Embracing opportunites for personal growth: two years in ARK

By Kirsty Wells · 7 July 2026

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

It was July 2024.

Keir Starmer had his first day in his new job on Friday 5^th.  I had my first day in mine on Monday 8^th.

It is July 2026.

Keir Starmer will leave his job this month after 2 years.  I’m still in mine and have no plans to leave.

What have I learned over these past two years that I could share with Keir?

Well I have a degree in Politics but I chose not to be a politician – the right decision. Keir was an accomplished lawyer but chose to be a politician – history will judge if it was the right decision.

A rocky start (I pulled my calf muscle running around Birmingham two hours before I was due to meet my new colleagues.  Hobbling into the office certainly made an impression!) can still lead to a positive journey if you take small steps to find your way in a new environment.

I was given time for small steps by a supportive leader and wider team, Keir didn’t have time, the country was demanding change. He couldn’t wait, but he could listen.

Listening.

Listening is one of the most fundamental skills a person can exercise.  It takes practice, it takes self-control, it takes effort and it takes patience.

Perhaps, if Keir had listened more, to colleagues, to peers, to competitors and to the electorate he would be celebrating his second anniversary as Prime Minister with speeches about his achievements to date, rather than talking about making the personal decision to resign.

In my role, I’ve listened to leaders, to colleagues and to customers.  Sometimes I do it well, sometimes I have to rein in my frustration, or one-liners and remind myself that every day is a school day. 

I am not too old to listen and learn.

I was out of my comfort zone in my early days with ARK Consultancy, I had no one to manage, new processes to learn and new targets to meet.  I can’t deny it was a little scary. I had to figure out how I could use my knowledge and skills to deliver projects to clients.  It wasn’t about what my team could do. It was about me and there was nowhere to hide.

After 20+ years of managing people, I missed it. Two years later, I don’t. I get to focus on what clients need and how we can support them to deliver better services and outcomes to their customers.

Keir’s world has been way, way harder than mine and I’m not trying to pretend it’s not or that my job is comparable to that of the Prime Minister. Global events of the last two years could not be anticipated, could not be budgeted for and could not be managed in a straightforward way.

However, he needed a team that was supportive and could deliver along with him.  The British media did not make this easy. They sought controversy, rumours, gossip and scalps and for the social housing sector, Angela Rayner’s departure was a huge loss.

Working in a supportive team, with positive leadership is conducive to bringing the best out of people. It also makes it more straightforward to deliver outcomes for clients.

It’s about listening and teamwork.

It’s about a positive culture and leadership.

Turning up to work every day is simpler when these things are in place.

They have enabled me to deliver a range of diverse and interesting projects to a range of clients in Scotland and England. And this means that:

• I’ve learned about ecclesiastical exemptions and vacant churches
• I’ve learned about capacity within local authorities and housing associations to deliver intermediate tenures
• I’ve learned about the challenges of mixed tenure estates for minority social landlords and the reticence of larger landlords to work in partnership to find solutions in more financially challenging times
• I’ve learned to work with landlords and their customers to find new ways to engage with their residents, in ways that suit the 2020s
• I’ve learned to work with residents with neuro-disabilities to make improvements to their home
• I’ve learned about community housing trusts and their role in rural and island communities
• I’ve learned that bringing a team of experienced associates together for the first time can achieve great results because we share a passion to deliver the best results we can for our clients
• I’ve learned that working in a positive, supportive leadership team is life-changing for personal well-being

So I will sign off with that, I hope Keir reflects on what he learned in his time as PM and recognises the successes as well as the challenges.

I hope that whatever he does next is life-changing in terms of his personal well-being.

And I hope that he listens to those he trusts and respects on his next steps and journey.

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