Four Dimensions of Leadership
Purpose, agency, relationships and growth
Introduction
Through our collaborative research we explored four dimensions that reveal how we can lead into a thriving future, with and for young people. Leadership deepens and expands as leaders develop across all four dimensions: purpose, agency, relationships and growth. Leaders work on themselves and channel their self-awareness into bold, shared action.
Future systems that are sustainable, inclusive and adaptive will emerge through the interwoven efforts of leaders from across generations who bring purpose, agency, relationships, and growth into motion.
the four dimensions are interconnected
The four dimensions are interconnected, but at the core is purpose. Purpose is the combination of inner values and North Star vision that can guide and catalyse action, even when the path forward is uncertain. But purpose is not enough.
Without agency, it remains an aspiration and leaders lack the courage or power to act. And without relationships, purpose lacks the necessary collective energy - mentors, allies, communities - that create momentum, amplify impact, and refine direction. Without growth, purpose can stagnate, dwindle and become disconnected from the realities of systemic change, which needs leadership that is responsive and resilient.
Explore the four dimensions
Read more about each of the four dimensions on this page.
You can also read the background research, a summary or the full report as a PDF.
Purpose
Purpose is an anchor and a catalyst. It is the personal values that ground you and the North Star that unites people in pursuit of something bigger than themselves.
Purpose has many sources - injustice, empathy, ambition, hope - and evolves with our experiences. It feels like a deep alignment between who you are and the change you seek.
When purpose is nurtured and revisited it keeps leaders resilient and connected in the face of challenges.
Purpose evolves with us
Purpose is not something people stumble upon. It is shaped by experience, often forged in struggle, and sharpened by a refusal to accept the status quo. It is born from the tensions between what is and what should be, between harm endured and justice imagined. It can be anger that refuses to be silenced, curiosity that won’t be satisfied, or hope against the odds.
For some, purpose ignites in a moment of sharp realisation, like the day they realise that the systems meant to support them are designed to contain them. For others, it grows slowly, getting heavier over time until it demands action. Purpose is a commitment to something bigger than yourself, and leadership starts with “This isn’t working, and I need to do something about it”.
Purpose becomes action
Seeing what’s broken is only a starting point. Purpose must move beyond awareness and into action. Leadership demands movement - stepping forward even when you’re fearful and uncertain, making choices, and taking risks. Leadership does not emerge whilst waiting for the right moment or the perfect conditions. Leaders take the raw energy of frustration, or the audacity of an idea, and channel it into something that others can join, refine, and advance.
From personal purpose to collective momentum
A leader who clings too tightly to personal purpose risks isolation - significant change is never a solitary pursuit. The shift from individual conviction to collective momentum is the difference between fleeting impact and changes that last. Leadership means refining your own purpose as you work alongside others, confront difficult truths, and learn more about yourself. And, it means working on creating a shared vision or purpose that connects people, motivates them, and ignites collective action.
Sustaining purpose through renewal
Leaders who burn too bright, burn out. Too many believe leadership is synonymous with sacrifice - an unrelenting drive, taking on too much, a refusal to rest. Lasting change requires leaders who endure - not out of duty or a need for control, but because their deep connection to their values sustains them.
The most powerful leaders do not just fight for what they believe in; they create cultures of renewal and spaces where energy is replenished, imagination is encouraged, and people are reminded why the fight matters. Moments of collective joy and inspiration help ease any sense of burden and prevent purpose becoming duty.
Leadership means understanding that there is a greater cause beyond yourself... It’s about lifting others as you rise, bringing people with you toward a shared purpose.
Lilitha Buti, YouthxYouth
Questions, stories, & resources
Agency
Agency is not given: it is reclaimed, cultivated, and unlocked. It does not need permission or wait for approval. It exists in everyone but is often hidden by structures and systems designed to manage and contain, rather than recognise and strengthen.
Leaders are agents of change. They make intentional choices, pursue ideas, take risks, and shape the path ahead. They do not create agency in others, but help people remember and reclaim what is already theirs.
Rather than seeing power as concentrated in the hands of a minority, leaders work to remove the barriers that suppress it. They recognise the aspirations and assets of others and help create the conditions for them to step forward.
Agency is unlocked, not given
Agency begins with individuals but does not exist in isolation. It can be diminished by the people and environments around us. It is cultivated when people are listened to, valued, and encouraged to act. Agency is the feeling you get when you choose to influence your environment or circumstances, rather than be defined by them.
Leadership is not about giving people agency, it is about dismantling the barriers that suppress it. Leaders commit to reshaping systems where people - especially young people - can lead change in their lives and the world around them.
Agency is initiative
Agency is stepping forward before the conditions are perfect. It is the drive to start, to create, and to shape new possibilities even when the outcome is unclear or the path is uncertain. It can take a certain kind of audacity to challenge conventions and create something new.
Leaders see obstacles not as signals to stop but invitations to innovate. They push forward not because success is guaranteed, but because inaction is unacceptable.
From individual agency to shared power
Leadership is believing in yourself and knowing the limits of your impact. The future we want begins to emerge when leaders recognise that power is not a zero-sum game, and that their own power is multiplied through collaboration.
Too often, power is hoarded rather than shared, and established patterns of privilege and systemic inequalities are reinforced. Leaders use their agency to disrupt these patterns. They build spaces where people can come together, contribute, and share responsibility. They move from ‘power over’ to ‘power with'.
Sustaining agency through patience and resilience
Leadership is sustaining action in the face of rejection, uncertainty, and resistance. Leaders need to find ways to keep moving in spite of forces that want to constrain or reject new approaches. But leadership that lasts also requires moments of patience and restraint.
Most organisations and systems are designed to resist change, which is exhausting for leaders trying to shift them. So sustaining agency takes discernment; knowing when to act and when to wait, when to step back and conserve energy for what might be next. Leaders see the long game and understand that patience is a strategic choice.
It's not about power over, but power with. Leaders recognise their privilege, include diverse voices, and see themselves within a bigger picture.
jae spencer-keyse, Radical Reimagination
Questions, stories, & resources
Relationships
Systems don’t change one person at a time. They change when leaders find shared purpose with others, shape bold ideas, and commit their collective energy and resources to bringing them to life.
As leaders, the strength of the connections we make and the relationships we build underpin the depth of our impact. Leadership is about knowing yourself so you can show up fully, consistently, and with integrity. It requires us to listen deeply, take time to build trust, and make space for difference and conflict, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Understanding yourself to understand others
How we relate to others mirrors how we relate to ourselves. So growing strong relationships starts with self-awareness. Leaders need to examine their own beliefs, assumptions, fears, and biases in order to build authentic connections with others. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing who you are, but rather being open to how being you affects others.
Leadership is understanding how others perceive you and being willing to make adjustments to how you interact, communicate, and engage. Mentors, allies, coaches, and colleagues can be helpful mirrors to your leadership - revealing uncomfortable truths as well as hidden talents.
Strengthening relationship muscles
Relationships are not static; they need to be nurtured and continuously strengthened. And relationship-building is a skill that requires intentional practice - honing your ability to make meaningful connections and sustain relationships with different people and within different groups.
Leaders prioritise relational depth over transactional efficiency and recognise that trust is hard-won and easily lost. They act with humility and in line with their values, and take time to understand people’s perspectives, emotions, aspirations, and needs. Leaders who listen deeply create conditions where others feel valued, respected, and supported to contribute fully.
From connection to creative conflict
Strong, impactful relationships are not always harmonious, and agreement can be a signal of power imbalances not consensus. Leadership is about making space for difference, tension, and complexity.
Many leaders avoid conflict, mistaking it for dysfunction when it can be a source of creativity. Inviting hard questions, alternative viewpoints, and better ideas enables more co-creation in diverse teams and groups. Wisdom can emerge through dialogue, and creative friction can become a source of energy for change.
Sustaining relationships through care
Leading change through relationships is messy and unpredictable because it is deeply human. Many leaders are unprepared for the emotional labour it can require. Expectations to be fully and authentically yourself can feel incompatible with the responsibilities of formal leadership roles. When the systems around us incentivise competition over collaboration, cultivating connections that become meaningful relationships takes time that leaders may feel they don't have.
Balancing self-care with the responsibility of supporting others can feel overwhelming. Most leadership programs overlook the emotional dimensions of leading change - how to respond to emotions with awareness and flexibility and navigate complex relationship dynamics. When leaders commit to exploring what it looks and feels like to prioritise collective work over individual pursuit, they grow their levels of comfort in working in this way.
Systems often socialise us to operate in ways that prioritise 'I' over 'we’, competition over collaboration, and perfection over play. Unless we create space for deeper unlearning, we will not foster the deep relationships and co-creation necessary for real systemic change.
Radha Ruparell, Teach For All
Questions, stories, & resources
Growth
Growth is rarely a straight path. It involves questioning what does and doesn’t work, trying new things, and adjusting course. It happens when leaders step into discomfort, get to know their blind spots, and have the courage to move through uncertainty.
Growth in leadership is not just an internal process, just as significant change is not a solo endeavour. Leaders reflect individually, but also alongside others who challenge and support them. These interactions can push leaders to question assumptions, let go of unhelpful habits, and confront the ways they may unknowingly contribute to the very problems they want to solve.
At its core, leadership is about transformation - within ourselves, alongside others, and of systems we are part of.
Seeing your part in both problem and solution
Leadership can feel like problem solving. Diving deeply into issues to see them from different perspectives, looking at them from different angles and generating new insights, then coming up with bold ideas to try and solve them. Leaders also need to step back, look at the challenge they want to address and the system they want to shift, and acknowledge their place in it.
Growth involves being honest about how our experiences, histories, biases, and blind spots might contribute to both problem and solution. This expands our capacity to think critically, see systemically, and lead adaptively.
Growth is learning in action
Growth is about adaptability not endurance. As a practice, focusing on growth challenges compliance-driven cultures that value predictability over exploration. Leaders commit to purpose, take decisive action, and leave space to experiment, flex, and improvise. They are curious about what could happen, not fixated on linear implementation.
Leaders have the courage to try new things, expect to fail, look for the learning, and iterate as they go. They spend less time providing answers, and more time creating space for deeper questions.
From individual insight to collective sensemaking
Growth happens as leaders interact with different people, places, and ideas. Energy and insight come from new and unexpected conversations, reflection with peers, and the spaces where diverse perspectives collide. Rather than isolate themselves, leaders are generous with their learning time. They share their thoughts, ideas and plans with others, not when they are fully-formed, but so they can be prodded, pulled apart, and put back together.
In the process of change, leaders also create spaces to recognise the harm that organisations and systems have caused, address dominant cultures, and heal relationships. Leadership is shared sense-making.
Sustaining growth through curiosity
Growth happens in small moments, in cycles, and over long periods. It requires attention and openness. Leaders intentionally break out of their silos and step into conversations that cross sectors, disciplines, and generations. They cultivate curiosity in themselves and others. They reflect on their own practice, look forward to being surprised, and stay open to new possibilities.
When leaders committed to growth come together and share their hopes and fears, they can provide a sense of safety and solidarity. Communities of these leaders, acting with humility and inspiring one another, become living proof that a new way is possible.
Continually being curious has meant me working as hard at un-learning and challenging my own thinking as I have at adopting new ideas and insights.
Liz Robinson, Big Education