What qualities define a good leader?
The main thing for a leader is to be able to empathise with everyone you work with, to see everybody’s perspective. You need to be inclusive rather than exclusive. You have to be able to listen to the people around you and accept their input. At the same time you need to have a firm hand and strike the right balance. You have to be able to make decisions and stick to them, to take responsibility. And be able to learn from your mistakes. If we didn’t have leaders we wouldn’t have any direction, we wouldn’t make any progress. What’s involved in Macra’s Leadership Training Programme, and how have you benefited from it? Participation in Macra is hugely rewarding – it’s really great for developing your skills. For example, if you’re involved in capers [a 15-20 minute variety show that includes singing, dancing and comedy and involves months of preparation], you’ll be working with 15 or 20 people – so you have to acquire team work skills. Macra is all about personal development, team work, a
