Final call for Yorkshire Leadership Awards entries

Today is the last chance to nominate individuals and businesses into the Yorkshire Leadership Awards – an event to recognise achievements across the region.

The awards have ten categories which are open to businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. Categories include Young Leader, Best Leadership Programme, Public and Third Sector and Company Leader (100+ employees).

Nominations for the awards must be submitted via the online entry form, which should be emailed to leadership@thebusinessdesk.com by 5pm today.

The awards lunch will be held on Wednesday 28 November at The Queens and afterwards guests and winners will get the chance to toast to success at a post-awards drinks reception being held at The Banyan in City Square.

Sponsored by Leeds Beckett University’s Leeds Business School, the awards lunch will feature keynote speaker rugby league player Jamie Peacock.

West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Brewin Dolphin have both shown their support of the the awards by sponsoring three categories: Young Leader, Transformational Leader and Company Leader (100+ employees).

The Arc Group – which operate numerous venues across the city – has partnered with TheBusinessDesk.com to host a post-awards drinks reception at The Banyan, offering all guests at the awards a complimentary cocktail called ‘The Leader’ on arrival.

The event will raise money for TheBusinessDesk.com’s annual charity partner – Leeds Community Foundation.

Paul Martin, Divisional Director for Brewin Dolphin, said: “Brewin Dolphin are proud to be involved with the Yorkshire Leadership Awards. Through our own heritage over the past 250 years we have looked to inspire our people to develop themselves and be the best they possible can.

“We believe it is so important to encourage leadership development and we support this by offering sponsored MBA opportunities to our talent pool. The Awards will be a great way of acknowledging and rewarding great leaders who have shown themselves to be at the top of their game.”

Tickets, on sale now, are priced at £90+VAT for an individual ticket and £850+VAT for a table of 10.

The award categories

The Leadership awards offer a great opportunity to recognise and showcase the achievements and success of businesses in the region. The 2018 Leadership awards are:

Young Leader
This award recognises the best leader aged under 35 (on December 1, 2018) for their ability to make a real difference in their organisation by bringing about positive change and inspiring others around them.

Best Leadership Programme
Successful companies know that leaders can be developed internally, not just hired externally. This award will go to the company or organisation that has delivered significant improvements through its successful leadership programme.

Empowering Potential
This award is for the leader who has inspired and developed people, unlocking potential they may never have known they had. The winning candidate will have helped their team or people in their team to beat their own expectations of themselves and/or the expectations of others.

Diversity and Inclusion Leader
Increasingly organisations are embracing the benefits of having a diverse workforce at every level and in creating an environment where everyone has a voice. The Diversity and Inclusion leader of the year will be the individual who has championed diversity and inclusion, whether inside their organisation or as part of an outside group or initiative, and worked to improve the opportunities for any under-represented group.

Public and Third Sector
The public and third sectors have been under pressure in recent years, requiring its leaders to be innovative and achieve more with less. This has required leaders who can overcome challenges, often under close scrutiny, and drive cultural change in their organisation.

Professional Services
The professional services leader of the year will be the individual who is showing strong leadership and having an impact in their firm or further afield.

Transformational Leader
Delivering change requires a well-executed plan, but to deliver transformational change requires the added magic ingredient of exceptional leadership. This award will recognise the individual who has achieved that, delivering measurable success in their organisation.

Company Leader (up to 100 employees)
Leading small companies presents its own challenges, often requiring flexibility and a personal touch. This award will go to the best leader in a Midlands company which employs up to 100 people.

Company Leader (100+ employees)
Leadership in a larger company requires effort to ensure the company direction and vision is managed and communicated, often across shifts, sites and even countries. This award will go to the best leader in an organisation which employs more than 100 people.

Leader of the Year
This person will be selected from the other award winners and will be the person or organisation that embodies outstanding leadership and is an exemplar for Yorkshire.


How to enter

Entrants should complete the entry form and return to leadership@thebusinessdesk.com. The deadline for entries is Friday, September 28 2018.

Great leadership can also be demonstrated through roles with other bodies where the individual is championing the region, sector or under-represented groups.

Leadership happens throughout an organisation so applicants can be from anywhere in the organisation. At its core leadership is about mindset and behaviour, not always hierarchy.


The Yorkshire Leadership Awards judging panel is:

Paula Dillon, president, Leeds Chamber of Commerce,

Eve Roodhouse, chief officer for economic development, Leeds City Council

Henri Murison, director, Northern Powerhouse Partnership

Professor George Lodorfos, dean, Leeds Beckett University Business School

Kayley Worsley, Yorkshire editor, TheBusinessDesk.com

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