AI: Mary Few on the Future of Legal Talent

We’re in this together: Celebrating Employee Ownership Day 2025

Future Generation Leadership: OnBoard Programme’s Fifth Cohort Celebration

Eleanor Passmore appointed as new Scotland Director at Thrive at Five

Empowering the next generation of board leaders – EPOC partnership event 2025

Dominic Cooke appointed as new Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre

Anthem Schools Trust appoints David Hatchett as new CEO

Plan International UK announces new Chair

Clarion Housing Group names David Lunts as Chair of Latimer Developments

The AI Advantage: Rethinking Legal Talent and Delivery

Euan McVicar appointed as Non-executive Director of Low Carbon Contracts Company

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Announces New Director

A spotlight on Scotland’s business leadership: Russell Smith, CEO of Glasgow Clan and Braehead Arena

Take Five: A spotlight on leadership in the Arts and Creative Industries

Remembering Kat Mason, our cherished colleague

Saxton Bampfylde appoints Jonathan Badyal as Senior Advisor to Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Practice

Genomics England welcomes new Chief Technology and Product Officer

Squire’s appoints Sam Dickson as new Managing Director

Mountbatten Isle of Wight appoints Becky McGregor as new CEO

Professor Anjali Goswami becomes Defra’s new Chief Scientist

Russell Hobby CBE announced as the new TKAT CEO from September 2025

Monisha Shah Announced as New PLS Chair

Building Together for the Future: Expanding and evolving the leadership pool

Beyond Innovation: How Multi-Academy Trusts are reimagining educational leadership

RBG Kew announces new Director of Gardens

Emanuela Tarizzo appointed Director of Frieze Masters

Tom Adeyoola appointed to lead Innovate UK

Welcoming Dame Ruth May: Strengthening leadership insight in our Health Sector

Professor Karen Stanton Announced as UAL’s permanent Vice Chancellor

MSSC Welcomes New Chief Executive, Guy Holloway

Margaret Obi appointed as House of Lords Commissioner for Standards

Cyber Security: Complacency is the biggest risk – An evening with Eddie Hawthorne & Jude McCorry

Professor Sir Ian Chapman appointed next CEO of UK Research and Innovation

Is AI displacing your value as a non-executive in the boardroom? An Interview with Eugene Sadler-Smith

George Heriot’s School Appoints new Head of Senior School

Saxton Bampfylde Announces Leadership Evolution with New CEO and Board Appointments

Building Together for the Future: Priorities for the next decade

Nurturing future leaders: Irfan Latif, Head of Royal Hospital School

New CEO appointed for the Glasgow Clan and the Braehead Arena

Partner Movements: Experiences and Reflections – The Lawyer Practice Analysis in collaboration with Saxton Bampfylde

Legal Leaders Dinner: Transformation and AI in the Legal Sector

Elizabeth Honer CB becomes the new Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dance

Pilvi Kalhama appointed Director of Finland’s New Museum of Architecture and Design

Glasgow Academy announces new Head of Senior School.

Welcoming Nick Ricketts: Strengthening Leadership in the Social Impact Sector

British Museum appoints new Director of Collections

Non-executive director appointments at Guy’s and St Thomas’

Orbit appoints two customer non-executive directors to its Group Board

Resilience and Renewal: Navigating Challenges and Change in the Charity Sector in 2024

Orbit announces appointment of new Group Board Chair

Trent College appoints new Head of The Elms from September 2025

Creative Education Trust appoints Nicole McCartney as new Chief Executive

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

University of Manchester appoints Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Jane Rowlands appointed Head of Museums and Collections for Glasgow Life

Levi Roots appointed Chair Designate of Brixton House

Three new members appointed to University of Manchester’s Board of Governors

VIVID enhances Board further with new non-executive members

What will healthcare look like over the coming decade? Interview with Tim Whittlestone

Building Together for the Future: A post-budget insight

New Head for the Birkdale Family of Schools

Coram appoints Professor Sir Ivor Crewe as President and Chair

Helpforce appoints Amerjit Chohan as new Chief Executive

Ardingly Announces New Chair of Governors

Anu Giri appointed as new Executive Director of English National Ballet

Chineke! Foundation Welcomes Seven New Trustees

James Brining announced as The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh’s new Artistic Director

Black History Month series: Music, Literature, Film and More!

Wellingborough School appoints New Headmaster

Building Together for the Future: Industry obstacles and how we can challenge them together

Tilly Blyth joins Weald & Downland Living Museum as new Director

“Good is not good enough, you have to want to be great” – An evening with Scottish Rugby legends Chris Paterson MBE and Stuart McInally on Leadership

British Museum appoints new Managing Director and Director of Finance

David Isaac CBE Appointed as New Chair of the Henry Moore Foundation

University of Brighton appoints new Vice-Chancellor

Professor Damien Page announced as next Vice-Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University

Jacqueline de Rojas CBE appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Bletchley Park Trust

Andy Street announced as Birmingham Rep’s new Chair of the Board of Trustees

John Whitgift Foundation appoints new CEO

FCA and PRA appoint new Chair of the FSCS

University of Glasgow announces Professor Andy Schofield as new Principal and Vice-Chancellor

Nurturing future leaders: Jane Gotts, Chair of The Glasgow Academy

Alan Cumming appointed new Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Worksop College and Ranby House announces new Headmaster

Building Together for the Future: A series of insights from friends of the firm and long standing leaders across the Built Environment

What will healthcare look like over the coming decade? Interview with Haris Sultan

Jo Ogilvy rejoins Saxton Bampfylde as Consultant in the Schools’ Practice

Transforming Legal Services: Isabel Parker on AI, Innovation, and the Future of Law Firms