Business people come to me and talk about the issues they’ve got – and it doesn’t stop with someone trying to acquire their company or a technical director they want to fire. It can be about very personal or family problems, like they’re married and having an affair. I’d never turn somebody away if they want to talk because I’m a safe pair of ears.
I call myself a professional listener. For the past 25 years, I’ve mentored chief executives (CEOs) and managing directors as a chair of Vistage, a leadership development group for small- and medium-sized businesses.
About 80% of the issues that CEOs want to discuss relate to managing people. One of the issues for a business leader these days is that the higher up you go, the fewer people there are to talk to. There’s this sense of isolation, and that demands emotional stamina.
You can’t imagine the relief some of them have, just being able to talk about their business in a safe environment with people with no hidden agenda.
I began my working life in aircraft manufacturing, went on to run my own business and later became a management consultant. When I started out the business world was very authoritarian and finger wagging, with the boss giving orders.
A leader today is more likely to say: “What help do you want from me in order to achieve higher performance?” Than: “You need to do better, or you’re out.”
My advice to entrepreneurs is to join a peer group and continue to learn, because you don’t know everything. Leadership is about being as open and transparent as possible and recognising your own weaknesses. Make sure the people you’ve got around you are better at the job than you are. Don’t ever view talent as a threat – it’s important to have the very best people in your business.
A few years ago I realised my eyesight was deteriorating and that I could no longer drive to group meetings. I was very nervous about it and when I told the group they instantly said: “We’ll come to you.” My mentees drive to my home and one of the members drives me to meetings. The fact that they were kind enough to want to do that was wonderful.
As you get older it’s important to keep the brain as active as possible. Whenever anyone asks me about retirement I think of a dear friend of mine who was running two business groups at the age of 93. He said: “I’m going to continue until they have to carry me out on the flipchart.” It’s a line I’m using.
If anyone said you must retire tomorrow I wouldn’t cope with it. My wife is still working and she’s over retirement age too. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like sitting in the house all day (with the dog admittedly, but the conversations would be a bit one-sided). I bless the day I started working as a mentor.
Interview by Anne Cassidy
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