Episode 14 - The Leadership one
THE INTEL
In this episode I speak to someone who, along with his Dad, took an Engineering business from the spare bedroom to being a leader in its field, employing nearly 40 staff, with 20,000sq ft of factory and contracts across the world. And if that wasn’t enough, he is also the former Chair of the Institute of Directors and someone who has a real passion for leadership and governance. Ian Dormer CBE is the Director of Rosh Engineering, he has been hugely supportive of the work I have done in the startup space and has held numerous board positions from the third and private sector.
Ian talks openly about trust and why you must trust those around you, about balance and why you need to have a break, about building a board and looking at the risk appetite of your business and the board itself. We also cover that leadership in a crisis and how dealing with COVID-19 is tough for many businesses but, we have faced crises in the past and dealing with them comes down to how the board and business are willing and adopt innovative approaches to problems they face. The lessons Ian shares are relatable and clearly given, this is an important listen for anyone in business, be you a startup or an established company. This episode is called ‘The Leadership one’ and that for me sums up who Ian is and in our chat, I hope this comes across.
THE INSIGHT
Governance - why it is important to help you grow your venture and how it is there to help define what directors can do, what the limits of what they can do are and how they can go about what they do.
Letting go - why it is so important for a founder to do, but why it is such a tough thing to actually do.
The long term - don’t look for the quick buck, the importance of a long term focus and vision.
Questioning - never be afraid to ask a stupid question.
THE PODCAST
THE HOST
Alex Mitchell hosts the GBU podcast. Alex is the Founder of a charity that has had an impact in 60+ countries, and he runs a business that works with the likes of the United Nations and Santander. Alex is also the Founder of the UK's fastest-growing network for scaleup businesses, and he is credited with creating a business community, within three years, that brings in over a £1million ($1.5million) membership revenue per annum from an annual marketing budget of £20 ($28)!
THE LINKS
You can connect to Ian, you can also follow him.
You can also follow Alex
THE THANKS
The GBU vlog is made possible by our awesome friends at What If Events and The Creative Roots