Professor Aycan’s inaugural lecture explores the complex dynamics of leadership emergence by moving beyond traditional models that reward confidence over competence, dominance over collaboration and visibility over depth.

Drawing on more than two decades of research, she will examine the agentic processes that shape leader emergence, the psychological and cultural roots of leadership worry and reluctance, and the hidden costs of power-driven systems.

She will argue for a fundamental shift from power to empowerment at the cultural level of organisations to create space for more diverse, values-driven and ‘atypical’ leaders to step forward.

In addition, she will introduce research-based and AI empowered simulations designed to increase the preparedness and confidence of those who might otherwise opt out of leadership roles.  

Her lecture invites a timely rethinking of who we consider leadership material, how we support their emergence and how we can build cultures that empower – not just select – the next generation of leaders.