The Quiet Work of Leading Research Impact

Leadership skills may be universal, but leading impact in higher education shows up in careful listening, thoughtful choices and everyday connection. 

Over the past few months, I’ve found myself returning to questions about leadership in the impact space. These reflections are shaped by several things: the WCL Impact Leadership webinar we held in December 2025, conversations and sessions at EARMA 2026 in Utrecht, and my own ongoing experiences of working alongside impact professionals across higher education. What’s struck me most is not that impact leadership is radically different from leadership elsewhere—but that how leadership shows up in our roles really matters.

At the webinar, many of us agreed on the basics. Strong communication, collaboration, trust‑building, project management and a solid understanding of impact pathways consistently came up as essential skills for impact leaders. These are the foundations. But anyone working in research impact knows that having these skills is only part of the story.

What differentiates impact leadership is the higher education context in which we apply them. Impact professionals are often leading without formal authority, working across fragmented institutional structures, and navigating ambiguity, uncertainty and sometimes scepticism about impact itself. Leadership here is rarely about hierarchy. It’s about influence, credibility and connection.

One theme that really resonated at both the webinar and EARMA was the importance of taking a wide‑angle view. Impact leaders don’t need to be experts in everything, but they do need to understand how policy, public engagement, commercialisation, community partnerships and research strategy intersect. Time and again, I see impact professionals acting as translators—helping others see the bigger picture and how their work fits into longer‑term trajectories.

Listening is another skill that deserves more attention. Much of our leadership happens quietly: in one‑to‑one conversations with researchers, in meetings where we surface unspoken concerns, or in moments where we manage expectations up, down and sideways. Being able to really listen, and then respond thoughtfully, is central to building trust and momentum in this space.

Strategic thinking is where many impact professionals truly differentiate themselves. With limited time and resources, prioritisation becomes a leadership act in its own right: helping colleagues decide what to focus on now, what can wait, and what might not be worth doing at all. This strategic lens is often invisible, but it’s critical to sustainable impact practice.

So what kind of leadership does the impact space need? From what I see, it is collaborative and inclusive, but also quietly confident. It is leadership that pays close attention: to people, to context, and to the systems we are working within. It values listening as much as speaking, and strategic thinking as much as delivery. In higher education, where impact work is shaped by complexity, constraint and constant change, leadership is rarely about formal authority. Instead, it shows up in the everyday work of connecting people, helping others see the bigger picture, making thoughtful choices about where to focus effort, and creating the conditions for impact to emerge over time. This kind of leadership can feel small and often goes unrecognised, but it is essential. It is also deeply collective. Impact is not something any of us do alone, and leadership in this space is less about standing out and more about working alongside others — learning together, sharing responsibility, and building cultures where impact can genuinely take root. 

If you'd like to watch the replay of our impact leadership webinar, you can catch up on YouTube or read a summary in this blog.