When I lived and worked in London in the 1990s I regularly went to watch my local football team Wimbledon in action.
At that time, all the fans talked about was the club’s incredible feat of winning the FA Cup a few years earlier in what was one of the biggest upsets in English football history.
They triumphed not due to the skill of uniquely talented players or individual brilliance, but thanks to leadership and togetherness.
They operated as a unit, played for each other, and every player knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing.
Fast-forward to today and it is the Scottish Conservatives who I hope will find that leadership and togetherness.
Following Douglas Ross’ resignation announcement, several colleagues set out their policy ideas should they run for leader.
There are some excellent proposals and one hopes that whoever becomes leader pursues a collegiate approach in which MSPs feel comfortable bringing those ideas forward.
Yet this is a contest which ought to centre round one attribute: leadership.
It is a difficult concept to pin down, but one I examined while studying an MBA some years ago after setting up my second limited company.
Perhaps in summary we might define it as an ability to lead, inspire and unify the party.
Breaking that down, the leader will need to have a clearly articulated “vision” – for both the country and the party’s role within it.
Individual policies will flow from that, but the potential leader needs to horizon-scan and arrive at a destination and dream, setting out a clear, compelling direction for the future.
From there, they must demonstrate strategic thinking in order to present and explain a clear roadmap and plan which leads to the destination.
That means their ideas for a path to power, and can they present a track record in planning and executing strategies that align with long-term goals.
Yet that clear vision and strategic thinking is nothing without the ability to communicate it effectively, both to galvanise their team but also to “sell” that vision to the people of Scotland.
One thinks of Barack Obama and his extraordinary talent, whether you agreed with him or not, to inspire.
Having developed a clear and compelling vision for the country, focussing on themes like hope, change, and progress, he inspired and motivated through powerful speeches and effective communication.
Therefore, our next leader must be an effective communicator, with a track record of eloquence, articulating complex ideas clearly and persuasively in a way that can engage diverse audiences. Of course the flip-side of that is actively listening to different perspectives and fostering an inclusive environment where differing viewpoints are considered and accepted.
The ability to connect with and attract voters, and improve the party's public image will be essential, perhaps by ensuring there is a system for ongoing feedback from party members, constituents and fellow MSPs to help the leader stay tuned to the party’s goals and public needs.
This will be aided immeasurably if the new leader can demonstrate experience, both in the world outside politics and in a range of shadow cabinet positions to speak with authority on a number of portfolios.
They need to have made and recognised their mistakes, have learned from them, and taken the good, the bad and the ugly from working under previous leaders.
Perhaps that leads to the most crucial aspect of all: emotional intelligence and an ability to connect with colleagues from across all political parties, not least our own.
The leader ought to be able to demonstrate efforts and successes working across the chamber and finding common ground with political opponents which will be a crucial skill in ensuring our policies can be delivered.
But they must also show during this campaign they can coalesce the party, ensuring the MSP group speaks as one, united behind our values and the leader’s vision for a better Scotland.
The leader internally – as well as having to deal with the financial, HR and pastoral aspects of leadership – needs to show they will be able to take what could be a divisive and competitive process and unite the party afterwards.
And finally, the ability to delegate and get the best from what is, in my view, a strong and effective MSP team – to maximise and promote strong team working in a collegiate manner using all talents rather than top-down instruction – will be a key skill for the new leader.
A good leader can inspire and motivate their team, encouraging innovation and rewarding performance to ensure they strive for and achieve their best, building collaboration and effectively resolving conflict.
The Scottish Conservatives boast a strong cohort of MSPs and a leader exhibiting these qualities will be capable, respected and enable us to stride forward to 2026 with a real optimism.
You may not find too many similarities between the Scottish Conservatives and Wimbledon’s so-called Crazy Gang who defeated the famous Liverpool on that afternoon in 1988.
But with a leader displaying skills like they did and rallying our team, we will have a spirit that puts us firmly in the race for Holyrood 2026.
Comments