Jane will be leaving Blackpool Transport in May as she feels “it’s time for somebody new to come in”.
Her career is set to take a different track. She says: “I’d like to continue being a non-executive director and spend more time being a coach and mentor. I also want to engage with the industry at a strategic level.”
Jane was a founder member of the new Lancashire Combined County Authority Business Board and she believes it is an exciting time for the area.
She adds: “Lancashire is buzzing and is really going places. I think we’ve got a great foundation now and we’ve got some great leaders and passion and enthusiasm.”
Professor Steve Kempster
CREATING A SENSE OF PURPOSE
JANE’S TAKE ON LEADERSHIP
What do you think makes a good leader?
A good leader is someone who can influence through clarity and coordination. Clearly articulating a compelling vision and acting ethically and transparently sets a strong moral compass for a team. As a female leader I believe that staying true to yourself reflects your personal values, beliefs and strengths, rather than copying other styles and ideas.
Which leaders have inspired you and why?
Richard Branson. I worked as part of the Virgin Trains senior management team for 17 years and he is a people- centric person which I strongly relate to, and he has a trust-based approach. He empowers employees to take a risk and he is a great advocator for encouraging innovation through test and learn. This approach stood me in good stead when I became the MD for Blackpool Transport, as I was able to pass on these skills to my team.
What qualities does a leader need?
A leader needs to have the ability to really care about their own personal health and well-being and be fit for purpose every day. The person who gets up and shows up is the person who is the role model and ambassador for the business and brand. We have our private life away from the public but our most significant life as a leader is when we set and act on goals that are connected to principles and conscience.
Professor Steve Kempster is on a mission. He is looking to reshape business leadership around the concept of what he calls ‘good growth’.
The respected Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) leadership expert has decades of experience helping those at the helm of companies develop ‘purpose-led business’ plans.
To that end he has co-authored a new book: Realising Good Growth: A Practical Guide for Business Leaders.
He describes it as a “practical guidebook for leaders” and adds: “It shows how profit supports the journey rather than defines it, and how this can lead to competitive advantage, top talent, enhanced innovation and stronger returns.”
The Emeritus Professor at LUMS has concentrated on research dedicated to
and where employees have a deep sense of engagement and ownership.
It involves a more sustainable strategy which enhances relationships with partners, suppliers, customers, employees, and communities.
Getting that right has a myriad of positive outcomes – from enhanced brand value and reputation to a committed and invested workforce.
Prof Kempster says it involves “reshaping business leadership around purpose and responsibility, to enable people to flourish.”
He adds: “The real prize is enriching lives and enabling humanity to flourish. True success is measured by the future we create for all.”
The book was launched at a special event in Cheltenham, attended by more than 100 businesses, most of which have been impacted by his approach.
The real prize is enriching lives and enabling
humanity to flourish. True success is measured by the future we create for all
businesses “doing the right thing” socially and environmentally, which he says makes a direct difference to companies’ bottom lines.
Prof Kempster, who ran his own property business before moving into the academic world, says: “Good growth is about increasing turnover and profit but doing this in a sustainable way.”
It means leaders taking a different approach, where the purpose of a business isn’t narrowly defined by the bottom line or shareholder dividends – important thought they are.
The agenda of Good Growth aims to create organisations that look to deliver social value
Business leaders who have engaged on programmes informed by Prof Kempster’s work report considerable impact.
Drawing on the Good Dividends principles and embedding them in culture and strategy resulted in “transformational” improvements for a kitchen manufacturing business in Gloucester, with the business going from revenue of £11m in 2019/20 to £22m in 2024/5.
Speaking at the launch Andy Barham, managing director of Premier Kitchens, said: “It has given us the ability to create an engaged workforce and instil purpose into what we do.”
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