"I'm very new to leadership," Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf tells us, almost guiltily, when quizzed on her lessons learnt as artistic director of London gallery, Peckham Platform. But such deprecation is typical of Oboshie Schandorf, whose self-effacement belies a fierce talent - and a successful leadership (whether she wants to admit it or not).
A talented artist in her own right, she graduated from the Royal College of Art as a curator and has since collaborated with, and produced projects for, Somerset House, Tate Liverpool and Jerwood Visual Arts. She was announced as artistic director of Peckham Platform in March 2021.
Here, she shares with Bazaar her lessons in leadership...
The three most important qualities for a good leader are…
"Consistency, agility and the ability to make space. What I mean by that is: a lot of people say it is vital for a good leader to listen, but I think that means figuring out what the volumes are. And by the volume, I mean, what is important? Not all noise should be equal."
My personal strength as a leader is...
"Irreverence! We absolutely love what we do, even though it's difficult. But that doesn't mean we can't see how ridiculous some of the things that we're doing are. That can keep you sane when it's stressful."
The biggest priority for my business right now is...
"As a social arts organisation, it has been a challenging time. The cultural sector is still managing the effects of the 2008 financial crisis; now we have leaving the EU and the pandemic. That means my priority is making sure that we are able to keep going and keep creating value, keep working with our communities, and supporting partners who do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to social cohesion. An integral part of this is ‘Everyone’s Platform’. We are in the midst of a capital fundraising campaign for our new home on Peckham Square. It’s been great working with Karin, my executive director, and receiving such strong support from Southwark Council. It is also so very important to me that we work with artists and develop their practice, as well as the civic elements of the work that we do."
The economic outlook may be uncertain, but I'm mitigating risk by...
"...doing everything we can! We fundraise, we pool resources, we develop our networks. We've got some great relationships with funders who also appreciate what our communities are going through."
I keep my team motivated by…
"I hope it is by having consistency and giving my team agency. I suppose there's always this huge element of having faith in what you're doing - that really helps to align a focus for people; having that north star that keeps you going. But it's definitely a learning process. Freshly baked goods are not enough!"
The hardest decision I’ve had to make as a leader was…
"You know what? I think it has been showing my temper. That's been one of the most difficult things. Leadership takes lots of different forms. There are alphas, who are intimidating, or there's the person who's working to be radical, trying to do things in a different way. Alpha is definitely not my style.
"But there is also something to be said for showing your displeasure, when merited, especially being a woman in the arts, where not everybody is permitted to have a temper. So negotiating that has been interesting."
The worst mistake I’ve ever made as a leader (and the lessons I learnt from it)
"Being inconsistent with boundaries. It taught me that I need to have a certain distance as a leader, which is so different from my previous roles. Boundaries offer integrity."
An effective leader will always…
"Know when to stop."
An effective leader will never…
"Make things personal - it can be utterly destabilising for your team."
My role model for leadership is…
"So many people. I would probably start with my mentor in secondary school, Louise Cox. I have always looked up to her work ethic. There are so many artists and curators I have worked with, from Elvira Dyangani Ose and Bryony Bond to Phoebe Boswell and Katherine Finerty, Larry Achiampong, Evan Ifekoya and Beverley Bennett. And there are just dozens more I could spend all day name checking. Hi, Sepake [Angiama] and Zoé [Whitley]!
"It's because, for me, there's an amount of care, especially in the work that they create. What they all show is that leadership isn't always a corner office. Sometimes it's getting your hands really dirty."
The one piece of advice I’d give to a new leader is…
"Find something you love doing, and then everything is tolerable."
