IOD Future Leaders Scheme - Mary Wild reports on her experience

1st September 2026

Institute of Directors Future Leaders Scheme Report

Mary Wild

Throughout my week shadowing Nick at Corbett Le Quesne, I have learnt so much about effective leadership and how to lead a successful team. As one of the partners at the firm, Nick is constantly busy as he works on both public and private matters, however his time management has shown me the importance of prioritising, delegating and relying on the team. Nick is a very collaborative leader - he was always open and willing to answer any questions I or his colleagues had in a detailed and clear manner and check or help with work. His approachability as a leader is definitely one of the things that has inspired me most this week, as it has shown me how leading by example and creating an open and encouraging environment allows a team to achieve excellence, stay motivated and work hard. Nick's leadership style is also very professional. As an advocate, he often speaks directly to clients as well as in court and I noticed how he always communicated difficult topics in a caring and sensitive way. Moreover, due to the nature of the job, Nick sometimes has to deal with challenging people but the way he remained professional, focusing on succeeding for his clients, stood out to me and made me consider the importance of professional, kind and clear communication within leadership. Something that I really admire about Nick as a leader is how passionate he is about his job. Throughout the week we discussed the challenges of working in family law - not only is it not the most financially rewarding compared to other areas, but it can also be a very emotionally difficult job, as he often has to deal with vulnerable people and criticism. However, despite all of these difficulties, Nick remains driven and committed to helping people get through some of the hardest times of their lives, and I was motivated by his passion to support them no matter what. 

One key example where I was able to see how rewarding this role can be is when I was given the opportunity to attend court with Nick's colleague Jamie-Lee. Before the hearing started, there was an issue with one of the computers, but the way Jamie calmly and professionally resolved the issue without worrying the clients was really inspiring to watch, as she kept composed in such a high-pressure situation, and in doing so ensured everyone else felt the same. Her ability to do so struck me as a really powerful leadership tool and helped me to understand the importance of approaching situations practically and professionally. After the issue had been resolved and the hearing was done, seeing how happy the result made the clients really motivated me and made me understand why Nick and Jamie are so passionate about and committed to their work, and how lovely it is to be able to see the positive impact your work can have on the community.

Being able to witness such amazing leadership this week has led me to consider my personal leadership development and how I can become a better lender. Over the week I have developed lots of practical office skills including filing, scanning and using a computer as well as more specific skills like using the legal software and learning about the different types of procedures and documents, when they're used and how to work with them. As well as the valuable practical learning, I also feel that I have developed my leadership skills. I have leamed about professional communication through the opportunity to talk with colleagues as well as clients, which will help me in the future to be able to express my ideas more effectively in formal settings and communicate with any groups I might oversee. I also feel that my initiative has improved, and I became more confident throughout the week completing tasks on my own. However, I also became more confident asking questions and clarifying anything I was unsure of, having been encouraged by the collaborative open-plan atmosphere. 

My key takeaway from this week in terms of leadership is the importance of working with your team. Previously, my idea of leadership was much narrower - especially in an office environment (which is something I haven't experienced before). Incorrectly, I assumed a leader was a somewhat distant, imposing boss-like figure who gave instructions and supervised from afar. But, after observing leadership in action this week, the importance of teamwork, collaboration and communication in leading successfully has been made abundantly clear to me.

This week has definitely encouraged me to become a leader in the future so I can have the opportunity to encourage others to make a positive difference. I aspire to be a confident, approachable and knowledgeable leader who inspires my team to work hard and succeed, just like the leadership I have observed here, and I know the things I have learnt this week will help me to do so. This week has also absolutely furthered my ambition for a career in law in the future. I have really enjoyed getting an insight into family law and what it is like to work in a law firm. I now feel inspired to work hard at school and achieve excellent grades so I can pursue a career where I have the opportunity to have a leadership position. In the meantime, I will also continue to work on improving my leadership skills through my leadership roles at school, and work on my communication and time management skills. I know that in the future I will continue to reflect on what I have learned this week, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to shadow Nick and the team and really get an insight into what excellent leadership looks like in practice.

Mary Wild

Head Girl

Jersey College for Girls   
 

Find out more about the IoD Jersey - Students