As businesses respond to the current economic situation, vice-president of Rigid Haulers spoke with The Leaders Council about the importance of transparency in business. Meanwhile the leader of the Scottish Conservatives resigns from the post.
Leadership in Focus
With over 14,000 employees, Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the largest companies in the construction sector, offering products in over 140 countries. Vice president of Rigid Haulers, an arm of Volvo Construction Equipment, Paul Douglas spoke with The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland about tackling the Covid crisis.
Douglas noted that: “You have to be very open and honest with your team.”
The team that Douglas oversees has worked hard to respond to the pandemic, volunteering across the world to provide PPE in order to combat the spread of the virus.
In spite of the pandemic, Douglas notes: “There are still things we can achieve – we still have customers out there, we still have shareholders and stakeholders for our businesses, so we need to continue to support and continue to communicate.”
He concludes that in order to be the best leader: “You have to be very open and honest with your team.”
It is clear that the work of Douglas and his team, both during the pandemic, and out with it, is inspiring to leaders across the country.
Leadership Today
Jackson Carlaw, leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party has resigned from his post, after only six months in the job.
In a statement released yesterday, Carlaw stated that: "In the last few weeks, I have reached a simple if painful conclusion - that I am not, in the present circumstances, the person best placed to lead that case over these next vital months in Scottish politics prior to the Holyrood elections."
His resignation has left room for speculation as to who will succeed him, with Douglas Ross an immediate frontrunner for the position.
Carlaw concluded that, in spite of his resignation, he would continue to "unequivocally speak up for all those Scots who do not want to go back to more division, but instead want our country to move on, as part of the United Kingdom, able to rise to the challenges of the future".
Meanwhile, the government have come under fire for the timing of their localised lockdown in the north of England.
The partial lockdown, announced yesterday evening, came into effect at midnight. Health secretary, Matt Hancock, said that “We are constantly looking at the latest data on the spread of coronavirus, and unfortunately we’ve seen an increasing rate of transmission in parts of Northern England.
“We’ve been working with local leaders across the region, and today I chaired a meeting of the Local Action Gold Committee. Based on the data, we decided that in Greater Manchester, parts of West Yorkshire and East Lancashire we need to take immediate action to keep people safe.
"The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing.
“So from midnight tonight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas.”
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, has welcomed the restrictions.
Leadership in History
Almost 250 years ago today, Robbie Burns’ "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish dialect" was published under John Wilson in Kilmarnock.
Burns’ poetry has gone on to become the national poet of Scotland, and his work is honoured on Burns Night in mid-January.
