‘Apprentice’ Star Helps Celebrate Leadership

Dr Sophie Kain from ‘The Apprentice’ joined financial and professional service businesses at a special ‘Leap into Leadership’ celebration on Leap Year Day which saw the culmination of MMU Business School’s Leadership & Management programme.

The ‘Leap into Leadership’ event celebrated the success of the Leadership & Management programme run by the Centre for Enterprise (CfE) at MMU Business School which was aimed at improving the competitiveness of small businesses in the financial and professional services sector (F&PS).

The project focused on helping 82 owners, senior partners or managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in this sector to gain leadership and management skills, which are essential to remain competitive in an increasingly global business environment for services.

Entrepreneurial advice

The event was held on 29 February at the Institute of Directors in Manchester, and was attended by over 100 delegates and partner organisations, including programme particpants. It included presentations on contemporary leadership issues, sharing good leadership practice, and networking with leaders and managers of financial and professional service businesses.

Speaking at the event where she gave entrepreneurial advice, Dr Sophie Kain said: “These are exciting times for SMEs. I learnt from The Apprentice that it can be easy to make money and to innovate. But you need to take a step back and look at your company. You have to know yourself – and ask are you driven, innovative, capable of change, patient, and good at failure? Do you believe in what you do and take every opportunity? Do you push yourself? Entrepreneurs and SMES are capable of rapid change, but they need to know their strengths and embrace their weaknesses in order to move forward.”

Benefits for SMEs

“Financial and professional service SMEs gained a number of benefits from the project,” explained Dr Clare Schofield, Senior Business Analyst in the Centre for Enterprise at MMU Business School. “We aimed to promote business growth and increase the competitiveness of the sector by developing leadership capabilities and competence, and helping them to analyse their businesses effectively.”

“The programme allowed busy owner-managers the opportunity to stand back and reflect on where to target investment and effort in order to achieve growth,” Clare added. “They could then focus on identifying opportunities for growing their businesses, as well recognising threats to business growth and competitiveness.”

Leading Edge Awards

A special feature of the event was the presentation of the Leading Edge Awards. These celebrated participants’ completion of the programme and aimed at sharing good practice in leadership and management, helping participants reflect on their achievements in the Leading Edge programme, and highlighting innovative leadership and management practice.

There were three awards categories for innovation, progress and growth. The award for Innovation or new practice due to taking part in the programme went to Pritesh Patel from Logicia based in Bolton. The award for Progress through the leading action and peer learning sessions went to Lisa Foster from Enovate Personnel Ltd based in Manchester. And the award for Growth in business as a result of participating in the programme  went to Mike McKeown of McKeown Harkinson Solicitors, also based in Manchester.

Programme success

The purpose of the awards was to share best practice and celebrate the participants’ learning and achievements. Many participants agreed that the programme had helped them develop their personal leadership and management skills as well as directly benefit their businesses.

Participant Alison Whelan of marketing and communications company AEW Consulting, based in city centre Manchester, said: “The Leadership & Management Programme has helped me think more long-term and to see how we can play to our strengths and build on our current work. It really has opened my eyes to the possibilities out there and to potential new markets. It’s also given me a belief to take my business in other directions and shout about what we do from the rooftops.”

To find out more about this project, contact: Dr. Clare Schofield on 0161 247 3896 or email: clare.schofield@mmu.ac.uk