Set the pace for success

The truth is that when it comes to running a business not everyone is a born leader; some have to learn the necessary skills to inspire and motivate those around them. Equally true, however, is that every one of us has an innate ability to cultivate these fundamental talents.

It was a Scotsman, the novelist who became Governor General of Canada, John Buchan, who wrote: "The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there."

When achieved, that greatness can lead to new leaders who will elicit yet more greatness: and it is this continual cycle of leadership improvement throughout an organisation that is so vital for the future success of Scottish businesses.

In order to create such a culture, however, companies first must have the right structures, systems, skills and behaviours in place. Only when senior management are able to take a step back from the day-to-day running of the business and view the industry as a whole, address the company's long-term strategy and empower their staff, will they attract and keep the very best talent to nurture their business and help it to grow.

This is an ethos to which the chairman of Scottish Enterprise, Crawford Gillies, fully subscribes. He believes that focusing on leadership - and the continual development of leaders - is integral to raising ambition within Scottish businesses.

"Leadership is the most critical factor for business success," he says. "There is a real opportunity for Scottish businesses to boost their performance by improving in leadership development."

For Gillies, the first step is to raise awareness of the opportunities that are offered by investment in leadership training programmes.

He says: "It's possible to raise ambition by opening people's eyes to what goes on in corporations around the world and not just the company down the road. We have to have high aspirations, and be continually communicating and engaging."

With this in mind, Scottish Enterprise, and in particular its Knowledge for Growth initiative, is intent on helping businesses to further their leadership aspirations.

"I see as I go around companies, as I'm out and about in the marketplace, time and again the benefits of better leadership," says Gillies. "It's a tangible advantage I see in those companies who have invested in leadership: for example, in their more cohesive and coherent management styles and their global mindset. I can see it and I can feel it.

"There are two major challenges, however. The first is getting people to engage. The next is persuading them to take the time to fully invest in their development.

"There is always a danger of putting the short term over the long term: it's that age-old issue of the urgent versus the important."

Thankfully, many organisations are already overcoming perceived challenges, and for Gillies having core leadership values in place has been vital in ensuring these businesses are better placed.

"It makes a huge difference," he says. "There are some truly astonishing companies with incredible leadership. They are setting a high benchmark and challenging others to get out there."

Gillies believes the next logical step is to create a network of like-minded business leaders whose shared aim is to develop leadership in business.

He points out: "It's all about getting businesses to talk to one another. One particular opportunity is to get other companies in to your own organisation to talk about issues, challenges and opportunities offered by leadership development programmes.

"At Scottish Enterprise we also have business mentors: these are experts who have been there, done that, and can help develop strategies. They are not just bringing theory to the table: they have been at the coal face, and bring pragmatism and practical solutions."

He continues: "I would urge anyone involved in business today to take a step back, think about their day-to-day working environment and how things might be done differently.

"Seeking to improve leadership really does make a huge difference. The first step should be seeking help and that means visiting the Scottish Enterprise website."

He laughs and adds: "I would say that, of course. But you'll find all of the resources and guidance there. There is a lot of help out there for companies. The first step is simply asking."