Leadership coach drew on family inspiration for his success

Dr Peter Alan Shaw received the award of Honorary Doctorate of the University for services to leadership and management

SPEAKING to an audience of new business graduates at the University of Huddersfield, a man who has published 27 influential books on leadership drew on the inspirational examples of his mother and his grandfather to illustrate the importance of seizing opportunities.

Dr Peter Alan Shaw was receiving an Honorary Doctorate of the University at one of the sequence of 17 ceremonies taking place during the week.  He told graduates of the University’s Business School that he dedicated his award to the memory of his mother Ursula, who died almost exactly 20 years ago.

During the 1930s, she ran the canteen at the ICI factory in Huddersfield.  She had no background in general management, just a basic catering qualification.

“When war was declared in 1939, many of the male workers joined the military and ICI had to do what had previously been unthinkable and recruit women to do factory jobs.  My mother’s qualities had been recognised by senior management and she was asked to lead on the recruitment and welfare of women to do jobs previously done by men,” said Dr Shaw.

“Ursula was the first woman at ICI in Huddersfield in a management post and the first woman allowed to come into the managers’ car park!”

“She responded to the need for a female leader and took the opportunity to build relationships across the factory.  Ursula had the confidence to do tough jobs well,” continued Dr Shaw, who encouraged graduates in the audience to lead with energy and compassion and to be ready for unexpected opportunities.

He cited the example of his grandfather, who was an office boy in a Huddersfield woollen mill in the late 1800s.  He had been studying French at night school and so was the only person in the mill who could translate a letter in that language.  Management was impressed by his initiative and eventually he became mill manager.

An oration describing Dr Shaw’s career was delivered by Stephen Swailes, who is Professor of Human Resource Management at the Huddersfield Business School.

He told how Dr Shaw was a founding partner of Praesta Partners, a specialist coaching organisation and had coached senior leaders, teams, and boards of directors across the world.

In the UK, he has coached in 25 government departments and in more than 100 other organisations.

Dr Shaw has written 27 influential books on aspects of leadership, has worked in five different government departments and was Government Regional Director for the North East of England.

“As a leadership coach, Peter helps individuals and teams to tackle challenges in ways they never thought they were capable of.  He helps them to understand their strengths and vulnerabilities, and enables them to raise their confidence to see opportunities where they previously saw threats,” said Professor Swailes.