‘You can’t expect every one of your decisions to be right'
Nov 28 2008 The Journal
Carole Beverley of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum shares the thoughts of some of the region’s leading entrepreneurs on the subject of leadership
The nature/nurture argument will always be vigorously debated as will the question: “Who are the great leaders?”
When asked that question recently, Entrepreneurs’ Forum board member Paul Campbell replied: “The only people who can really answer that question are the people who are being led, not the people who are trying to do the leading.
“I suspect that the people who really are good leaders probably don’t think that they’re good leaders, and that makes them try harder which could make them better leaders.”
At the Entrepreneurs’ Forum we meet many great leaders (whether or not they recognise it themselves), including a number of the up-and-coming young business people in these listings. And in our experience, there seem to be two types of leaders – thought leaders and leaders of people.
Michael Hogan and Brian Manning, co-founders of the Esh Group, are probably the best example of these leadership types.
Brian describes Michael as the ‘Georgie Best’ of the organisation. His drive, enthusiasm, passion and instinct to make the right decision are infectious and he leads people by example although by his own admission, Michael doesn’t see himself as a great ‘leader of men’.
And that’s where Brian’s people skills and ability to communicate and motivate have combined perfectly with Michael’s inspiration to drive forward the impressive growth that Esh have experienced over the last five years.
Our young entrepreneurs all fall into the first leadership type – they all have vision and ambition and are aiming to lead the way in their own field of expertise. And they’ve already demonstrated that they have the ability to make critical decisions, taking calculated risks to achieve their goals and bring people along with them on an exciting journey.
Having recently opened an office in London and appointed the vastly experienced MT Rainey as their chair, Tarek Nseir’s TH_NK are competing with and winning business from some of the UK’s most-respected digital agencies.
Lisa Hart’s vision of becoming the global leader for research in the professional services sector is already becoming a reality as a growing and significant proportion of their business comes from the United States and they continue to break into new territories.
At the Forum we’re constantly inspired by the young people we meet and work tirelessly to provide them with the support and guidance they need. And, as a region, it’s critical that we cherish (perhaps not a business word but it says so much more than simply value) and nurture these entrepreneurs because they really do represent the future of the North East – and the current climate makes it all the more imperative that we all embrace this responsibility.
Entrepreneurs’ Forum vice-chair Lorna Moran’s view sums up the personal challenges facing young entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurship is all about having the right product or service and then getting it to market,” she says. “That often involves taking big risks and drawing deeply on your personal strengths. It also involves getting the right people around you and setting the right standards and pace.
“If I’ve learned one lesson in life, it’s to be decisive. You can’t expect every one of your decisions to be right. If it’s wrong it’s wrong but people won’t respect you if you can’t make a decision.”
Arguably one of the biggest challenges facing any young entrepreneur is to find the right combination of drive and vision, innate talents and characteristics and the skills they need to learn that perhaps don’t come naturally – and rely on having the strength to recognise their own weaknesses.
Some, like Keith Miller who is celebrating 30 years in business, naturally combine vision and drive with the ability to manage, motivate and communicate effectively with their team – even in the toughest market conditions.
For others, including Karen Weir, Derek Curtis and Claire Glynn, the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s successful Business Breakthrough programme provides an invaluable peer-group based learning experience that helps them to step up a level personally. And by doing so, it allows them to take their businesses onwards and upwards.
As we celebrate the achievement of these rising stars – and we should all raise our glasses to them – we must also recognise that leadership brings with it a great burden of responsibility that most of us are not prepared to take on.
As Sir Peter Vardy points out: “Great leaders have a servant heart. It is their responsibility to look after their employees and that includes their families. How they treat their staff has a remarkable effect on morale, how they treat not just their colleagues but also their families and the greater community.
“It is their role to develop and train their teams and create an environment where people feel proud and looked after. They must remember that good people will not follow poor leaders.
“It is incumbent on any leader to constantly develop their leadership skills by reading good books and attending great seminars.”
