Britain's Bosses Learn to Lead at an Early Age
Today's business leaders got their first taste of leadership long before they reached the workplace - on the school sports field, in the music room and even in the great outdoors. A survey of 500 UK business owners and managers by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) revealed that many were marked out as future leaders from an early age with 44 per cent having been school prefects, nine per cent head boys or girls and 22 per cent captains of a school sports team.
The sports field proved a valuable learning ground for today's leaders with 69 per cent having competed as part of a school team.
The survey also suggests that extra-curricular activities played a role in the development of future leaders. One third of male leaders (34 per cent) were once members of the Scouts while 42 per cent of their female counterparts were Girl Guides. Sixteen per cent were once members of the school choir and one in ten (11 per cent) played in the school orchestra.
Kim Parish, chief executive of ILM comments:
'This study shows that many young people learn about leadership at a very early age. Activities often seen as childhood hobbies - such as being a member of the Scouts or Guides, or playing on a school team - actually furnish young people with skills such as team ethos, ambition, goal setting and many of the other qualities that we associate with good leadership.'
Thirty per cent of business leaders felt that holding a position of responsibility at school was the most important indicator of a good future leader. And despite the social bias towards higher education, today's business leaders believe that academic qualifications aren't a prerequisite for success. One third (32 per cent) said that academic performance at school was the most overrated indicator of a good leader and only one third (32 per cent) left education with a university degree.
In fact, a significant proportion of today's leaders must owe their current role to experiences outside the classroom, as 12 per cent left school under the age of 16 and seven per cent had no qualifications at all when they left full time education.
Kim Parish adds:
'This study also shows that successful leaders draw on expertise and experience from all areas of their lives - from the exam hall to the cricket pitch. The leadership lessons learned in childhood can help sow the first seeds of leadership ambition.'
Peter Duncan, Chief Scout, welcomed the findings:
'It is great to see from the ILM research that Scouting has played a role in developing so many of today's leaders. Scouting is all about the development of young people to achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential through a mixture of fun, challenge and adventure. Skills learnt through being a Scout obviously pay dividends for those looking to take positions of leadership.'
Methodology
The research was undertaken by The Survey Shop between 19th and 30th March 2007. Anonymous telephone interviews were conducted with 502 business managers from companies with more than 50 employees across 10 business sectors (manufacturing, construction, retail, leisure, financial services, publishing & media, professional services, telecoms & IT, healthcare, public sector).
More information
For further information please contact Matt Adcock on 020 7294 3054 (office) or 07711 872753 (out of hours) / email: matt.adcock@i-l-m.com
Key statistics
- 44 per cent of today's leaders* were school prefects
- 9 per cent of today's leaders were head boy or head girl
- 22 per cent of today's leaders were captain of a school team
- 69 per cent of today's leaders played sport for a school team
- 34 per cent of today's male leaders were Boy Scouts
- 42 per cent of today's female leaders were Girl Guides
- 16 per cent of today's leaders were in the school choir
- 11 per cent of today's leaders were in the school orchestra
- 32 per cent of today's leaders believe that academic qualifications are the most overrated indicator of a good leader
- Only 32 per cent of today's leaders left education with a degree or equivalent qualification
- 12 per cent of today's leaders left school under the age of 16
- 7 per cent of today's leaders left school with no academic qualifications
*Business owners, managing directors, directors and senior managers in businesses with 50+ employees.