Leaders and Where To Find Them

During the darkest days of lockdown, I was lucky enough to discover the inspirational Simon Sinek and devoured all freely available speeches he gave on a variety of business topics but it was his thoughts on leadership that really resonated with me.

Leadership, in his view (which I wholeheartedly share), has nothing to do with rank or seniority.  Leadership is all about inspiring others.  Anyone can be inspirational.  Simply conducting yourself in a manner which inspires others to emulate you is leadership.

Over the past eighteen months we have seen some remarkable examples of leadership.  From the bravery and dedication of our frontline NHS workers battling the pandemic under incredibly difficult conditions, to the persistence and patience of the teachers educating our children both in school and remotely there have been plenty of shining examples for us all to follow.

In the last week, we’ve seen how Gareth Southgate’s leadership inspired the whole of the England squad and it is clear to see that all the players share the vision he has of how they should conduct themselves both on and off the field of play.  But the manager isn’t the only leader by any means.  The dignity with which each member of the team responded to the vile racist abuse which followed Sunday’s defeat inspired an outpouring of support from all parts of society culminating in the rally in front of the defaced mural of Marcus Rashford.  I was certainly inspired by the leadership shown by all of the England squad and I hope it isn’t too much to dream that this week is the catalyst for real change in the attitude of society on the issue of discrimination of all types.

I also find inspiration in the way my colleagues conduct themselves during their working day.  Ours is a job where the pressure of delivering high quality advice to deadlines set by our clients can seem unrelenting.  The ability to remain calm under pressure; to keep smiling even through the toughest day; and to find the time to help others even when their own workload is overwhelming are all examples of leadership.  No small part of the success of the business is due to that leadership.  Feldon Dunsmore has two business owners but many more leaders.

If at the end of one of the hardest periods in this country in living memory, you are struggling to find inspiration and positivity my advice would be not to look to those who run our country – you won’t find it there.  Instead, look to the left of you and to the right of you.  Leaders are all around us quietly setting examples of conduct to inspire us all.

If you would like to speak to one of my inspirational colleagues then call us on 01926 954694 or email us at info@feldondunsmore.co.uk