Leadership Stories 2019
Jack Kelleher, Managing Director for JDK Cleaning
How have your life experiences helped make you the leader you are today?
Having run a business only to fail due to circumstances beyond my control made me realise that, to succeed and become a good leader, I needed to take control of my career and development myself. Having started JDK Cleaning with a rented KA and a few flyers to become one of the region’s leading commercial cleaning companies is testament to this approach, making me a forward-thinking and innovative leader.
What have been your proudest moments since taking up your leadership role with JDK Cleaning?
Achieving Employer Exemplar Status with Chwarae Teg and health and safety accreditations (CHAS/Constructionline) were turning points in the development of JDK Cleaning. The former in recognition of my commitment to employees and the latter enabling us to tender for larger, construction contracts. This has also resulted in JDK Cleaning being the preferred commercial cleaning contractor for a number of prominent regional and national construction companies including Kier, Hale and Morganstone.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these times and from working with your colleagues? Five years ago, wanting to take JDK Cleaning to the next level, I enrolled on the Swansea University Lead Wales programme. I knew that I needed to develop my leadership skills to achieve my goals and ambitions and the Lead Wales course enabled me to do this, making me a better employer. I also learned the importance of communicating my vision and methods of achieving goals to the rest of my team.
Tell us about a time or two when you have had to display courage in your leadership role
I started JDK Cleaning with a rented KA and some flyers. I gained cleaning contracts on Wind Street whilst working in Aspers Casino, working 7 pm to 11 am most days. As my client-base grew, I realised I had the potential for a successful business and made the decision to quit Aspers and set up JDK Cleaning. Having failed in a business already, this took courage and foresight, but I knew my destiny as in my own hands.
What do you think are the biggest leadership issues facing us in Wales in 2019?
The age old issues of time, recruitment of good staff and cashflow. You can’t lead effectively if you are too wrapped up in the business and become time poor; without the right team behind you, sharing and being a part of your vision: or if you are constantly struggling with the day to day funding of your business. Unfortunately, the uncertainty that still remains around Brexit is having an impact on many UK industries and this in turn is impacting on suppliers too.
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
I really admire Rachael Flanagan of Mrs Bucket Cleaning Services. We come from the same village and neither of us were successful academically. She has been a leading force in the commercial cleaning industry in Wales and I often listen to her podcasts which are really helpful and pertinent to my business.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Courage
Ceri Rundle, Director/Founder, CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds
How have your life experiences helped make you the leader you are today?
Brought up on a small hill farm in North Wales, farming and sheepdog trialling shaped my life. We had to work hard. Our neighbours – a family of 12 had no water or electricity. Seeing their hardship affected my outlook on life. Busy organising events on the farm, it was a natural progression to run my own business. I was used to tight deadlines and organising people to work together.
What have been your proudest moments since taking up your leadership role with CSJ specialist foods?
Main sponsor at World Trials, 2008 – my dad won the International Sheep Dog Society Lifetime award
- Each dog we help solve long-term skin/digestive problems
- Watching our products fuel champions
- 1st dog food company website
- 1st working dog food company
- Seeing all pallets on a delivery truck were CSJ!
- Creating YouTube international sheepdog trial film series
- Respected champions rely on our products/advice
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these times and from working with your colleagues?
- Empower
- Be straightforward
- Show we care
- Share our passion
- Ask for help
- Use humour
- Reward loyalty
- Trust
- Don’t follow the norm
- Be confident
- Be open
- Understand other’s views
- Learn from the best
- Trust our knowledge
- Be willing to ‘walk away’
- Aim for quality
- A dog can’t lie
- Be brave
- Embrace change
Tell us about a time or two when you have had to display courage in your leadership role
In 2010, I developed a pituitary tumour and sarcoidosis and was bed ridden for 3 months. In 2013, the tumour was removed, my Dad died, and my Mum suffered dementia. We could have sold the business, but my team rallied, and I was determined. I ran the business from bed, Phil took care of everyday business needs, the dogs and farm. My health returned and I drove the business ahead.
What do you think are the biggest leadership issues facing us in Wales in 2019?
I would sum it up as ‘uncertainty’ – caused by BREXIT. Will we leave? With/without a deal? What will the deal ‘cover’? If we don’t leave…? Will there be a change of government? How can businesses plan a course of action? How do we help high street businesses survive increasing business rates while internet shopping grows? Do we tax online shops? Remove ‘Free shipping’ to help cut deliveries and traffic congestion?
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
- Tanni Grey-Thompson – inspirational
- Gareth Thomas – brave
- Menna Roberts – entrepreneur
- Glyn Jones (dad) – helped me:
- compete – regardless of gender
- nurture skills
- voice opinions
- get people ‘on-side’
- handle failure
- raise standards
- strive to win
- fight for ‘right’
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Empower: We are such a small team and we have the farm to run at the same time as CSJ so we need our staff to have the confidence (and knowledge/skills) to make decisions to ensure the smooth running of the business. They won’t always make the right decision but until we see the result, they won’t know if it is right or wrong. We learn from it either way.
Jenny Scourfield, Operations Manager, DataKom Ltd
How have your life experiences helped make you the leader you are today?
Joining Tesco as a Store Manager Graduate propelled me into Management at a young age. It exposed me to various management challenges such as having a team who were older and more experienced in comparison to myself. To overcome this, I worked alongside the team, empowered them to develop themselves and gained their trust. I always use this philosophy as it allows individuals to grow and in turn benefits the company.
What have been your proudest moments since taking up your leadership role with DataKom?
Managing the Finance Team successfully. I was nervous taking on this challenge as I hadn’t worked in Finance before and the Team were feeling deflated with their previous Manager leaving. Through determination, listening to my team and empowering them, I have seen the individuals flourish, I am succeeding in a new role and I have gained their trust. Your team are your best indication of your success.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these times and from working with your colleagues?
It is humbling to admit you don’t know everything and there are people around you that have the knowledge. By working with team members, you are gaining knowledge and are empowering individuals to progress themselves and their careers. Teamwork is important. I ensure I wouldn’t ask anyone to do something that I wouldn’t do. I work alongside them, so they know I work with them not above them.
Tell us about a time or two when you have had to display courage in your leadership role
Letting someone go is never an easy task and I was faced with this situation within the first few weeks at DataKom. I conducted a disciplinary with a long-standing member of the team. This was going to cause friction between the rest of the team and myself. I ensured I worked on building relationships with the rest of the team, so they didn’t allow this situation to cloud their judgement. Working together is key.
What do you think are the biggest leadership issues facing us in Wales in 2019?
Companies always battle with investing in people vs the cost. Companies need to achieve their financial targets and with the ever-rising costs and pressures they can forget to invest in their people. If you nurture and invest in the talent within your company, you will see the benefits over the financial impact. You will see improvements within your teams which in turn benefits the company by aiding its growth.
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
I am inspired by Vivienne Buckley – Bridgend Collage. Viv was my course leader in Gorseinon Collage years ago. Viv demonstrated then how important people are and how we can work together to bring out the best in each other. Viv demonstrates women can develop themselves and have a fantastic career.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Values
Richard Selby, Director and co-founder, Pro Steel Engineering
How have your life experiences helped make you the leader you are today?
I lost my way aged 16, flunked my A-levels and scraped my way through university. I could easily have taken a different path, but my parents were role models who set the standards and expectations I knew I needed to achieve.
Having a young family, mortgage, no savings and giving up a well-paid job aren’t normal ingredients to starting a business, but I had belief in delivering solutions for clients.
What have been your proudest moments since taking up your leadership role with XYZ organisation?
I co-founded Pro Steel with nothing and created something. To reflect on the past seven years and note the prestigious contracts we’ve won, the manufacturing facilities we’ve built and the high-quality team of people we’ve surrounded ourselves with is hard to believe sometimes. It’s easy to keep looking forward but it’s equally as important to take small moments and soak it all in and not take anything for granted.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these times and from working with your colleagues?
The past seven years haven’t been easy, but I couldn’t have done it single-handedly. Collaboration is key. I’ve had to work hard on maintaining an open mind and exploring new ideas by working with colleagues on shared goals and also working with other sectors to work outside of silos to maximise economic output. Anything is possible with the right determination and is something I widely encourage within the organisation.
Tell us about a time or two when you have had to display courage in your leadership role
When a client failed to pay, we went through legal procedures to get it sorted and I took no personal income for six months.
A second example involved a tender process lasting 18 months that asked us to price the project seven times. I was concerned the client was using us to price-check the competition, but I went with my gut and this client is now our largest customer.
What do you think are the biggest leadership issues facing us in Wales in 2019?
As we go through The Fourth Industrial Revolution, our companies’ leaders need to think more creatively about what they offer and how to maximise their presence in order to serve markets of the future. For example, we used to build stadiums and now we manufacture steelwork for automated warehousing so we need to constantly be thinking how our processes will change with the increase in artificial intelligence and technology adaptations.
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
Following his role as Permanent Secretary for the Welsh Government, Sir Derek Jones has become Chair of The Prince’s Trust Wales and Chair of Keolis UK. Sir Derek is not loud or outspoken but is considered, thorough and intelligent. His ability to command attention without the stereotypical attributes is welcomed.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Resolute
