'Everyone needs a Willie'

So Margaret Thatcher famously said about Willie Whitelaw.

He was her Home Secretary when she was Prime Minister in the late 70s and early 80s. He went on to be Leader of the House of the Lords and during this time he became more of a confidant to her. She was a passionate and driven leader and one not inclined to listen or compromise. Whitelaw was one of few trusted advisors who could give her honest and direct feedback and perhaps help to soften some of her harsher inclinations. Thatcher still divides opinion but Whitelaw undoubtedly helped her cope with the demands and pressures of being number 1 and probably made working with her a little more tolerable.

In business too there are many examples of supporting actors backing up charismatic and high profile leaders. Charlie Munger with Warren Buffet, Steve Wozniak with Steve Jobs to name two of the most prominent. Who knows if these business superstars would have reached such great heights without their lesser known compatriots?

Premiership football is one of the most public and hostile arenas to be a leader. Everyone has an opinion and performance is there for all to see, week in, week out on the football pitch. The pressures are enormous. So having a trusted lieutenant can be very important. Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United several months ago. There were probably multiple factors which brought this about but some have cited the departure of Jose's longstanding number two, Rui Faria a few months earlier as the start of his fall from grace. Alex Ferguson too had several assistant managers during his time at the top - Brian Kidd, Steve McLaren, Carlos Quieroz and Mike Phelan stand out.

An interesting observation, particularly in the football world is that these brilliantly successful 'number two's' rarely go on to have stellar success being number one. Many have a go but often revert back to being number two somewhere else. That is their strength. They don't crave the limelight or the plaudits. They quietly get on with doing what they need to do to help their boss and their team be successful.

Small businesses are often founded and managed by a single individual. It can be a lonely place and the pressures can be significant. The more successful business owners build a team.

Being a boss often means having to do things the team don't like, but are best for the business. Having one or more members of the team 'on side' can help to ease the pressures and make managing the business more enjoyable.

So whether it's a Willie or a Steve or a Stephanie, I think on this point at least, Maggie had it right.

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