Judith Doyle, Gateshead College Principal and CEO, discusses the importance of strong and effective leadership in North East businessesÉJudith Doyle knows a thing or two about leadership. As principal and CEO of Gateshead College, one of only a few in the country to be rated "outstanding" by Ofsted, she has guided the organisation through a period of great change with the aim of helping students to become the most highly prized in the jobs market.
The fact that the college is widely viewed as a top vocational training provider is proof of Judith’s strong leadership, with companies across a range of sectors now benefiting from talented students with the skills, attitude and attributes to make a positive difference to their business from day one of their employment.
Typically, however, she is quick to heap praise on her capable team of staff who share the values and ethos that she has instilled at the college since stepping into her current role in 2013.
She says: “A good leader will make his or her staff feel involved and able to play a part in shaping the organisation’s future success. At Gateshead College, our management team ensures that everyone knows what their role is and how it fits with the wider goals of the business.
“We want staff at all levels within the business to demonstrate our core values which include excellence, positivity and respect for others as we all work towards the goal of ensuring our students have that all-important ’employment edge’.
“In many respects, the CEO role is quite a generic one in that you need to demonstrate the same key attributes, regardless of the sector in which you operate. It’s vitally important to carry out the job with passion and purpose, whether you’re leading a growing engineering firm or a successful further education college. The people who work for you want to see that enthusiasm and absorb it, but they also want to buy into a clearly defined vision with achievable end goals.
Several other attributes make for a good MD or CEO, including a willingness to embrace innovative ideas, empathetic listening skills and the tenacity to see a complex job through to its conclusion. A cheerful disposition and a good sense of humour are also a must.
Judith says: “On my office wall there’s a quote from the American writer Mark Twain. It says: ‘Humour is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all of our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.’
“I try to remember this on the most challenging days and I’ve encountered a few of those in my current role.”
Judith has become a high-profile figure in the business community, helping companies understand the implications of the new Apprenticeship Levy and sitting on boards and committees in high-profile organisations such as the North East England Chamber of Commerce, North East Local Enterprise Partnership and NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI).
Essentially, her willingness to be outward-facing and engage with the local community, businesses and policymakers has helped to boost the reputation of Gateshead College and transform it into the outstanding organisation it is today.
