#LeadingWithPurpose Spotlight: James Sloam, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway

Our #LeadingWithPurpose Spotlight interview series sees organisational leaders explain what leading with purpose means to them and how they strive to make their organisation a force for good in society.

In this episode, read how James Sloam, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London, does so.

How did you find purpose in your work?  

My research and leadership focus on youth civic and political engagement and how to empower the voices of young people from traditionally marginalised backgrounds. My research on politics has also found that empowering the voices of diverse groups of young people in British democracy is essential for developing a more future-oriented and sustainable public policy.

I see a huge appetite for political engagement among young people, and a need for those in power to listen to their voices. It’s a privilege to play a part in making that happen through my work.   

Can you share a story or moment that shaped your own leadership?  

Working closely with young people from the Mayor of London’s Peer Outreach Team was a huge inspiration. These are cohorts of young people with lived experiences of poverty and neglect, but who – with the help of inspiring mentors in the Peer Outreach Team – develop the skills and confidence to reach out to many other young Londoners, to achieve positive change within their communities and champion democratic participation. 

Their work inspired me to develop a concept of ‘civic mentoring’, which – through the support of Royal Holloway University and collaboration with partners from the Greater London Authority to the United Nations– I am able to promote widely in policy circles. 

Can you share a specific example of an initiative or project that made a significant impact?  

I’m really proud of having set up a series of deliberative events with young people in collaboration with City Hall and the youth sector in London, with funding from Royal Holloway and the British Academy. In 2019, I led project for London Sustainable Development Commission on young Londoner’s priorities for a sustainable city, providing a unique evidence base for London policy-makers to make informed decisions. 

A ‘We Love the Planet’ event at the Museum of London on Valentine’s Day 2022, addressed by the Mayor of London, presented young Londoners’ solutions to environmental challenges to policy-makers; and after the dramatic decline in youth turnout in the 2024 general election, I worked with young care leavers and Partnership for Young London to develop recommendations for the Electoral Commission and local authorities on how to improve youth participation.