The Common Purpose blog

The best way for them to do this is to take a varifocal approach. They need to begin with looking closely at their areas and identifying the main economic, social and infrastructural questions facing them as well as any emerging issues on the horizon. By exploring how these are being tackled and by whom, they will get a better understanding of the role they play in their area. More importantly, for leaders who want to broaden their reach, a deeper insight into their locality will give them an excellent starting point to explore how to expand the context in which they operate.  

This in-depth knowledge of their localities is vital, but must be coupled with a broader perspective to truly understand how their proximity to London can be used for local benefit. Those driving change in the areas surrounding London need to connect with each other and compare and contrast the issues facing their areas. This would have two important benefits which those leading in these areas could use to help drive their areas forward.

First of all, this broader perspective will enable a recognition of what is unique about their local areas which would help them identify new competitive advantages. These advantages could be capitalised upon on many different levels, regionally, nationally and even internationally.

Secondly, leaders from the towns and cities surrounding London have a shared context and are all cursed and blessed as a result of their closeness to it. This inside-out vision, will allow them to discover common challenges and shared opportunities, of which there are many. There is a lot that they can learn from each other by sharing how they tackle these challenges. A Chief Executive of an NHS Trust in Kent may be successfully tackling the exact same problems that their counterpart in Brighton is struggling with. The creation of a strong network of those who are grappling with some of the most intractable problems facing the areas around London would also create opportunities to build strategic partnerships to deal with these issues. 

Collaborative partnerships would provide the ability to capitalise on shared opportunities. There is also enormous scope for them to work together and make the most of advantages in ways that they cannot do so alone. A diverse network of leaders from the area surrounding London could be the driver for growth and innovation, the benefits of which would be felt in their local areas as well the rest of the UK.

Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency has called for a new type of leadership by local authorities to drive housing and regeneration projects. He said that council leaders need lead in a way that goes beyond the delivery of services. He said: “There is now an opportunity to establish a new form of civic leadership that has both the powerful role for local government.”

While urging a renewal of local leadership, he warned that this should not take their eye off the wider environment in which their area is located. “Parochialism means that places often don’t set their ambitions high enough and don’t make the most of collaborative partnerships with their neighbours, which are crucial in key agendas such as the economy,” he said.

Understanding the wider context of where you are leading is crucial. The much quoted refrain by John Donne that “No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” doesn’t only apply to people but is relevant to places too. Towns, cities, rural areas and even islands are not self-contained but are connected to other areas by a web of links, be they economic, social or physical such as roads and rivers. This means that events and developments which take place in one area influence the course of events in others.

Take London as an example, the impact that London has on the rest of the UK is significant, the effects of the London bombings in 2005 were felt far beyond the M25 as are the preparations for the 2012 London Olympics. The energy generated by this vast and dynamic city is felt none more so that in the areas close to it. Therefore, the proximity of London to cities such as Brighton and nearby counties such as Kent, Essex and Suffolk provides immense opportunities as well as challenges.

The opportunities are many such as London’s diverse population which provides a rich pool of talent which can be tapped by employers in the surrounding areas. Challenges include the effect that London’s economic success has on house prices in the surrounding areas and the pressure that its commuting workers place on the surrounding transport system.

So what can leaders and decision-makers in these areas do to ensure that the opportunities are harnessed for maximum local benefit and that the challenges are overcome?