Monday 9 February 2009

Leadership

A text message comes through to my phone from Ian the Station Officer ….

‘The Coastguard Rescue Station at Peveril Point has now closed after 167 years of service…


For a brief moment I felt quiet sad. I know team member Eric who missed the opening as he was snow-bound at Dublin airport felt the same; all other team members too! But then I sat and thought about the opportunities that the new station will bring to the team. At this point I sent a text back to Ian saying he should be proud of what he had achieved over the last 6 years.

Within a minute I receive one back from Ian, gracious as ever saying, ‘Thanks, but it was a team job, well done all round’.

Yes I suppose it was a team job everyone from the MCA, the architects, construction guys, Swanage Town Council etc. etc. But the whole process would not have happened without Ian’s management skills …no wait …leadership skills.

I genuinely think that without his quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) persistence, the building simply would not have happened. To thank him the team bought him a little present.


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