The Centre of Leadership Innovation (CLI), based at the Luton campus, was among only three organisations to make it into the shortlist of the Most Influential Leadership Research category of this year's Leadership Awards.

The Leadership Awards honour leaders and organisations for their continuing commitment to leadership excellence.

Director of the CLI Dr Christina Schwabenland said: “I am thrilled that the contributions of CLI researchers have been recognised. Just getting to the finalist stage is very exciting and a real testimony to the hard work of all the members of the research centre who aim to make their research accessible and relevant to practitioners and students.”

In order to be considered for the shortlist, the CLI team were required to demonstrate:

• Innovation in methods or analysis generating new insights into leadership;
• An approach that reflects on the leaders’ role in promoting employee engagement, participation in decision-making and knowledge-sharing;
• Discussion or critical reflection about the relative merits of recent approaches to leadership studies;
• The range and scope of influence that the work has had, whether within a particular organisational setting, in the academic sphere or through generating interest and influence through policy makers and research bodies.

The team told the judges in their submission for the award: “Much of CLI’s research reflects a belief that employee engagement is best fostered through reinforcing the connections between the contributions of individuals, the overall purpose of the organisation’s endeavours and their wider societal impact.”

The CLI, which is part of the University’s Business and Management Research Institute, explores the nature of leadership needed for healthy, effective, high performing and sustainable organisations which also add to the public good.

The winner of the award will be announced at a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in London on Friday 25^th November.