Staff Profile

Dr Nicola Patterson is a Senior Lecturer in Leader Development and Organisation Futures Team which focusses on bringing together organisations and the university in a shared ambition of supporting leaders in the changing context of work. 

Prior to joining Newcastle University Business School in 2018, Nicola was Senior Lecturer in the Corporate and Executive Department at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. In this role Nicola specialised in designing and delivering work-based, experiential programmes and modules which took a blended learning approach. She was programme leader for the Executive MBA and BA(Hons) Business Leadership and Corporate Management consecutively and led various leadership, research and employability modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Prior to academia Nicola worked in enterprise development in the Careers Service at Newcastle University and in a small research consultancy firm.

Nicola’s passion for entrepreneurship, leadership and diversity is rooted in her PhD which explored leader and follower perspectives of entrepreneurial leadership in small businesses from a gender perspective. Authentic leadership was at the core of Nicola’s conceptual framework, and has influenced her philosophy of learning, approach to career development and developing client relationships by placing values at the centre. 

As a qualified coach, Nicola views employability and career management as an essential part of life-long learning and critical in leader development. Her coaching approach is rooted in authentic leadership therefore Nicola provides a comfortable and supportive environment to create the space for coachees to focus fully on themselves. In doing so, Nicola believes that individuals are able to deeply reflect upon their personal and professional development to prepare themselves socially and emotionally to thrive as leaders in chaotic, complex and dynamic environments.

Nicola is interested in collaborating with entrepreneurs, business leaders and equality, diversity and inclusion professionals to explore their organisational experiences in relation to social categories of difference (particularly gender, age and disability) to learn, share and shape the future of work and leader development.

The Leader Development and Organisational Futures team are currently involved in developing an Executive MBA and an Executive Leaders Programme. Nicola will be leading on the Executive Leaders Programme and will teach on modules relating to leadership, diversity, entrepreneurship and professional development.

• Articles

  • Patterson N. Developing Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneuring Spaces. Gender in Management: An International Journal 2020, 35(3), 291-302.
  • Williams J, Patterson N. New Directions for Entrepreneurship through a Gender and Disability Lens. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research 2019, 35(8), 1706-1726.
  • Patterson N, Mavin S, Turner J. Unsettling the Gender Binary: Experiences of Gender in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Implications for HRD. European Journal of Training and Development 2012, 36(7), 687-711.
  • Patterson N, Mavin S, Turner J. Envisioning Female Entrepreneurs-leaders Anew from a Gender Perpsective. Gender in Management 2012, 27(6), 395-416.
  • Patterson N, Mavin S. Women Entrepreneurs: Jumping the Corporate Ship and Gaining New Wings. International Small Business Journal 2009, 27(2), 173-192.

• Book Chapters

  • Mavin S, Williams J, Bryans P, Patterson N. 'Woman as Project': Key issues for Women Who Want to Get On. In: Broadbridge AM; Fielden SL, ed. Handbook of gendered careers in management: Getting in, getting on, getting out. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2015, pp.305-321.
  • McGuire D, Patterson N. Diversity in Organisations. In: Scott, L; Byrd, M.Y, ed. Handbook of Research on Workforce Diversity in Global Society. IGI Global, 2012. In Preparation.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Mavin S, James J, Patterson N, Stabler A, Davidson J, Hatt L. Articulating a Critical Pedagogy for Business School Education which delivers the UK Government Strategic Leadership Apprenticeship. In: University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD 2022). 2022, Virtual.