Alex Bishop: City needs inspiration from a new crop of talent

Jun 3 2008 By Alex Bishop

Birmingham is not short of inspiring leaders. Be it within the world of business, faith, culture and other social enterprises, Brum is certainly at the forefront in producing quality talent - the nominees for Inspiring Leader at Birmingham Future's BYPY Awards are testament to that fact.

Yet what is perhaps surprising is that the number of individuals who hold the real power within Brum, our decision and policy-makers, are in actuality relatively small in number. If we are to continue to thrive as a city, we need more potential leaders to step up to the plate and help drive the city forwards. My concern, I suppose, is that there appear to be fewer contenders willing to put themselves forward.

I am sure some of you may be able to think of many other reasons for this trend, but I wonder if for many, one of the main culprits is the changing culture of work and its impact on that all important work/life balance.

Due to our ever advancing technology, we are now increasingly operating within an environment where demands are expected to be met instantaneously and almost 24/7. Our pace of life is faster than ever and on top of juggling the day job and the necessities of life itself, we now have less time to spare than ever before.

It is therefore, understandable why so many are now reluctant to take on any extra activities that may result in yet more responsibilities and strain. It is believed by many (although I stress, not by me!) that the liabilities of sitting on a committee or becoming a board member now increasingly outweigh the assets. However, if this situation continues, I believe it will have a major impact on the future progression of our city as a whole.

This is why Birmingham Future and The Birmingham Post's highly controversial and provocative Power50 list published in July is, in my view, so significant. As demonstrated from last year (the first year it was published), the initiative caused quite a stir around Brum and the supplement fuelled city-wide debates. As preparation for year two is under way, we also note some considerable behind the scenes lobbying is also beginning!

Though part of its aim is to provoke discussion, at the core of Power50 is the desire to demonstrate to Birmingham that power and influence does not necessarily lie exclusively with the usual suspects who are currently steering the direction of our city, but that it can be found in all corners of the city. By recognising who these individuals are, we as a city can try to capture and encourage them to provide a little bit more of their time and commitment for the future advancement of Brum.

We also need to encourage our existing leaders to do all they can to support and develop the next generation of leaders.

Speaking to our city's young professionals, it is apparent that our younger workforce desperately craves mentoring and coaching from their more experienced counterparts, something Birmingham Future's mentoring scheme aims to address.

Investing time developing skills, passing on experience and knowledge will help the next generation realise their potential for the benefit of the city as a whole. Existing leaders also have a duty to act as role models both in terms of being generous with their time to develop young talent but also in terms of giving something back to the wider community.

The icing on the cake is that, by weaving this close-knit community of professionals working together to make the city even better, we can ensure that Birmingham will remain an attractive place to live and work, thus increasing our chances of retaining as well as attracting the skilled and the talented. This is especially vital, as we are fast approaching that time of the year again - when our universities unleash their graduates on the big wide world and they decide which city offers them the best prospects and opportunities.

* Alex Bishop is Chairman of Birmingham Future and Commercial Litigation Partner at Shoosmiths.