Listening 2
Unit 2
I - interviewer; RB - Rachel Babington
I: What do you think makes a great leader as opposed to a great manager, because they're quite different things, aren't they?
RB: I think I've worked in a lot of places where a lot of senior people haven't really been leaders, they've been managers, and I think I'd say probably a ... a good leader has vision and can see how to develop and take things forward and is inspirational. Really, a manager, I think, is more about the implementation of that vision, and I think too many people who are in leadership roles get bogged down with the nitty-gritty management side, which is probably not what they should be doing, but I suppose it takes a strong leader and a confident one who believes in their team to take a step back, um, and I think really they should. I don't think they should be too hands-on.
I: Can you describe a bad leader to me?
RB: I think someone who ... has a team of quite experienced, good people who won't give them the space to get on and do their job and is overbearing and involved, um, and doesn't take a step back and give ... give people the responsibility to get on with their role, and I suppose who doesn't give a person room to grow and the opportunity to develop their career, because I think that happens a lot, that you just are expected to tick along and not expect anything back from your job. Whereas if you're good at it and reasonably ambitious, you want to know you're going somewhere.