Dr Leanne Armitage MBBS BSc (Hons).
UK Queen’s Young Leader, Co-Founder at The Armitage Foundation, Board member Anthony Nolan & LinkedIn top voices
What do you do now?
At present I am a junior doctor working at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. I am also the co-founder of The Armitage Foundation – a charity committed to increasing diversity across UK medical schools.
I recently joined the board of trustees at Anthony – a charity working to save the lives of people with blood cancer. Outside of my medical-related interests, I am passionate about inspiring people to be the best versions of themselves, and I do this through public speaking.
Where did your career start?
My career started following me witnessing the aftermath of a traumatic event in which a young man was stabbed. I was 15 years old, and I desperately wanted to do something to help stop the cycles of knife and gun crime I was hearing about in my community. After some thought, I decided that if I aspired to become a trauma surgeon, that would give me a platform to encourage young men involved in knife and gun crime to be and do better. This vision inspired me to become a doctor.
Has there been a stage in your life where you first appreciated what great leadership looked like?
There have been several stages in my life when I’ve appreciated what great leadership looked like, many of which have been through the study of great historical figures. The most impactful experience for me has been studying the life of Jesus Christ – through him I’ve been able to see the power of great leadership. Jesus was able to interact with people from all walks of lives. He walked in great humility and yet was greatly respected; he spoke with authority and his impact meant his reputation preceded him wherever he went.
Do you have any examples of what you have done to develop yourself as a leader?
In order to develop myself as a leader I have submitted myself under the counsel and guidance of several mentors. I have listened to hours’ worth of seminars, talks and podcasts. I have read books to help cultivate leadership potential and above all, I am open to taking risks in the form of running with my ideas. My charity started off as an idea, the book I am writing at the moment (The Power of A Dream) started off as an idea, the vision I have for myself as a public speaker started off as an idea. Through pursuing these ideas, I have been able to further cultivate my leadership potential.
How do you think Leadership has benefitted you?
Being able to carry the various mantles of leadership I do, has benefitted me in immeasurable ways. On a personal level, it’s challenged me to be bold, to walk in authenticity and to be open to criticism and judgement. This has been challenging for me and I don’t think it will ever be completely easy, however, it’s given me great character strength which allows me to keep moving forward. Leadership has given me the opportunity to be the change I want to see and to inspire others to do the same.