...but not as much as attributes

This is much more than just a matter of job titles, regardless of whether or not they have the label of ‘leader’ within them.

Place’s six-year research process, working with such exceptional leaders as Steve McGuckin at Land Securities, Ben Cameron at the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Guy Jackson at Urban Splash and Peter Madden of EC Harris, has shown that people with the right combination of the key attributes will make the sort of leaders who will achieve real profits and value-for-money projects for their organisations, create high-profile career paths for themselves and deliver projects that are finished to the highest possible standard, on time and within budget.

In developing the Place programme it became ever clearer to me that it is not titles that deliver projects, but that often illusive mix of attributes that make up real ‘leadership’. These include panoramic perception, commercial acumen, and realism. Yes, titles have a place as they are a visible symbol and provide clarity of responsibility and a level of expectation. But they are not a guarantee of delivery.

Prudence Clarke