Reflections from the first day of starting a Masters Degree in Strategic Leadership as a mature student, balancing study, work, and family life.

It wasn’t part of the plan. But here we are.

This week I began a Strategic Leadership Masters with the University of Sunderland. It’s the first step in a Level 7 Senior Leader programme, running alongside my full-time role at Northumberland County Council over the next couple of years.

Day one nerves

The first session was an online induction, followed by the opening module: Leadership and Leader Identity. I went into it feeling excited, but also quietly worried I might be out of my depth.

Programmes like this are often associated with heads of service, directors, CTOs and CIOs. I’m a senior developer who leads through influence, systems, accessibility, and trying to leave things better than I found them.

What struck me straight away was how human the conversation was. This wasn’t about power, titles, or telling people what to do. It was about how we see the world, how our experiences shape us, and how that affects the way we lead.

Paradigms and perspective

A big theme on day one was the idea of paradigms. Put simply, a paradigm is how someone views the world. We all have different ones, shaped by our upbringing, our families, our culture, and our experiences.

None of them are inherently right or wrong, but they do influence how we think, act, and make decisions.

One line that stuck with me, referencing Stephen Covey, was the idea that when we see things differently, we act differently.

During the discussion, I found myself thinking:

“Don’t assume things as they are. Question how they are to find out the truth.”

That captures what the whole conversation was really about. Leadership isn’t about accepting things at face value. It’s about being willing to question those assumptions, including your own.

Uncomfortable. But necessary.

Leadership isn’t a neat definition

We also spent time looking at what leadership actually is. Or more accurately, why it’s so hard to define.

One of the ideas shared was that leadership is more like love than a physical object. You know it when you experience it, but it’s difficult to pin down with a single definition.

Two questions framed the discussion:

• What is leadership?
• What does leadership mean to you?

That second question matters more than it sounds. It made it clear that this course isn’t about moulding everyone into the same type of leader. It’s about understanding who you are, how you show up, and how you influence others in the context you work in.

Learning how to think, not just what to write

There was a strong emphasis on how to approach assignments and research at this level.

The point isn’t to find sources that agree with you and build a comfortable argument. In fact, doing that is a quick way to weaken your work.

Instead, the focus is on:

Reading alternative perspectives. Challenging your own assumptions. Identifying flaws in your own argument. Asking whether your conclusions still hold up.

The more balanced your thinking, the stronger your leadership and your writing becomes. That idea runs right through the programme.

The practical reality

There was some admin too. Logging off-the-job learning hours, staying consistent, and understanding that learning isn’t just lectures, but reflection, reading, and applying ideas to real work.

How I’m feeling about it

I’ve always loved learning, even if I wasn’t academic in the traditional sense. School never really clicked for me, and for a long time I thought higher education just wasn’t for me.

Later in life, I found out I have ADHD, and suddenly a lot made sense. Understanding how my brain works changed everything. It didn’t make things easy, but it made them possible.

This is now my third degree, all done as a mature student, while working full time and raising three kids. I’ve never had the classic university experience, but studying later in life comes with purpose. You’re not there because it’s expected of you. You’re there because you’ve chosen it.

One thing has always been true for me. I’m constantly trying to grow. It’s why I’ve travelled the world on my own, changed careers, taken on degrees people never expected me to do, and pushed myself into situations that felt uncomfortable. Everything I’ve done has been about becoming the best version of myself. Not for anyone else, but for me and for my kids.

Looking ahead

I’m proud to be starting this Masters. I’m excited, a bit nervous, and very aware that balancing study, work, and family life won’t be easy.

But I’m committed to it.

I’m planning to write a short post each week as I go through this course. Not polished academic pieces, but an honest reflection on what I’m learning, what I’m questioning, and how it’s shaping the way I think about leadership.

If nothing else, it’ll keep me accountable and reaffirm my learning as I go.