All posts

Turning 30: What I’ve learnt…

Portrait of James Bunting
July 27, 2022
5 min read
Leighton founders and CEO having a lighthearted conversation at Leighton's 30th birthday party.

Since you’re here, I suspect my click bait headline grabbed you… but (obviously) this isn’t about me turning 30. This is about Leighton turning 30. In a sector that has had its ups and downs that is quite the achievement. An achievement that Leighton colleagues, past and present, came together to celebrate with a party at Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery last week.

To get the party started, I asked Paul Callaghan, our Chairman and Co-Founder to do a small speech. I’m lucky enough to have seen Paul speak numerous times. He can motivate and captivate you and he can make you laugh and cry. Wednesday night’s speech was one that made us laugh, but with a few surprises.

Paul shared his “twenty top tips for business”- tips that he first shared in a keynote he delivered at Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 back in 2005. What surprised me, was how many of his tips related to behaviours that are embedded in Leighton’s culture 17 years later.

Paul Callaghan’s twenty top tips for business

  1. Be passionate and believe in what you are doing.
  2. Be imaginative.
  3. Be creative.
  4. Think ‘out of the box’. It’s those “inspirational” moments that are so great. When you have the idea just as you are about to fall off to sleep and then spend the rest of the night awake because you are so excited.
  5. Be willing to take risks.
  6. Have the tenacity not to give up when things go wrong. We have all had failures and come back from them!
  7. Learn from your failures. Learn from the past but look to the future.
  8. Put your heart and soul into the business.
  9. But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business. There are so many people who have been successful in business but who have failed in marriage.
  10. Don’t get overawed by the competition. They may be bigger, richer and more established than you – but always remember you are cleverer than them.
  11. Have a vision of what you want the organisation to achieve. Try to see the organisation not as it is… but as it can become.
  12. Surround yourself with people that are cleverer than you are. You will learn and grow.
  13. Remember that popularity is not leadership. You don’t manage people; you manage things. You lead people.
  14. Build an esprit de corps. Make your staff proud to work for you.
  15. Hire bright kids and give them their head. They make plenty of mistakes, but the successes will far out-weight the downsides.
  16. Hire experienced, seasoned professionals as their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
  17. Hire people that smile and laugh. They are good to have around and raise everyone’s spirits.
  18. Be honest and ethical.
  19. Become a role model for others, particularly your children. We haven’t got enough role models in the North East.
  20. Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full.

Here at Leighton, our values underpin everything we do, including how we behave and how we make decisions. And whilst today’s values came from the team in 2017, I didn’t realise just how much of it was based on the values and behaviours of Paul and the leadership team back from back in 2005.

Here’s how we talk about Leighton’s culture today…

Passionate about what we do, proud of what we achieve

Okay, so the first thing you need to know is we really love what we do, and we never settle for second best. We work with tenacity, take ownership of our actions, and strive to make a really positive difference to our customers, colleagues and community.

Or in Paul’s words from 2005: “Be passionate and believe in what you are doing” and “Put your heart and soul into the business”.

Equally important at Leighton, is being proud of what we achieve. I think Paul sums this up perfectly with his last tip: “Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full”. At Leighton today, we try to celebrate colleagues personal and professional successes, creating an environment for them to be happy, fulfilled and produce their best every day.

Our curiosity inspires the amazing

Colleagues at Leighton are naturally curious. We ask lots of questions, we’re open minded, and we love exploring new ideas. We aren’t afraid of failure and love to push at the boundaries of the possible as we seek positive change.

This aligns perfectly with Paul’s 2005 tips of being imaginative and creative and thinking ‘outside of the box’. For me though, the real success has been the ability to create a culture where we are prepared to take risks and are not afraid of failure as we see it as something we will learn from.

We act with honesty and truth, always!

At Leighton, this value is all about honesty, accountability, and integrity. In essence, we do what we say we are going to do, when we say we will do it. We use good judgement and do “the right thing”. As Paul said in 2005: “be honest and ethical” which is exactly what we endeavour to do every day with our colleagues, customers, and suppliers.

We nurture our amazing people to be the best version of themselves

Anyone reading this article who knows Leighton will know that one of our greatest strengths is our ability to nurture those around us. In fact, LinkedIn (well mine network at least) is full of Leighton alumni, who have gone on to do amazing things with their lives. Colleagues at Leighton never stop learning and constantly want to improve. In our business, everyone is a teacher and a student. I believe this is a key reason why our customers keep coming back.

I think Paul’s tips of “learn from your failures”, “hire bright kids and give them their head” and “become a role model for others” are summed up perfectly in this value.

In 2005 Paul said: “But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business”. I think this is the other aspect of nurturing at Leighton, in essence we care. We care about our colleagues, our customers and our community and we are encouraged to care about ourselves. Supporting our colleagues, so that work and life “fit” together is very much part of how we do things at Leighton.

We collaborate to bring our purpose to life

Our final behaviour is one of collaboration. We see software engineering (and indeed business) as a team sport. We work with our customers, their other partners and each other to successfully deliver business value. As Aristotle said: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. How do we achieve that at Leighton? Well in 2022, we do exactly as Paul advised in 2005. We surround ourselves with people who are cleverer than we are, and we hire from a wide range of backgrounds and of course we hire people that smile and laugh.

Now I must admit, I had to Google what it "espirt de corps” means, but in doing so discovered that it is defined as a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty by members of a group. And whilst we don’t explicitly draw it out in our values, our high performing teams create psychologically safe environments that have mutual trust and loyalty and a pride in the work that they are doing.

So, what did I learn when Leighton turned 30?

  1. Culture is the behaviours, beliefs and unwritten rules of the business that are so ingrained that they are displayed long after the leaders have left the room
  2. Getting that culture right is crucial to your long-term success, it will help you to accelerate your growth and survive the challenges that will invariably come
  3. Having a clear culture supports everyone to make the right decisions, and feel psychologically safe at work


So, here’s to learning a lot more over the next 30 years!

If our culture resonates with you and you’d like to join an organisation who are both agile and experienced why not get in touch.

Share this post
Portrait of James Bunting
July 27, 2022
5 min read
All posts
Leighton founders and CEO having a lighthearted conversation at Leighton's 30th birthday party.

Turning 30: What I’ve learnt…

Since you’re here, I suspect my click bait headline grabbed you… but (obviously) this isn’t about me turning 30. This is about Leighton turning 30. In a sector that has had its ups and downs that is quite the achievement. An achievement that Leighton colleagues, past and present, came together to celebrate with a party at Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery last week.

To get the party started, I asked Paul Callaghan, our Chairman and Co-Founder to do a small speech. I’m lucky enough to have seen Paul speak numerous times. He can motivate and captivate you and he can make you laugh and cry. Wednesday night’s speech was one that made us laugh, but with a few surprises.

Paul shared his “twenty top tips for business”- tips that he first shared in a keynote he delivered at Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 back in 2005. What surprised me, was how many of his tips related to behaviours that are embedded in Leighton’s culture 17 years later.

Paul Callaghan’s twenty top tips for business

  1. Be passionate and believe in what you are doing.
  2. Be imaginative.
  3. Be creative.
  4. Think ‘out of the box’. It’s those “inspirational” moments that are so great. When you have the idea just as you are about to fall off to sleep and then spend the rest of the night awake because you are so excited.
  5. Be willing to take risks.
  6. Have the tenacity not to give up when things go wrong. We have all had failures and come back from them!
  7. Learn from your failures. Learn from the past but look to the future.
  8. Put your heart and soul into the business.
  9. But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business. There are so many people who have been successful in business but who have failed in marriage.
  10. Don’t get overawed by the competition. They may be bigger, richer and more established than you – but always remember you are cleverer than them.
  11. Have a vision of what you want the organisation to achieve. Try to see the organisation not as it is… but as it can become.
  12. Surround yourself with people that are cleverer than you are. You will learn and grow.
  13. Remember that popularity is not leadership. You don’t manage people; you manage things. You lead people.
  14. Build an esprit de corps. Make your staff proud to work for you.
  15. Hire bright kids and give them their head. They make plenty of mistakes, but the successes will far out-weight the downsides.
  16. Hire experienced, seasoned professionals as their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
  17. Hire people that smile and laugh. They are good to have around and raise everyone’s spirits.
  18. Be honest and ethical.
  19. Become a role model for others, particularly your children. We haven’t got enough role models in the North East.
  20. Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full.

Here at Leighton, our values underpin everything we do, including how we behave and how we make decisions. And whilst today’s values came from the team in 2017, I didn’t realise just how much of it was based on the values and behaviours of Paul and the leadership team back from back in 2005.

Here’s how we talk about Leighton’s culture today…

Passionate about what we do, proud of what we achieve

Okay, so the first thing you need to know is we really love what we do, and we never settle for second best. We work with tenacity, take ownership of our actions, and strive to make a really positive difference to our customers, colleagues and community.

Or in Paul’s words from 2005: “Be passionate and believe in what you are doing” and “Put your heart and soul into the business”.

Equally important at Leighton, is being proud of what we achieve. I think Paul sums this up perfectly with his last tip: “Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full”. At Leighton today, we try to celebrate colleagues personal and professional successes, creating an environment for them to be happy, fulfilled and produce their best every day.

Our curiosity inspires the amazing

Colleagues at Leighton are naturally curious. We ask lots of questions, we’re open minded, and we love exploring new ideas. We aren’t afraid of failure and love to push at the boundaries of the possible as we seek positive change.

This aligns perfectly with Paul’s 2005 tips of being imaginative and creative and thinking ‘outside of the box’. For me though, the real success has been the ability to create a culture where we are prepared to take risks and are not afraid of failure as we see it as something we will learn from.

We act with honesty and truth, always!

At Leighton, this value is all about honesty, accountability, and integrity. In essence, we do what we say we are going to do, when we say we will do it. We use good judgement and do “the right thing”. As Paul said in 2005: “be honest and ethical” which is exactly what we endeavour to do every day with our colleagues, customers, and suppliers.

We nurture our amazing people to be the best version of themselves

Anyone reading this article who knows Leighton will know that one of our greatest strengths is our ability to nurture those around us. In fact, LinkedIn (well mine network at least) is full of Leighton alumni, who have gone on to do amazing things with their lives. Colleagues at Leighton never stop learning and constantly want to improve. In our business, everyone is a teacher and a student. I believe this is a key reason why our customers keep coming back.

I think Paul’s tips of “learn from your failures”, “hire bright kids and give them their head” and “become a role model for others” are summed up perfectly in this value.

In 2005 Paul said: “But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business”. I think this is the other aspect of nurturing at Leighton, in essence we care. We care about our colleagues, our customers and our community and we are encouraged to care about ourselves. Supporting our colleagues, so that work and life “fit” together is very much part of how we do things at Leighton.

We collaborate to bring our purpose to life

Our final behaviour is one of collaboration. We see software engineering (and indeed business) as a team sport. We work with our customers, their other partners and each other to successfully deliver business value. As Aristotle said: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. How do we achieve that at Leighton? Well in 2022, we do exactly as Paul advised in 2005. We surround ourselves with people who are cleverer than we are, and we hire from a wide range of backgrounds and of course we hire people that smile and laugh.

Now I must admit, I had to Google what it "espirt de corps” means, but in doing so discovered that it is defined as a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty by members of a group. And whilst we don’t explicitly draw it out in our values, our high performing teams create psychologically safe environments that have mutual trust and loyalty and a pride in the work that they are doing.

So, what did I learn when Leighton turned 30?

  1. Culture is the behaviours, beliefs and unwritten rules of the business that are so ingrained that they are displayed long after the leaders have left the room
  2. Getting that culture right is crucial to your long-term success, it will help you to accelerate your growth and survive the challenges that will invariably come
  3. Having a clear culture supports everyone to make the right decisions, and feel psychologically safe at work


So, here’s to learning a lot more over the next 30 years!

If our culture resonates with you and you’d like to join an organisation who are both agile and experienced why not get in touch.

Watch now!

To watch the on-demand video, please enter your details below:
By completing this form, you provide your consent to our processing of your information in accordance with Leighton's privacy policy.

Thank you!

Use the button below to watch the video. By doing so, a separate browser window will open.
Watch now
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
All posts
Leighton founders and CEO having a lighthearted conversation at Leighton's 30th birthday party.

Turning 30: What I’ve learnt…

Since you’re here, I suspect my click bait headline grabbed you… but (obviously) this isn’t about me turning 30. This is about Leighton turning 30. In a sector that has had its ups and downs that is quite the achievement. An achievement that Leighton colleagues, past and present, came together to celebrate with a party at Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery last week.

To get the party started, I asked Paul Callaghan, our Chairman and Co-Founder to do a small speech. I’m lucky enough to have seen Paul speak numerous times. He can motivate and captivate you and he can make you laugh and cry. Wednesday night’s speech was one that made us laugh, but with a few surprises.

Paul shared his “twenty top tips for business”- tips that he first shared in a keynote he delivered at Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 back in 2005. What surprised me, was how many of his tips related to behaviours that are embedded in Leighton’s culture 17 years later.

Paul Callaghan’s twenty top tips for business

  1. Be passionate and believe in what you are doing.
  2. Be imaginative.
  3. Be creative.
  4. Think ‘out of the box’. It’s those “inspirational” moments that are so great. When you have the idea just as you are about to fall off to sleep and then spend the rest of the night awake because you are so excited.
  5. Be willing to take risks.
  6. Have the tenacity not to give up when things go wrong. We have all had failures and come back from them!
  7. Learn from your failures. Learn from the past but look to the future.
  8. Put your heart and soul into the business.
  9. But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business. There are so many people who have been successful in business but who have failed in marriage.
  10. Don’t get overawed by the competition. They may be bigger, richer and more established than you – but always remember you are cleverer than them.
  11. Have a vision of what you want the organisation to achieve. Try to see the organisation not as it is… but as it can become.
  12. Surround yourself with people that are cleverer than you are. You will learn and grow.
  13. Remember that popularity is not leadership. You don’t manage people; you manage things. You lead people.
  14. Build an esprit de corps. Make your staff proud to work for you.
  15. Hire bright kids and give them their head. They make plenty of mistakes, but the successes will far out-weight the downsides.
  16. Hire experienced, seasoned professionals as their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
  17. Hire people that smile and laugh. They are good to have around and raise everyone’s spirits.
  18. Be honest and ethical.
  19. Become a role model for others, particularly your children. We haven’t got enough role models in the North East.
  20. Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full.

Here at Leighton, our values underpin everything we do, including how we behave and how we make decisions. And whilst today’s values came from the team in 2017, I didn’t realise just how much of it was based on the values and behaviours of Paul and the leadership team back from back in 2005.

Here’s how we talk about Leighton’s culture today…

Passionate about what we do, proud of what we achieve

Okay, so the first thing you need to know is we really love what we do, and we never settle for second best. We work with tenacity, take ownership of our actions, and strive to make a really positive difference to our customers, colleagues and community.

Or in Paul’s words from 2005: “Be passionate and believe in what you are doing” and “Put your heart and soul into the business”.

Equally important at Leighton, is being proud of what we achieve. I think Paul sums this up perfectly with his last tip: “Enjoy your life, your job, your business success. This is not a dress rehearsal so live every day to the full”. At Leighton today, we try to celebrate colleagues personal and professional successes, creating an environment for them to be happy, fulfilled and produce their best every day.

Our curiosity inspires the amazing

Colleagues at Leighton are naturally curious. We ask lots of questions, we’re open minded, and we love exploring new ideas. We aren’t afraid of failure and love to push at the boundaries of the possible as we seek positive change.

This aligns perfectly with Paul’s 2005 tips of being imaginative and creative and thinking ‘outside of the box’. For me though, the real success has been the ability to create a culture where we are prepared to take risks and are not afraid of failure as we see it as something we will learn from.

We act with honesty and truth, always!

At Leighton, this value is all about honesty, accountability, and integrity. In essence, we do what we say we are going to do, when we say we will do it. We use good judgement and do “the right thing”. As Paul said in 2005: “be honest and ethical” which is exactly what we endeavour to do every day with our colleagues, customers, and suppliers.

We nurture our amazing people to be the best version of themselves

Anyone reading this article who knows Leighton will know that one of our greatest strengths is our ability to nurture those around us. In fact, LinkedIn (well mine network at least) is full of Leighton alumni, who have gone on to do amazing things with their lives. Colleagues at Leighton never stop learning and constantly want to improve. In our business, everyone is a teacher and a student. I believe this is a key reason why our customers keep coming back.

I think Paul’s tips of “learn from your failures”, “hire bright kids and give them their head” and “become a role model for others” are summed up perfectly in this value.

In 2005 Paul said: “But don’t forget your life balance. Your kids grow up faster than even a fastest 50 business”. I think this is the other aspect of nurturing at Leighton, in essence we care. We care about our colleagues, our customers and our community and we are encouraged to care about ourselves. Supporting our colleagues, so that work and life “fit” together is very much part of how we do things at Leighton.

We collaborate to bring our purpose to life

Our final behaviour is one of collaboration. We see software engineering (and indeed business) as a team sport. We work with our customers, their other partners and each other to successfully deliver business value. As Aristotle said: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. How do we achieve that at Leighton? Well in 2022, we do exactly as Paul advised in 2005. We surround ourselves with people who are cleverer than we are, and we hire from a wide range of backgrounds and of course we hire people that smile and laugh.

Now I must admit, I had to Google what it "espirt de corps” means, but in doing so discovered that it is defined as a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty by members of a group. And whilst we don’t explicitly draw it out in our values, our high performing teams create psychologically safe environments that have mutual trust and loyalty and a pride in the work that they are doing.

So, what did I learn when Leighton turned 30?

  1. Culture is the behaviours, beliefs and unwritten rules of the business that are so ingrained that they are displayed long after the leaders have left the room
  2. Getting that culture right is crucial to your long-term success, it will help you to accelerate your growth and survive the challenges that will invariably come
  3. Having a clear culture supports everyone to make the right decisions, and feel psychologically safe at work


So, here’s to learning a lot more over the next 30 years!

If our culture resonates with you and you’d like to join an organisation who are both agile and experienced why not get in touch.

Download
To download the assets, please enter your details below:
By completing this form, you provide your consent to our processing of your information in accordance with Leighton's privacy policy.

Thank you!

Use the button below to download the file. By doing so, the file will open in a separate browser window.
Download now
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.