Equipping leaders of tomorrow with the skills to unlock growth

The Herald Scotland

15-07-2025

However, adversity breeds ingenuity and no other industry is as well set up as ours to innovate. To do this, we must rewire how we think about leadership. Often people are promoted into management positions because they excelled at their previous role. Previous success in sales, operations, manufacturing or quality control testing, does not necessarily translate into having the skills you need to lead effectively. The Chartered Management Institute calls this phenomenon "accidental managers".
As part of their new role, and this can apply right across the Scottish economy, new leaders should be equipped with the frameworks and skills that will allow them to build strong, empowered teams that deliver greater business value and impact. I believe we need a leadership skills accelerator that can practically upskill managers within a short timeframe.
Delivered through a partnership between industry and academia, the accelerator could become a recognised benchmark for excellence, future-proofing talent pipelines and elevating Scotland's international profile in life sciences. I envisage it offering intensive, hands-on, real-world training, ensuring future managers understand the role of a leader and possess the strategic thinking necessary to succeed.
Not only would this deliver growth in the quality of our people, it would also raise health, safety and quality standards which are so vital to the life sciences sector. Importantly, it would foster the innovation and collaboration required to streamline our manufacturing processes and research, combatting the commercial challenges posed by macroeconomic forces. This is vital in industries where innovation moves quickly and regulatory landscapes can continually change.
Organisations like the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, Skills Development Scotland and others already offer valuable practical leadership training. With a compact geography, engaged and connected industry leaders and strong and active support from the Scottish Government, this could be improved and rolled out relatively easily, turning our accidental managers into intentional leaders. This is something I'm passionate about and we are committed to as an organisation with continued focus on training and development for our people. But more can be done at an industry level to ingrain this mindset for future generations.
When so often we are talking about the lack of growth in the Scottish and UK economy, investing in leadership could help unlock productivity gains and even drive export growth, ultimately delivering the results our public finances needs. But effective leadership is not just good for the country's bottom line. It is critical for national resilience, especially in the face of current geopolitical instability and recent public health crises.
Greig Rooney CMgr FCMI is the Managing Director of Valneva Scotland
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