Writing in this morning’s Financial Times, Lucy Kellaway states that ‘Leadership jobs are now so hellish, involve so much travel, so much aggro and so much public failure, that one might think the only sensible response is to swallow handfuls of pills.’ Well, I know my job is not quite at the sort of level she had in mind but, nevertheless, I beg to differ. Pace Anthony Powell’s Widmerpool, most leaders do not get to the top by chance. And it is certainly not luck that allows them to stay. As they rise, or as they stay, they either develop strategies to deal with the stresses and strains or they positively thrive on the pressure. Stamina and resistance to stress are two essential elements in any modern leader’s toolkit. Maybe Kellaway is referring to those who reach the top ill-equipped…
Leave a Reply