A day in the life of a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership Flexible Route
1 October 2025 - Alistair Harwood, Clinical Relations and Education Manager UKI at Align Technology and student on the Master’s in Sustainability Leadership Flexible Route, shares a day of his workshop in Cambridge.
My day begins with…
An early alarm that cranks the rusty cogs of my brain into motion. The time we have at Cambridge is precious, so I always try to get out early. I think it’s important to see the colleges and city as much as possible during the workshop weeks. I’ll start with a run from Fitzwilliam College down to the river Cam, passing St Edmund’s and Magdelene, before making my way along the river, taking in the boathouses of the college rowing clubs. After returning to Fitz, I take breakfast in the Buttery dining hall (the hash browns are a highlight) meeting new and old friends from the workshop to compare notes on the previous day.
The workshop starts with…
A networking coffee morning, finding out about the backgrounds of students from multiple cohorts on the Flexible route. Each workshop is designed using feedback from previous cohorts, leading to sessions like the dedicated networking morning just for Flexible route students. I’m inspired to hear about projects on emissions labelling, regenerative agriculture and renewable energy transitions. It’s a great chance to share experiences between cohorts, and a welcome opportunity to get to know other flexible route students better.
Between sessions we…
Continue networking over coffee, this time in West Hub alongside the rest of the workshop attendees from the continuous route. Throughout the workshops, I’ve met people with diverse careers and these networking opportunities have been a valuable part of the course. Coming from the background of clinical dentistry, I’m always interested to hear how other students in the various cohorts are applying sustainability in their fields and understanding how I might use these learnings in my own setting. Seeing the challenges and some of the potential solutions that different countries and different industries face is enlightening.
After lunch we…
Attend a leadership session today to learn more about body language and communication styles, and the dynamics between power and inclusivity. Both sessions use a highly interactive method of teaching, with a lot of movement around the teaching space. Throughout the course we’ve had the chance to examine leadership from many conventional and unconventional perspectives but always centred around the CISL Capabilities for 21st Century Leadership. The session on communication highlighted how essential authenticity is to leadership. It was one of the most impactful I’ve experienced so far and will stick in my memory for a long time.
After sessions finish…
We’re attending a gala dinner in Christ College. The ability to visit other colleges and see their history is one of the amazing things about studying at Cambridge, even as a part-time student. Christ College dining hall is stunning. This evening we hear the traditional Latin toast, this time delivered in an Italian accent by our course director Dr Tanja Collavo.
After a day of learning…
Most days after lectures I feel a combination of inspiration and tiredness. The stimulation from socialising with seventy-plus people, in addition to the continuous torrent of information from workshop sessions and reflection on the topics is intense. Often the subjects up for discussion are complex and challenging. Speakers rarely pull their punches and we’re frequently given a stark look at reality. Today, with the candour and emotion of the communication workshop, I’m saturated. But with free time and social events in the evenings like the meet-and-greets, gala dinners, or pub quizzes, I feel a sense of community from being around so many people with a common goal.
I am excited by…
The prospect of sharing this education within my organisation and the charity I’m a trustee for. Throughout my studies at CISL, I’ve found the leadership sessions impact my day-to-day work the most. I’ve delivered change management workshops to multiple teams, and coached individuals and groups on leadership characteristics using some of the teachings from the course.
When I’m back in the buzz of day-to-day work, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture and disconnect from the impact I want to create. Attending these workshops, this one themed on governance, purpose and culture as well as leadership, creates space to refocus. Being on the flexible route has meant that I’ve had the business case articulated in many ways during each workshop and in this latest one it’s reflected the changing political and regulatory landscape. Using the takeaways from this workshop, and the course in general, I’d love to create wider scale change to increase sustainability in the healthcare industry in the UK.