Justin Wei and Jennifer Piscopo talk about how to lead a bunch of leaders in episode three of the current series of the So, now what? podcast
I don't often like to be the first person in the meeting that speaks. I like to speak in the middle or the end of the pack because I like to listen to what other people say. And, of course. I have the things that I want to say, but what I'm thinking as other people are speaking is, well, what's their real concern? What are they prioritising? What are they worried about? How can I make my points resonate in a way for them that they feel that if they listen to me, it will address their concerns?
Jennifer Piscopo
Two Gates Cambridge Scholars discuss how you lead a bunch of leaders in the third episode of the current series of the So, now what? podcast.
Historian Justin Wei [2023], former President of the Gates Cambridge Scholars’ Council, and Jennifer Piscopo [2002], Professor of Gender and Politics and Director of the Gender Institute at Royal Holloway University of London, talk with presenter Catherine Galloway about diverse leadership styles, the importance of empathy and moral clarity in leadership and how leaders can balance strength with compassion in today’s complex world. Drawing on current and historical examples, for instance, of community-led leadership and activism, they challenge traditional notions of leadership and offer fresh perspectives on leading with steadiness and care.
They also speak about the need to choose when and where to lead in order to avoid overwhelm and to be able to adapt to different people’s needs. Justin talks about the importance of letting go in a situation of leading leaders. He states: “Learning to let go can sometimes actually be the best way to lead capital L leaders.”
Jennifer says she believes listening is key to being a good leader. She states: ” I don’t often like to be the first person in the meeting that speaks. I like to speak in the middle or the end of the pack because I like to listen to what other people say. And, of course. I have the things that I want to say, but what I’m thinking as other people are speaking is, well, what’s their real concern? What are they prioritising? What are they worried about? How can I make my points resonate in a way for them that they feel that if they listen to me, it will address their concerns?”
Jennifer’s research focuses on women’s political representation and gender and elections in Latin America, the United States, and the globe. Her book, The Women’s Right Era: 50 Years of Gender Equality Advocacy and Reform, is forthcoming with Polity Press. She has published in over 30 peer-reviewed academic journals, including The American Political Science Review, The American Journal of Political Science, Social Politics, Comparative Political Studies, The Latin American Research Review, Latin American Politics and Society, and Politics & Gender.
She also consults regularly for international organisations and national governments on topics related to women’s political inclusion, including the Organization of American States, UN Women and United Cities and Local Government. And she serves as the Senior Global Policy Advisor for the Gender Equity Policy Institute in Los Angeles, California.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Justin’s PhD thesis is titled ‘Black-Asian solidarity in Late-Twentieth Century Britain’ and considers how queer activism, cultural production, publishing and high politics operated as productive arenas for solidary action amongst generations of Afro-Caribbean, South Asian, and East Asian migrant communities. He is also interested in understanding how solidarity might be better conceptualised as an analytical category for historians of race and marginalisation.
In addition to leading the Scholars Council in 2025, Justin serves as a Co-Convenor of the Faculty’s World History Workshop and also led the St Edmund’s College rowing team as Men’s Captain, delivering the college’s strongest competitive results since its founding.
The episode is the third of five in this special leadership series which covers everything from how to lead ethically in an unethical world to how do we lead to restore hope. The podcasts are posted on the last Tuesday of the month with the April podcast being about how to lead in a media space that is in constant churn.
*Listen to the third episode of series by clicking below.
