THE LEADERSHIP VOID

Whilst the UK took for granted ten years of almost uninterrupted economic plenty up until the unprecedented credit crunch and downturn of last year, few realised at the time that it was the confidence of strong and visible leadership that was underpinning our vibrant economy.

There were many things to hold against Tony Blair during his years as Prime Minister but leadership was not one of them.

Whether we agreed with or liked what he had to say or not, he could lead.

Many say that it was the only thing he was brilliant at but let’s make no mistake; it was due in no small measure to his optimism, vision and deft communication that the nation enjoyed this decade of prosperity.

He energised a nation away from inward-looking trade unions, industrial strife and dependency on the welfare state and picked up Margaret Thatcher’s baton of independence, self-sufficiency and free market policies.

Everyone wanted to invest in the UK.

From Abbey National, BAA and the London Stock Exchange to Jaguar Land Rover, Manchester United and O2, huge swathes of UK PLC have been sold over the last ten years to foreign investors.

But this was vital to Blair’s vision to make London the financial capital of the world and the results were there for everyone to see. The money never stopped pouring in as deals, deals and more deals were conducted at breathtaking speed with “light-touch regulation”.

Put quite simply, it was easier buying a business in Britain than in the US, Europe or any other Western economy.

This was wealth creation at its finest and even when there were hiccups along the way, Tony Blair was there to reassure us and tell us that everything would be fine.

And the ugly truth of the matter is that even when we didn’t agree with what was going on, we would look in our wallets or check our bank balances and everything would seem fine once again.

When the media were screaming for his head over the invasion of Iraq, the business community kept their heads down and said little; it marked the beginning of the tension between ideology and prosperity that we are feeling even more markedly now.

Because now there is a leadership void.

With Barack Obama filling that void and offering a new vision of the future for the US, it is imperative that Britain and Europe do the same. There is a leadership crisis and whenever there is an issue surrounding leadership you must go back to the last time it was right to fix it again for the future.

In the UK it wasn't that long ago at all.

During New Labour’s first two successful terms in charge we benefited from the dream team; the visionary, optimistic and clear communicator Blair leading the country and the solemn, taciturn and pragmatic Brown in charge of the treasury.

Brown was a great foil for the more risk-embracing Blair, as were the big hitters that made up the rest of the cabinet. From Robin Cook and Charles Clarke to Peter Mandelson and David Blunkett, all had their own ideas and were difficult to manage but easy to lead.

Times have changed considerably.

It is inconceivable that anyone who knows anything about leadership would have considered Gordon Brown as THE candidate for Prime Minister from such a collection of individuals and most now know that if Brown had gone to the nation in his early days for a vote then he would have failed miserably.

We are victims of a lack of democracy, as are many of our businesses. If you are ever in any doubt as to someone’s leadership qualities then put it to the workforce or nation; they will know what they need.

Tony Blair had an entrepreneurial spirit but Gordon Brown doesn’t. Therefore the outlook for entrepreneurs in 2009 remains bleak, for as long as Brown and Darling remain in charge of the economic direction.

With the business community screaming out for help at the end of 2008 they took the unbelievable decision to cut the VAT rate. It was ham-fisted, short sighted and reinforced once more the feeling that nobody in the cabinet “gets” business.

The lifeblood of any Western economy comes in the form of SMEs and entrepreneurs, and without suitable lending and overdrafts from the banks these companies and individuals simply freeze. The government has failed to act with any form of leadership or authority to get this situation to change and still the effects of the credit crunch loom over us for the New Year.

Darwinian forces always apply in business and we need entrepreneurs to not only create wealth but take the bull by the horns and act whilst the government continues to blunder.

Perhaps it’s time for entrepreneurs to help entrepreneurs.

We had a great experience at the Inspired Leaders Network last year when Brad Rosser, former right hand man to Sir Richard Branson and renowned business builder, was interviewed at one of our sessions.

At the end of the evening four or five budding entrepreneurs swamped Brad with their ideas. He has since gone on to become Chairman and shareholder for at least one of them and they are blossoming with his help; having shunned more conventional methods to expand in the downturn.

It is a model we must continue to adapt.

The “big hitters” such as Sir Richard Branson, Sir Tom Hunter and Sir Philip Green have been laying down this framework for years and are now as much renowned for investing in new projects as they are for their work with their own organisations and with it wealth creation can continue to flourish whilst governments stall.

And the best part of all?

The actual money invested is just one part of the process. The expertise and confidence that “big hitters” bring to those with the new ideas means these embryonic businesses are given the insights and wisdom that investment alone never brings.

Money is invested to create more money and more jobs and success stories inspire others to follow the lead.

After all, success breeds success.

Perhaps it’s a lesson our government should heed.