Leadership, the RELX way

At RELX, leadership isn’t a title reserved for a select few, it’s part of everyone’s identity. Leadership is how we show up every day, how we deliver our work week after week, how we support the people around us to also be successful, and how we grow our own capabilities and career. Whether you're leading a team as a people manager, guiding a project or simply leading by example, you’re already doing it.

To help every colleague understand and develop their leadership potential, RELX Leadership Excellence (RLE) was created. RLE isn’t a rigid set of rules, it’s an approach that gives us a shared language to describe the behaviours that lead to success. And these behaviours aren’t new, they simply reflect what helps make RELX successful every day. RLE isn’t about adding something else to our to-do list. It’s a way to name and nurture the leadership behaviours and capabilities most of us are already living.

A mindset, not a title

Leadership is often pictured as a top-down directive but at RELX, we see it differently. Leadership is woven into our culture, an approach that every colleague can adopt regardless of their position or responsibilities. This philosophy empowers everyone to make a meaningful contribution. As Tia Burnett, who works for RELX in the UK, says: “Leadership isn’t about having the title - it’s a mindset. The RLE empowers every employee to lead with agility, collaborate with purpose and drive impact that matters.”

Josh Gianitsis works for STM in the US and joined RELX through an acquisition. He says: “The RLE can be used to guide how you develop your own skills, work with your colleagues, and support your clients and partners. Personally, I think the RLE is inherent to a successful person at RELX.”

Arash Mozaffarian, who works in Risk in the US, ensures every decision is rooted in business impact and customer experience: “The RLE isn’t just a set of behaviours, it’s a mindset. It challenges us to simplify complexity, collaborate with purpose and always connect our work back to the customer.”

This inclusive approach means that leadership is cultivated at every level. The result is a dynamic and collaborative environment where innovation thrives, and every individual feels empowered to contribute to our shared success.

Tia Burnett

Josh Gianitsis

Arash Mozaffarian

Linda Gao

Ann Meyer

‘Collaborate to Deliver’

This RLE capability is about working together to achieve more than we could alone. It involves enabling winning teams, communicating impactfully and leading inclusively. Arash lives this principle daily: “I create an environment where my team can succeed by aligning priorities, sharing knowledge openly and ensuring everyone has clarity on goals.”

Linda Gao, who works for Exhibitions in China, also places a strong emphasis on teamwork: “The RLE behaviour model has played a crucial role in my career development.” She fosters a spirit of collaboration to “solve problems together, improve customer satisfaction and promote sustainable development.”

‘Act with Agility’

In a constantly changing world, agility is key. This RLE capability encourages us to embrace curiosity, build connections and manage complexity. For Keshlan Gounden, who works for Legal in South Africa, agility means “being able to respond quickly and effectively to changing business needs, technical challenges. By combining agility with curiosity, I help create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.”

Tia’s role demands a high degree of flexibility. “No day is ever the same, which is something I enjoy and thrive on,” she says. This proactive and flexible approach helps keep projects on track and teams aligned, even on a global scale. “Reflect on the RLE behaviours and use them as a lens to evaluate your own contributions. These behaviours offer a roadmap for growth.”

Ann Meyer works for Corporate in the US: “For me, acting with agility means providing value quickly. I enjoy brainstorming with colleagues on the best way to approach a project - sometimes a quick, small fix can make a big difference. Technology today lets us implement small improvements without a huge overhaul, so my motto is “let’s try this and see how it goes.”

‘Drive Commercial Edge’

Ultimately, our work must deliver value to our customers and the business. This RLE capability is about prioritising the customer, valuing data and delivering sustainable performance. Arash grounds his decisions in business impact: “I prioritise customer experience by ensuring our infrastructure is resilient and high performing.”

For Linda, driving commercial edge means gaining deep insights into customer needs. By combining this with data analysis and market research, she provides services that precisely meet client requirements, leading to commercial success. “The RLE is not just a work method, it's a tool for continuous learning and growth. It helps me maintain a clear sense of direction in my daily work, stimulates my spirit of innovation, and enhances my leadership abilities.”

Keshlan adds: "The RLE framework is more than a guide - it's a blueprint for growth, alignment and impact. It helps individuals understand their role, stretch their potential and contribute meaningfully to team and business success."

Ann notes: “For me, driving commercial edge is about designing systems and content with flexibility in mind. It’s not just about creating something for today, but thinking ahead so we can adapt easily tomorrow. I’m always considering how our current work sets us up for future success.”

Growing together

RELX provides a range of tools and practices that help colleagues reflect on their strengths, identify development opportunities, and apply the RLE framework in a practical way, to help foster a culture of continuous improvement.

One of the most valuable practices is using the RLE framework for self-reflection and feedback. Ruth Cooper, who works for RELX in the UK, finds this approach incredibly helpful: “Last year, as part of the Differentiate section of Enabling Performance, I asked for specific feedback from some of those I work with on which RLE behaviours were my strengths and which I should focus my development on,” she shares. “This was really helpful, as I could directly map the feedback to available learning resources and it helped to give some more structure to development conversations with my manager and others.”

Recognition is another powerful tool for reinforcing leadership behaviours. Sandra Power, working in STM in Canada, highlights the importance of our recognition platform, Spotlight, which is based on RLE behaviours and capabilities. “It’s easy to get lost in our list of to-dos and recognition from colleagues and leadership can go a long way to reinforcing why we’re here, doing what we’re doing,” she says. Spotlight not only boosts morale but also serves as a reminder of our core capabilities. Tia agrees, urging colleagues to use the platform actively. “Recognition through Spotlight isn’t just a pat on the back, it’s a way to build visibility and reinforce positive behaviours,” she advises.

Colleagues are encouraged to be intentional about their development. Arash’s advice is to treat RLE as a daily guide: “Ask yourself: Am I collaborating in a way that enables others to win? Am I being agile and curious in how I solve problems? Am I making choices that deliver lasting value for customers and the business?”

Ann recommends a similar habit: “Don’t wait until performance reviews to revisit RLE. Make it part of your routine. Set aside time to read through the framework periodically. It’s a great way to remind yourself of our core principles and keep your priorities aligned.”

Keshlan advises: “Even if you naturally operate in line with many of its principles, referring to the RLE can help you stay intentional and focused on your development journey.”

Linda integrates RLE principles into her team's regular meetings. She also uses RLE for personal growth: “I regularly engage in self-reflection to assess my performance,” she says. “I ask myself, how can I use RLE principles to enhance my leadership?”

These tools and practices, from formal processes like Differentiate to informal habits of reflection and recognition, create an ecosystem that supports growth. They empower every colleague to take ownership of their development journey, guided by a clear and consistent framework.

Ruth Cooper

Sandra Power

Leadership that feels like you

This journey of growth and self-discovery is deeply personal. As Linda puts it: “Success is not a destination but a journey. Every step depends on your choices and actions.” Her 17-year tenure at RELX is a testament to a culture that stimulates personal potential and encourages innovation.

The goal is to integrate the behaviours so they become a natural part of your daily work. Arash comments: “The more consistently you reflect on those questions, the more natural the behaviours become.” When we do this consistently, as Arash says, "we turn everyday actions into long-term impact.”

Josh adds: “I try to embody the behaviours and lead by example. Look around at your colleagues for both inspiration and support in putting the framework into action.”

Whether you've been reflecting on your strengths and development opportunities as part of performance conversations, or using tools like RLE Explorer to think about development opportunities for 2026, it’s not about ticking boxes - it’s about recognising the leader you already are, and the one you aspire to be.

Ask yourself: Where do I see myself in this? Chances are, you already lead in ways that matter. RLE just helps you name it, grow it and share it.

Take a look inside the RELX business culture in this podcast episode with Rose Thomson, Chief Human Resources Officer at RELX. Learn what drives performance for leaders, managers and employees alike.