I left Rearsby in July 1996. Not with sadness, but with some considerable satisfaction.
I took the company through continuous, unending and unrelenting change for 17 years. Now I know this wasn’t to everyone’s liking, I was fully aware of the general discomfort. Many naturally found change uncomfortable and unsettling. It’s much easier not to change. It’s easier to change less and over a longer period. Change signals hard work, entering an unfamiliar future. A few didn’t stay the course. Some left of their own volition, others were changed. The hardest edge was, ‘change or be ex-changed’. This applied to all of us, including myself. Equally to Rearsby as a business and to the UK motor industry. This is the real world, not the one we would all readily choose, indeed many would prefer.
Leading a company isn’t a democracy viz. taking votes on all matters. Avoiding going through the pain of change is the easiest course. However, I was certain this would lead to Rearsby withering away, along with all the jobs. I took the firm view we had to change faster than our competitors. This spurred me on. The role of a leader (also the coach) is not necessarily to see the same world (the game) as his team does. The leader must see whole world in which the business operates, prospers or fails. The leader has the highest vantage point. The role of the leader is to see the challenges and opportunities, set agreed goals with his top team, jointly devise strategies and make plans with measures to achieve those goals.
Nor is the leader partaking in a popularity contest. I learned aged 20, from George Ward, Industrial relations Manager at the Austin, “You can’t be liked by all of the people, all of the time.” You just can’t.
George gave me an early insight into leadership. The key is to surround oneself with the best people and to be able to take the majority along with you. The remainder will follow.
Rearsby Automotive - my judgment - a job well done.
What a journey. What a ride!