Richard Pym, group chief executive, Alliance & Leicester
'Avoid the mistakes you see a bad boss make, and analyse what makes a good boss successful and adapt it to your own use.'
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career?
In my career I have had a number of excellent bosses and some very poor ones. I've been influenced by both groups – you should avoid the mistakes you see a bad boss make, and you should analyse what makes a good boss successful and adapt it to your own use.
'Quality always beats quantity.'
Learning to manage your time
The majority of business leaders work very long hours and there is no getting away from that. But quality always beats quantity, and I always try not to disturb colleagues out of working hours unless a matter is very urgent, and they reciprocate with me.
