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Edward Pizzey Represents BayWa r.e. at RenewableUK’s Future Leaders Event

15 December 2025
2 min. read

The renewable energy sector is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and with that comes a pressing need for adaptive, human-centered leadership. At RenewableUK’s Future Leaders 2025 event, Edward Pizzey, Commercial Lead at BayWa r.e., joined peers and industry pioneers to explore what leadership means in an age of complexity and how future leaders can shape the UK’s clean energy transition.

people attending conference

Leadership in an Age of Complexity

The day opened with candid reflections from seasoned renewable leaders on their journeys into senior roles. A recurring theme was that there is no single way to lead correctly. Leadership is not a rigid formula but a dynamic practice shaped by context, relationships, and continuous learning.

Ed captured the essence of these discussions in his notes:

  • Stay curious, stay humble.

  • Do the easy stuff well.

  • Grow through what you go through.

  • Drive performance with empathy.

These principles echo the Generative Leader Mindset described by Bushe and Marshak in Transforming Leadership: leaders thrive not by imposing certainty but by creating space for emergent solutions in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Rather than being the “hero” with all the answers, today’s leader is a host, facilitating dialogue, fostering trust, and enabling self-organisation.

Transforming Leadership: From Visionary to Generative

Jürgen Maier’s keynote reinforced this shift. His call for people-centric leadership aligns with the idea that organisations are “networks of meaning-making,” not machines to be controlled. Leaders must shape narratives, not just strategies.

For Ed, parallels between Siemens and BayWa r.e. highlighted how cultural differences in leadership styles can influence innovation. German precision meets UK agility: a reminder that adaptability is key.

Our Human Needs: Leading with Empathy

The afternoon sessions delved into the human dimension of leadership. Future leaders learnt how unconscious threat responses can derail efficient collaboration and how to create environments that soothe these triggers, as Ed noted, “Slow down to speed up productivity.”

Seven Transformations of Leadership

The event also invited participants to reflect on their own leadership “action logic,” based on Rooke and Torbert’s Seven Transformations of Leadership. Are you an Achiever, focused on results? An Individualist, questioning assumptions? Or a Strategist, weaving systemic change? Ed’s coaching session posed powerful questions:

  • What am I like as a leader at my best?

  • What leadership behaviour do I need to grow into?

  • What role do I play in the team I care about most?

The day closed with a powerful reminder: leadership is not about perfection but about presence, perspective, and purpose.

As Ed reflected: “A great chance to build networks, share ideas, and see that while challenges differ, the core of leadership, human connection, remains universal.”