Entries now open for 2022 Northern Leadership Awards

The Northern Leadership Awards are back in 2022, and this time supported by the Northern Leadership Conference.

Both events will take place in person in Leeds on May 25, highlighting the North’s very best leaders and providing inspiration on how leaders are tackling the challenges businesses are facing.

The Northern Leadership Awards are once again in partnership with CMS, and this year are joined by Grant Thornton and Quarterdeck.

Visit our Northern Leadership events page for more information on the awards and conference.

Entries for the awards are now open, with the closing date for entries being Friday, February 18.

There are also two new categories for 2022 – Green Leader and Non-Executive Leader – reflecting the importance of sustainability and support in a business’s growth.

TheBusinessDesk.com created the Northern Leadership Awards to celebrate the people that are role models within their organisations and raise the bar for their competitors. The winners will show the qualities of extraordinary leadership and be able to demonstrate the positive impact this has had.

The Leadership Awards offer a great opportunity to recognise and showcase the achievements and success of businesses in the region.

Ben Ormsby, Yorkshire editor of TheBusinessDesk.com, said: “The Northern Leadership Awards is a fantastic event recognising the very best the region has. Entering the awards is a great way to be part of this while showcasing your own organisation’s strengths.”

Mark Haywood, partner at CMS, said: “The events of the last two years demonstrate that the north of England has an excellent supply of leadership talent, and it will be much needed as the region seeks to leverage every possible opportunity post-pandemic. CMS is proud to support the Northern Leadership Awards again. It’s a superb way to showcase and celebrate the leadership qualities in the North.”

• The 2021 Northern Leadership Awards winners
• The 2019 Northern Leadership Awards winners
• The 2018 Yorkshire Leadership Awards winners

The Northern Leadership Conference will take place on the afternoon of May 25 and can be attended separately. Keynote speakers will be announced shortly.

It will be an interactive half-day event combining keynote speakers, thought provocations, structured discussions for everyone to participate in, and networking. The 2022 conference will focus on two themes:

• creating a culture to succeed
• leading through growth

and will explore how some of the North’s best businesses are shaping their culture and strategies to create the conditions for success.

The 2022 Northern Leadership Awards categories are:

Young Leader: This award recognises the best leader aged under 35 (on 1 February 2022) for their ability to make a real difference in their organisation by bringing about positive change and inspiring others around them.

Public and Third Sector Leader: 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.

Mentor: Mentors can play a hugely significant role in the development of talented junior individuals who may lack certain skills or experience. Their guidance at pivotal moments can accelerate careers and businesses. Mentoring can also be among the most altruistic of leadership actions, especially if the mentee works for a separate organisation. But the willingness to give something back is definitely worth recognition.

Emerging Entrepreneur Leader: Entrepreneurial leadership can take a particular form, requiring drive, vision and the ability to bring a team along with you that can collectively achieve great results. This award is for a leader who has led their company for up to three years, whether as founder or has been brought in to push forward a more established business.

Diversity and Inclusion Leader: Organisations are benefiting from having a diverse workforce at every level and in creating an environment where everyone has a voice. Those shortlisted will have 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.

Professional Services Leader: 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.

Green Leader: Businesses have accelerated their response to climate change and environmental issues, with changes often driven by a leader committed to being a force for good. This award will recognise someone who has demonstrated leadership on the green agenda, whether in their own company or by encouraging change in their supply chain and industry.

Non-Executive Leader: The role of a non-executive can be hidden from view but they play an important role in a business’s progress. This award, which is new for 2022, will highlight the contribution made by the very best non-executives in our region.

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 Northern 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.

City Region Leader: Greater Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield: These four awards will recognise the individuals who have made a difference in their city regions. This can be because of the impact of their business – whether that’s through it’s normal operations or because of how it responded to the crisis – or because of other roles which helped support others through the crisis.

Overall leader (no nominations): 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 the North.

The deadline for entries is: Friday, February 18, 2022. Please download your entry form here.

Please send forms to leadership@thebusinessdesk.com

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact sales@thebusinessdesk.com.