Future Proof
ROSALEEN BLAIR ON BEING
AN ENTREPRENEUR
Is entrepreneurialism down to nature or nurture?
It’s probably a mixture of both. You can become anything
if you set your mind to it, but certain traits are inherently
entrepreneurial: I think you must be resilient, you need
to have tenacity, you need to have a talent for what you
do. I think it’s important to be able to inspire and bring
the right people on board to go on the journey with you.
Who is your personal role model?
I’ve taken lots of things from lots of different people at
different stages of my career. If you’re going to grow as
an individual, having different role models for different
times in your journey is important.
Is it still possible to be an entrepreneur in a
VUCA world?
You can be global overnight, almost, if you leverage
technology appropriately today. The opportunity to build
and scale something is so much more within people’s
grasp than it ever was before. Also the ability to access
information and to absorb and learn quickly; it’s at your
fingertips, it’s accessible to anyone.
What is your advice to budding entrepreneurs?
If you believe in something and you’re passionate about it,
don’t let anyone stop you getting there. However, balance
that with being honest with yourself about what could go
wrong. There is a big difference between having knock-
backs, but knowing it’s right and eventually getting there,
and your idea being wrong in the first place and ignoring
everything around you; you’re better off shelving it and
going on to find the next thing.
How do you cultivate resilience?
I always say to my guys “you’re probably not trying hard
enough if you’re not making the odd mistake”. You have
to be willing to take calculated risks; to push yourself and
your boundaries; to think outside the box. If you haven’t
got those traits, you’re not an entrepreneur.
Who would you invest in?
I will invest in an entrepreneurial idea that’s a 5 or 6 out
of 10, if the person’s a 9 out of 10 – rather than the other
way round. To me it’s everything about the individual, and
whether they have the ability to go all the way with it.
“Entrepreneurs grow companies,
but they can also kill companies”
“take advantage of anything that comes out of Brexit”
and to share diverse expertise with clients.
“Because we operate across sectors, geographies and
service lines, we have a deep service offering, rich centre
diversification and a strong geographic footprint. It means
we’re well-placed to share that knowledge across clients;
clients can learn from other people operating in different
sectors. Equally, we can take our lead from different
geographies. The knowledge we’ve developed over the past
21 years is hugely valuable to us, in terms of how we think
about managing through change, but also for us to support
our clients in managing change.”
For Alexander Mann Solutions, agility and staying one
step ahead of the game lies at the heart of success. Internal
knowledge exchange is celebrated and business intelligence
embedded in its culture. “Entrepreneurs grow companies,
but they can also kill companies,” says Blair. “I’ve been
mindful of always making sure we’re hiring people we’re
going to grow into as a business. We’re constantly trying to
see round corners and challenge ourselves to grow.”
Emerging roles
One problem she foresees for business is the failure of
educators to equip future employees for new roles and
technology. While some jobs will become obsolete, it is
inevitable that others will emerge.
“I think educators are being left behind in terms of
ensuring that the next generation of talent coming through
is being appropriately educated to operate in this space,”
she warns. “There are so many subjects that are not going to
have the same place in the future we’re entering; there are
also many more things that need to be on the curriculum.”
She makes specific reference to emotional intelligence,
resilience and the ability to ‘detox from technology’,
highlighting the need to create space for people to think and
to be creative. Her enthusiasm for apprenticeships is clear
and her belief in diversity – particularly inclusion – tangible.
“There’s an obligation on companies to think about the
various communities inside their workforce,” argues Blair.
“We employ a diverse workforce, which has different needs
– whether its millennials, parents or carers – and we need to
create an environment that provides room for those needs
to be catered for in a way that doesn’t disadvantage others.
“I think the most successful companies in the future
will be those that create opportunities for people to bring
their whole selves to work: you’ll have more motivated and
inspired staff, you’ll lower attrition, you’ll solve so many of
the issues that companies have if you can get that right.”
Retaining staff involves embracing flexible working,
providing a sense of purpose and ensuring there are ongoing
opportunities for people, Blair believes.
“In my experience, the number one thing is creating
development opportunities; there’s no such thing now
as a job for life, but why can’t people work for a company
for a period and do 7, 10 or 12 different jobs to experience
Issue 1 - 2017
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