Being a man who would have great difficulty in leading the proverbial ‘thirsty horse to water’, I am aware that I am, and ever have been, bereft of leadership qualities. I realised this at a young age – or perhaps to be more accurate, others saw that I lacked the attributes necessary in one whose function and purpose was – and is – to be in charge.

At the time I was a member of the Army Cadet Corps at Tavistock Grammar School; by the age of 16 I had passed the exams necessary for promotion to NCO status; it never happened – not one stripe of rank adorned my khaki-hued sleeve; I had the dubious distinction of being by far the oldest ‘Private’ in the school force.

At the time I was somewhat miffed, but over the years I have realised that the officers in charge (all teachers) were totally correct in overlooking me for elevation in the military hierarchy.

As I’ve grown older – indeed, now old – I appreciate the fact that my failure to progress in life to positions of command has to me, being a man of little ambition, been in so many ways a plus rather than a minus; I was able, to a certain extent, to avoid the stresses and responsibilities in my long and varied working life knowing that such would fall principally upon the shoulders of those in senior positions. Granted, as an employee well down the ‘pecking order’ I would have to abide by the rules and decisions they made, but I knew that if I was unable to come to terms with such I was always free to leave and seek other employment – which I did on a few occasions.

My outlook when a local councillor was somewhat similar; very occasionally I would be elected to a chairmanship but it was never a post I enjoyed or felt at ease with – except for the one memorable year for Ann and myself when I was both privileged and honoured to be elected mayor of Tavistock with Ann as mayoress.

I was, however, always far more relaxed and at ease in the chamber commenting and voting on issues than having to marshal decisions on them.

Mind you, having said I’m no leader, I am no natural follower either – and assuredly not when I believe a direction planned is the wrong one; this can at times in ones working, social and family lives lead to situations not always easy to reconcile.

Now I’ve written at length declaring my inability – and lack of desire – to command; it is perhaps time to address the qualities needed to manage successfully and positively, and how this can be done whilst retaining the trust and confidence of those being directed.

The Dictionary says of the term lead, ‘to show the way by going first; to precede; to guide’. This is correct, of course, but it tends to be, one feels, a touch simplistic. From a woman or man out in front, whether in politics, business, commerce or any other field, one needs, in them, qualities which exemplify the finer aspects of human nature and accomplishment; after all, Adolf Hitler was a hugely dominant figure in Germany, but he displayed no virtues when it came to human decency and nobility.

Someone said – or wrote – that ‘great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how to do it’. In this there is, one feels, a profound truth. If one’s boss knows how to do your job better than you do yourself, then automatically he or she will command your respect.

A good ‘gaffer’ will reciprocate such regard; the employee should be treated with courtesy, understanding, kindness and friendship. Mind you, the bond of attachment should probably not be too tight; indeed, there needs to be a modicum of civil aloofness on the part of the person in charge; those giving the orders should not, if the discipline of the workplace is to be maintained, be a close ‘buddy’ to any of those receiving them.

The qualities required of a good leader in business, industry and everyday life assuredly need to be found also in the leaders of nations; here, mind you, there is a further virtue which thrusts itself to the fore – trust. Prime Ministers and Presidents in democracies are never universally popular, but their chances of being re-elected are greatly enhanced if they are trusted by the populace; dictators, of course, do not have to worry about such things.

When musing on the subject of leadership, at all levels, I realise that whilst I’ve never desired advancement, a vast number do – although not all achieve it. Those who, for whatever reason find they are unable to move up the ladder, must often feel unfulfilled and my sympathies are with them.

On the other hand, it must be most stressful to be promoted beyond ones ability to cope; I’m certain we can all think of individuals who fall into this category. Mind you, come pay day the stressed will almost certainly be better rewarded than the unfulfilled.