Anna Baker Cresswell, Windermere School, UK

Round Square really shaped the way I approach decisions and leadership throughout my life. Last year, I went back to my old school Windermere School for a reunion—30 years on—and it reminded me just how much that environment influenced me. Being part of Round Square gave me a quiet confidence, a sort of permission to try things, to take risks, and to think beyond what was expected or conventional.

When I was at school, I think the biggest lesson wasn’t about following rules or ticking boxes. It was about being encouraged to have a go. Mr Jenkins, our Headmaster, created a safe, nurturing space where we could try things without being judged harshly. That attitude stayed with me, even when I went on to study at UCL, or later when I moved to Australia. The sense that I could forge my own path, even if it was unconventional, really came from those early experiences.

Round Square also gave me a deep understanding of leadership. Leadership isn’t about lecturing or telling people what to do; it’s about encouraging and leading by example. It’s about showing up, being consistent, and giving people the confidence to act themselves. Over the years, I’ve applied this in all sorts of ways. After my mother died, I started a charity in her memory focused on Horticultural Therapy for veterans. My mother loved gardening and cared deeply for people, having trained as a Nightingale Nurse at St Thomas’s Hospital where Florence Nightingale trained  and I wanted to honour that.

Starting the charity was a challenge. Initially, the military and Occupational Therapists were sceptical. Horticultural Therapy was something they hadn’t tried, and the idea of gardening as a therapeutic intervention seemed, at first, quite “fluffy.” But I kept going, supported by a fantastic Horticulturalist who had incredible experience and focus. I travelled to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Headley Court weekly, worked closely with Occupational Therapists, and gradually built trust in the project. Eventually, we received funding from the Army Benevolent Fund and the Duke of Westminster for a three-year pilot. Over time, Horticultural Therapy became an accredited approach within the UK military.

Fundraising was a major part of my role of running the charity.  Writing grant applications, meeting with foundations and donors, and keeping the momentum going was exhausting at times, but it taught me resilience. The knockbacks—being turned down, having to start over—were constant. Yet persistence and patience, lessons I first learned through Round Square experiences, made all the difference.

Throughout it all, leadership has been about humility, trust, and encouragement. Working with veterans, volunteers, and colleagues, I had to balance guiding projects with respecting the expertise of others. Round Square taught me that real leadership isn’t about being in charge, it’s about enabling people, creating a safe space, and helping them flourish.

Being part of Round Square widened my horizons and made me realise that there’s more outside your own experience than you think. It gave me the confidence to try new things, make my own decisions, and pursue projects that mattered to me. That perspective has guided me ever since, from starting a charity in memory of my Mother to developing Horticultural Therapy programmes for serving personnel and veterans, and more recently, advising on post-conflict projects in Ukraine and bringing practical solutions and experience to where they are needed most.

And of course, a little practical advice from those days still sticks with me: always make your bed.