Lived Experience: The nitty gritty of leading a business The nitty gritty of leading people Becoming a leader – or becoming an even better leader Success factors: Empathy. I try to view situations and challenges from the perspective of other people involved Perspective. I’ve mostly been able to maintain balance between work and non. Perspective is everything. Being from Manchester. Core values: Integrity. Practice what you preach, walk the talk. Honesty. Contrary to that famous line in the movie, (by and large), people can actually handle the truth Lifelong Learning. I’m never too old to learn something new, to try something different Self-Awareness / Introspection. I spend a fair of time analyzing situations and asking whether I could have done things differently Knowledge: Sometimes you have to ‘just do it’. It might be a job move, a relocation, a resignation with no move next. Sometimes being brave is best. A problem shared can be a problem solved. Asking for help, discussing an issue, throwing ideas around. Coaching and mentoring works!! Attitude really matters. Nothing beats a can-do attitude. I tend to think that if you have a long term ‘won’t do’ attitude in a role, it’s time to move on Career highlights: I have moved around a fair bit – from the UK to Australia, from HR to Sales & Marketing, from the private sector to not-for-profit, from huge multi-national brands to a tiny medical research start-up. I’ve never regretted a move. Except one. I have picked myself up and dusted myself off after that one move I regretted! In the long term it helped me to frame what I value at work. And it’s culture, not financial reward. Sometimes I Google people who’ve worked for me over the years and smile when I see what they’re doing now. A few of them I helped along their journey. That’s a nice feeling. Best advice received: As a parent, be very wary of so-called ‘experts’. As a leader, don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of a national newspaper. As a person, don’t be a "muppet". Favourite business model: Not so much a business model, but a cultural approach, The HP Way. It was devised in the 1950s and yet it shaped (and continues to shape) business culture today. It revolutionized the workplace. Book recommendation: Open by Andre Agassi He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court.
