111

Maggie talks about herself and Ian

Ian and I can work really easily together. Now, that doesn’t mean we always get the best results. But, because we are similar, I’d say we complement each other, especially in our working style. Of course, it’s not always peaches and cream. When there are deadlines, Ian can drive me crazy. I mean he’s such a perfectionist. If a document doesn’t look absolutely perfect, he’ll sit up till midnight correcting the punctuation, even if it’s only a draft report for internal consumption. He can be really fastidious – especially about the appearance of things. But he’s able to produce consistent firstclass work. Though sometimes I wish he could be a bit more laid-back. But on balance

I think I prefer things that way round to….

Ian talks about himself and Stephen

Stephen is the easiest person in the world to get on with, but perhaps the most difficult in the team for me to work with. At a personal level we get on like a house on fire.

He’s excellent company, I suppose which is why he’s so popular. On a professional level, it can be tough-going.

So where do I see my strengths? Well, if I’m honest, I’d say that I am fairly competent and quite efficient. I like to get down to the job in hand and get a result. I’d say I’m an all-rounder. I can take on different types of projects – even the most routine ones – and get great satisfaction from them.

And Stephen’s strengths? Well, when we work together, he’s always interested in the human side, you know, the personalities behind the people. How they are going to jell or clash. He’s very sensitive about that sort of thing. That’s why he’s so good at sorting out personality clashes. In fact, I remember shortly after I joined there was a problem with …..

Unit 8 Leadership and international business styles

I – Interviewer, M S – Marjorie Scardino

I – Marjorie Scardino, you are leading one of the top companies in the UK, and you’ve been voted businesswoman of the year. What qualities do you need to run a large company effectively?

M S – Well, I think different companies probably require different qualities, but for me there are only a few simple qualities that cut across all requirements, and those are courage and imagination and empathy. And by empathy I mean, having the ability to put yourself in other people’s position and understand how they feel about situations and ideas.

I – Which business leaders do you admire and why?

M S - I think the best business leaders are probably ones we don’t know about, not the stars we read about in the newspapers. I think they are probably the ones who have had a great business idea and have seen it through to fruition. So the business leaders I most admire right now are those managers in Pearson who are achieving our goals of double-digit earnings growth.

I – What do business leaders actually do?

M S – My staff would probably say this was a really excellent question they ask themselves every day! I think what they do is just what I’ve said the business

112

leaders I admire do. They create a business idea, and they see it through. I – As a leader, how do you motivate your employees?

M S - I’d like to think we motivate each other. I think my job is to make sure the company has a purpose, because I think people like to work for a company that has a reason for being, that they can identify with and feel good about. I think that I have to communicate well to them everything that is going on – and everything that I’m trying to do – in a clear way. And then in return I think they inspire me to think more adventurously and to think more carefully about how to stimulate them and how to build a better business. So, it’s a sort of a circular operation.

I – Do you think leaders are born or made?

M S – I think it’s probably a bit of both. All human beings are obviously born with certain qualities, and certain genetic traits. But I’ve seen so many people in my life who have, using those basic qualities, re-invented themselves several times as they’ve gone into new situations. You know, you’re a certain kind of person when you are in school, and your friends know who you are, and you get slotted in. And then as you grow up you go into new situations and become the great business leaders of your time. So I would have to say, mostly it’s made, but you have to use what you are born with.