?My best business decisions were never strategic, operational or financial. They were always people decisions. Who I hired, how I managed and who I fired had a far greater impact on results than things we usually think of as driving success.

As a director I managed a big budget and a large staff group in a complex organisation but you don't acquire your management philosophy as a director. You form  it in the less glamorous much lower status parts of the business. For me that was the challenge of managing four large traditional residential homes for older people.