Iqbal Ahmad of Britannia School of Academics On How to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Attracts Top Talent
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
You must define a purpose that goes beyond profits, in the form of a mission statement. Back it up with a vision and some core values so that your subordinates know how you aim to follow the purpose. For example, we have a core value on integrity as we aim to “uphold high ethical standards in all aspects of the organisation’s operations, fostering trust and credibility among educators, students, and other stakeholders.”
Purpose has become the new currency of success in today’s workplace, and leaders who prioritise mission-driven cultures are standing out in the war for talent. To explore this important topic, we are interviewing Iqbal Ahmad (SFHEA).
Iqbal Ahmad (SFHEA) is the founder and CEO of Britannia School of Academics. He holds various postgraduate qualifications, including an MBA, Postgraduate Diploma in Education Management and Leadership, CIMA & ACCA. He has been a leadership coach for over fifteen years, and has mentored various educational leaders both within his organisation and as a corporate trainer.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My name is Iqbal Ahmad (SFHEA). I am a serial entrepreneur who has founded over a dozen start-ups, most of which now become part of our group of companies known as Britannia Education Group (BEG). The most successful of all these companies is Britannia School of Academics, where we have over 1500 learners enrolled, comprising both professional teachers & trainers and those aspiring to become educators. Additionally, we have established corporate partnerships with numerous state-maintained schools, Sixth Form colleges, and various Government departments.
I am also a passionate writer and have contributed to over 100 articles under such domains as entrepreneurship, startups & innovation; talent acquisition, HR & leadership skills; marketing, branding & PR; finance, investment & wealth management; and education, training & lifelong learning.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began working in leadership, culture building, or purpose-driven organizations?
Certainly! One of the most interesting moments in my leadership journey happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were transitioning to become an online provider. After a few failed attempts to use freelance digital marketers to set up our digital campaigns, I took on the challenging task of self-learning how to run digital campaigns such as Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads. Though none of my colleagues and subordinates believed that it was going to be a successful trial, surprisingly enough, we ended up launching successful campaigns that drastically improved our ROI and CPA. On reflection, I realised that knowing my products very well did play a critical role in successfully gaining the attention of the target audience as I was able to use the right keywords and descriptions to make a strong impact — something that third party digital marketers were unable to achieve.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Having a very clear vision would be my number one on this list. Having a vision about what your organisation wants to achieve sets the tone and makes the journey more inspiring for everyone on-board. This also helps you to set long, medium and short term targets, and strategise effectively to achieve those targets. Consequently, you are also able to formulate a detailed action plan, create teams and delegate tasks accordingly. Far too often, we get to know about founders just going with the flow and not having a clear sense of direction, and despite all their passion and hard work, they are likely to face difficulties in realising their potential. When establishing a specialised teachers training school that was 100% online, we faced a lot of skepticism as there were concerns about how we were going to cover the practical aspects of teaching and assessment remotely, with awarding organisations also scrutinising our applications more diligently than ever, but we were very clear that not only was this possible, but also the future for work based learning sector.
Being able to adapt would be my next on the list, as everything around us is changing so fast that keeping up with the pace can be incredibly challenging. Great leaders are not reactive, but rather proactive. They are also able to adapt to the changing expectations of the important stakeholders, such as customers, employees and legislators. Prior to Covid-19, we were never interested in any mode of delivering our qualifications other than through face-to-face delivery. However, as soon as we were hit by Covid-19, we were one of the very first few providers to switch to completely online learning and that too on a permanent basis.
Last but not the least would be an extreme level of discipline and focus. Great leaders do not rely on external sources of motivation, they fuel themselves by a very high level of intrinsic motivation to follow a strict discipline. There is a myth about loving your work so much that it feels like fun all the time, whereas in reality, we all have terrible days and days where we simply don’t want to work or want to give up after facing repeated failure. As leaders, we must always be able to do the drill and keep making progress. Realising this was the biggest life-changer for me, and it also helped me set the right example for my subordinate to follow and be inspired by it. For example, we stayed much disciplined during Covid-19, using the off-time to create digital resources and planning a very effective Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that laid the foundation of a very successful online delivery model.
Let’s now jump into the focus of our interview. What does a “purpose-driven culture” mean to you personally, and why do you think it’s critical for attracting top talent?
For me, a purpose-driven culture means building an environment where employees’ motivation to work is not limited to getting the salary but to a purpose beyond it. This must be aligned with the personal as well as organisational goals. In our organisation, we believe that education should be accessible to everyone and the quality of it must not be compromised. Therefore, I make sure that people joining me on this journey are not just handling courses, assessments and evaluations, but proactively contributing to the professional career growth of our learners as well as their own self. This gives them a sense of purpose and provides motivation that goes beyond financial incentives.
Organisations can only grow if they have an effective team comprising the most talented and experienced individuals so that important tasks can be delegated to them. We now live in a world where employees are the most important assets of any organisation. Organisations must ensure that their own success is closely aligned with the success of their employees, so that they can attract the top talent available in the job market.
How did you identify and define the mission or purpose for your organization? Was it inspired by a particular event, challenge, or insight?
Our mission is “providing education professionals with flexible and affordable learning opportunities that support skills development and employability, both within the UK and Abroad”. Though the mission was not clear given the uncertainties around the Covid-19 lockdown when this idea originated, we were very clear about it as soon as educational professionals and institutes started showing keen interest in our qualifications and delivery model. This mission was inspired by the uncertainties around Covid-19 lockdown, where we were tasked with solving two problems: how can we continue to operate as an education provider with all the social distancing measures and restrictions in place and how can the education professionals’ upskill themselves from the comfort of their homes. The solution was the same to both problems — a specialised teacher’s training school that was 100% online, including all the practical assessments.
What are the key steps leaders can take to embed purpose into the day-to-day operations and decision-making of their companies?
Firstly, as leaders, we must be able to lead by example and inspire others through action. Once we are purpose-driven, it will have a rippling effect on the behaviour and decision making at tactical and operational level as well. Secondly, we must hire individuals who are inherently purpose driven, rather than expecting people to change and adapt to our expectations on joining the organisation. Thirdly, effective communication is extremely critical in ensuring that the mission of the company is not merely a decorative piece you put on the wall but rather an active guiding principle that shapes the organisational culture and the decision making in our organisation.
What role does leadership play in championing and modeling a purpose-driven culture? Can you share an example of how you or another leader helped reinforce your organization’s purpose?
Employees are wired to follow what they see the leaders do rather than say, meaning that the actions of the leaders will be the ultimate deciding factor in championing and modeling a purpose-driven culture. As a leader, I make sure that all my decisions align with the mission and core values of our organisation, so as to truly convey my own intent behind the purpose that unites us. For example, when Covid-19 resulted in job losses for a lot of people, I introduced scholarships equaling up to 90% of the already discounted fee to offer upskilling opportunities for education professionals in financial crisis. When my team members saw the initiative, knowing that we ourselves were a start-up in need of cash flow, I did not need to do much talking to back-up my position that our purpose was to make accredited qualifications accessible for education professionals. Similarly, I personally teach several modules despite my busy schedule as the CEO. This practice demonstrates that our mission of quality education matters enough for the most senior leaders to remain actively involved in the delivery. I have noticed that this has created a ripple effect where other directors and managers have followed suit — strengthening our connection to our core purpose.
How do you handle skepticism or resistance from team members or stakeholders who may not immediately understand the value of focusing on purpose?
Focusing on your purpose essentially requires that you forgo short-term gains for the long-term achievement of your mission and vision, and this is not something that goes down too well with various stakeholders that require a prompt return on investment — whether it’s their time or money. This is where the above mentioned trait of having a vision and strongly believing in it is put to test, as we are required to stand up to any skepticism or criticism that can undermine our purpose. For example, when the awarding organisations delayed approval to deliver the qualifications online, we did not back down and instead demonstrated our preparedness and justified our digital remote assessment strategy. Even though we have been operating for over four years now, some new corporate employers still enquire with us with a lot of skepticism about whether or not we can assess the trainee teachers remotely, as this is something that they had never heard of. Being confident about our choice and knowledgeable about our delivery and assessment model, we are able to appropriately address such concerns.
With the subordinates, I noted that the resistance often stems from not seeing how purpose connects to their own specific roles. I address this through one-on-one mentoring sessions where we explicitly map how their work contributes to the success of our mission. I also encourage my team members to continue to liaise with our learners about their career progression after completing our qualifications, which often provides powerful perspective and inspiring success stories to further motivate my team members.
Ok, let’s talk strategy. Based on your experience, can you share “5 Steps to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Attracts Top Talent”? If possible, please include examples or stories for each.
1. You must define a purpose that goes beyond profits, in the form of a mission statement. Back it up with a vision and some core values so that your subordinates know how you aim to follow the purpose. For example, we have a core value on integrity as we aim to “uphold high ethical standards in all aspects of the organisation’s operations, fostering trust and credibility among educators, students, and other stakeholders.”
2. We must then make sure to embed that purpose in every single aspect of our operations — starting from recruitment, training & development, setting of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and so on. There must not be any decision taken at strategic, tactical or operational level that goes against or conflicts with the purpose of the organisation. For example, when recruiting team members, we prioritise individuals with both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications within the domain of teaching and learning, as it points to their intrinsic motivation to be educators rather than the last resort or a backup option.
3. Mentor and guide employees at all levels to ensure that they share the same vision and their individual goals are well aligned with the purpose of the organisation. I once had a very passionate employee who had joined our School of Academics team, but had dreams of training beauticians. Following some further discussion and some R&D, we launched a sister company called School of Beauticians where she was able to lead a small team of trainers to realise her dreams while still being part of our group of companies.
4. Make sure that your long-term, medium-term & short-term objectives are all aligned with the purpose, and have effective mechanisms in place to measure the progress on these objectives. For example, one of the KPIs we have at School of Academics is to improve two processes every year that can help us improve our teaching and learning provision. One of the assessment teams was able to create an evaluation approach that better accommodated neuro divergent learners — exemplifying our commitment to accessible education for all.
5. Finally, celebrate your achievements as a team and reward individuals who have worked hard to make your purpose their own. In our organisation, we have lots of recognitions such as employee of the year, employee of the quarter, employee of the year, team of the year, talent of the year (newly joining members only), and a champion for each of our six values. This will go a long way in reinforcing the purpose as well as the agreed core values.
Can you share a specific example of how embracing a purpose-driven culture helped your company attract exceptional talent or achieve a significant business goal?
Within 18 months of operation, we had gained exceptional reviews on third-party platforms and a very good reputation as a specialised teacher’s training school. As a result, we were able to secure training contracts with over 20 local councils, one of which has placed over 30 school teachers to gain their formal teaching qualifications through us. Similarly, when we were setting up a Board to drive our expansion and advertised for non-executive board members, we were able to attract the most experienced and well-connected education professionals in the industry, as they had heard good things about us and wanted to be part of our success story.
What advice would you give to leaders of smaller companies or startups who want to build a purpose-driven culture but don’t know where to start?
I would advise the leaders of smaller companies and startups to start with an absolute clarity about the problem they are attempting to solve and why it matters. Your purpose must be authentic — something that genuinely motivates you and your team beyond profit, because building a purpose-driven culture requires consistency, especially when facing difficult decisions in a team of crisis. You should begin by articulating this purpose in simple and compelling language, and take feedback from trusted advisors, early team members, peers and mentors. You should then refine it until it resonates authentically and can be easily understood and remembered.
Next, you should design your processes and policies to reflect this purpose holistically. From recruitment to performance evaluation, you must ensure that your purpose influences these systems. I would also strongly recommend identifying early hires who deeply connect with your purpose, and mentor and empower them as culture carriers. These individuals will become invaluable as you grow because they naturally reinforce your purpose-driven culture through their decisions and interactions.
Finally, be patient and persistent. Building a purpose-driven culture takes time and will be tested repeatedly as I have discussed above. During your early years, you will face numerous opportunities to compromise your purpose for faster growth, easier profits or even investment capital at terms of your choosing. In contrast, staying true to your mission will mean slower progress initially, but you must show the strength to make this compromise in order to lay a strong foundation for a more sustainable success in the long-term.
What are some common mistakes leaders make when trying to create a purpose-driven culture, and how can they avoid them?
The biggest mistake that even the best of leaders make is being overly optimistic and excited when defining the purpose and then failing miserably to act in a way that shows a sincere intent to support that purpose. Therefore, it’s very important to first believe in that purpose yourself and be sure that you would be able to make sacrifices to uphold that purpose.
Secondly, leaders often undermine the purpose through inconsistent behavior. As a founder, I’ve learned that my team members observe my actions very closely and it’s almost impossible to avoid their scrutiny in this area. For example, when I violated our policy of work-life balance by regularly sending emails at midnight, it unintentionally undermined our stated purpose of supporting well-being in the education profession, which is a common concern shared in our sector. I had to deliberately change this behavior to maintain credibility and decided never to act in a way that can compromise the purpose of our organisation.
How do you ensure that your organization’s purpose evolves and remains relevant as your company grows and the world changes?
This is actually a very good point. Maintaining purpose relevance requires both vigilance and openness to evolution. In order to achieve the same, we have implemented annual “purpose check-ins” where the top leadership including the non-executive Board members evaluate whether our mission continues to address meaningful needs in education. During the pandemic, these sessions led us to expand our purpose from merely providing qualifications to actively supporting the digital transformation of teaching practice. The question we continuously ask is if there are other influences in the education sector that require further evolution.
We also maintain active dialogue with a diverse range of stakeholders, including learners, employers, and educational authorities. These conversations provide invaluable insight into evolving needs. For instance, feedback from school leaders about the challenges of supporting new teachers prompted us to enhance our mentoring components, resulting in assigning two mentors to young teachers without a formal teaching qualification. In our organisation, this comes under the remit of the Students Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) that reports directly to the Board.
What trends or shifts are you seeing in the workplace regarding purpose, and how do you think these will shape the future of business?
The biggest change is the fact that young employees are taking a much deeper interest in the purpose of the organisation that they are about to join, and not merely the financial incentives attached. They usually come well-prepared having researched about the mission, vision and core values of our company, and do discuss critically how it fits with their own career objectives and professional values. This does mean that employers need to step up and take these considerations very seriously.
Secondly, I remember from my early working days in the 2000s, whereby almost all the employers had fancy statements to make about their mission and vision, and within a few hours of working in the organisation, I would realise that none of that mattered to any of them at any level of decision making. In contrast, organisations today do take their purpose very seriously, partly thanks to the digital media and access to the information that makes it harder for employers to get away by going against their words. Nevertheless, it’s a positive change and an evidence of good corporate citizenship.
In your opinion, how does having a purpose-driven culture impact not just employees, but customers, clients, and the broader community?
A purpose-driven culture creates a ripple effect far beyond the organizational boundaries. For our learners, our purpose-driven approach means they experience education that’s designed to ensure their personal and professional development rather than the administrative convenience. This manifests in flexible scheduling, personalised feedback, and practical assessments relevant to their own teaching contexts. The result is not just the customer satisfaction but also a transformation in their professional practice.
For our partner institutions and corporate employers, our purpose creates a collaborative rather than a merely transactional relationship. Schools partnering with us report that our focus on educational quality helps us suggest solutions based on their organisational training needs, sometimes even recommending less expensive options than they had historically contracted. This builds great rapport and trust with the corporate clients, who have a very high lifetime value.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people by building purpose-driven workplaces, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Coincidentally, there is indeed a movement that I have long been thinking about starting and have recently applied for a trademark to start a network of employers to promote personal and professional development of team members. Our “SkillsPledge Programme”, once launched, will name and fame employers including education providers who invest in the learning and development of their workforce.
This initiative addresses the purpose gap in many organizations by creating a visible commitment to employees’ personal and professional development that extends beyond mere profit generation. The SkillsPledge programme will establish clear standards for what constitutes meaningful investment in people — requiring participating employers to dedicate resources, time, and opportunities for growth that benefit not just the organization but the individual’s long-term career trajectory. There will be three levels of recognition: Silver, Gold, & Platinum Employers — each appropriately recognising the level of commitment to the learning and development of their team members.
How can our readers further follow you online?
I would love to connect with readers who are passionate about education, professional development, and purpose-driven leadership. You can learn more about our mission and courses at Britannia School of Academics. I also share insights on leadership, business growth, and education on LinkedIn.
This was great. Thank you so much for the time you spent sharing with us.
Iqbal Ahmad of Britannia School of Academics On How to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Attracts… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.