As businesses across the country face up to the current economic situation, former managing director of Vetcel speaks to The Leaders Council about the benefits of a military background in leadership. Meanwhile the government has abandoned plans for tailored shielding for the over-50s.
Leadership in Focus
Following a career in HM Forces, Chris Bainton joined the Veterinary Drug Company, a wholesale firm based in York, North Yorkshire. He accepted an invitation in 1984 to become Vetcel’s managing director and has been with the group ever since. Bainton stood down as MD in 2019, though his expertise remains invaluable. In 2020, Bainton spoke with The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland about how his background informed his leadership style.
Bainton said: “My military career first introduced me to the concept of leadership. The idea that one is probably a born leader is a misnomer unless you are an exception.”
For Bainton, leadership has been informed by his time in the forces. He notes: “I was lucky in my career – I met a good number of people who were positive leaders and positive influences to me.” The importance of role models is integral to understanding Bainton’s leadership style, and has enabled him to succeed in the role for over three decades.
Bainton concludes: “For me, leadership has been a case of identifying those people who would take us in a direction that I was comfortable to go.”
It is clear that both Bainton’s words and his work will provide inspiration to those across the country.
Leadership Today
Plans to extend shielding to some over-50s have been dropped following a backlash from Cabinet ministers.
Ministers warned that telling those over 50 to remain at home was both impractical and contradictory, as the government hopes to get workers back in the office.
Iain Duncan Smith warned that the plan was “economic madness” and would only serve to deprive businesses of experienced workers as the country prepares to enter into an economic recession.
One minister said of the proposal: ““It would be incredibly difficult to do it. How would you identify people? How would you start grading them? Even if you were able to work out the practicalities, how would you enforce it?”
Another noted: “There is a broader message about mixed messaging. Today is meant to be the first day of office based people being encouraged to go back to work and the fact that you are having a contradictory announcement is not a good idea.”
Elsewhere, ministers have announced that schools will reopen “in full” this autumn, despite a Lancet study indicating that this could cause a second wave more than twice the size of the first.
Simon Clarke, the minister for regional growth, has said: "One thing is clear - schools are going to reopen in full in autumn. That is not up for debate."
He continued: "There is nothing gung ho about getting schools back. There is little doubt about the major damage it does to children's education not to be [in the classroom]. It’s disrupted every child’s education."
The government has indicated they may close pubs in order to reopen schools.
Leadership in History
Today marks the anniversary of the invention of Champagne by Dom Pérignon. A French Bedictine monk residing in the Abbey of Hautvillers, Pérignon was widely attributed with the line “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars” more recently found to be from a late 19th century print advertisement.
His creation demonstrates that leadership can come from the most unexpected of places.
