Service lies at the heart of business. This truth has long been acknowledged and celebrated. Indeed, Peter Drucker said that creating a customer was the function of business. In the 1980s the customer service movement was loudly hailed by the likes of Tom Peters and Philip Crosby. SAS's Jan Carlson talked of moments of truth, the times when customers came to face-to-face with frontline staff.... Continue Reading

For followers, stats are an essential lubricant of many sports. People attend cricket test matches and fill in their own score books with an array of different coloured pens. Cricket’s annual bible, Wisden’s Cricket Almanac, comes complete with the averages of all the players as well as score sheets from all last year’s games. For aficionados it is essential reading. To discover that Kevin Pietersen’s average is 50.48 in test matches yet only 49.93 in first class matches is important.... Continue Reading

Sport is a crucible of leadership. Walking out to play at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, and you will be faced with an average of 75,110 faces. Unless you are wearing the red of the home team, you are unlikely to be given a friendly reception. Sport gives leaders a moment to decide, a choice of clear paths and sporting leaders – from Joe Montana to Tom Brady of the New England Patriots; Sir Bobby Charlton to John Terry; Douglas Jardine to Andrew Strauss – are celebrated and examined from every angle. But perhaps the greatest sporting leadership story of all time features a politician: Nelson Mandela.... Continue Reading

Leaders have a very poor track record of leaving office with good grace and their reputations intact. In politics, think of Mrs Thatcher’s departure.... Continue Reading