Epitaph: Leaving CIB In Fine Fettle

To CIB, I offer these thoughts, but they can apply to any good organization. The words of Alistair Campbell from his latest book Winners and How They Succeed succinctly sums up the essence of what it takes to make a successful organization regardless of what it is. And I hope that Gavin and Catherine who are taking on and developing the business, also believe in what this encapsulates.

“Winning organisations must be the holy trinity of strategy, leadership and teamship working in harmony. Teams without strategy fail. Leaders without strategy fail. Teams with good leaders fail. Leaders without teamship operating at every level of the organization fail.”

For a spin doctor and Burnley supporter, I think it’s a really good take on what makes for success – let's be honest though he did go to school in Leicester so that helped.

Over the last 31 years since the company was born, we have been through periods where not all of these facets have been in sync, far from it, but once the conjugation arises, then business and its well-being and profitability flourishes. I hope that I leave CIB with everything above in place, but moving forward for all businesses, the truth that this philosophy delivers should be very telling.

Campbell’s context was the demise of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, but you can spin it the other way and apply the same ideas to the rise of Leicester City, it sums up succinctly the reason for their success this year too.

A business needs to be nurtured, success should be based on the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, which is what I believe CIB has always had. If mistakes are made in the future, then perhaps go back to these basic principles, and learn from mistakes to deliver an even better result.

Moving forward I hope the way we have run a business through good times and bad, continues to show through and to deliver what CIB was set up for - enjoy working, being creative, work as a team and most of all, when things get tough or even when they are not, never lose the ability to laugh together and at yourself.

Without those elements in place, coming to work and running a business becomes painful for everybody.

Anyway, sod all that – come on the Blue Army – 77 points will do it.

Mind the trams