There was an interesting article in the Economist this week bemoaning the lack of flair amongst leading managers, citing several British bosses as good examples of dour leaders with little creativity or originality, and it got me thinking whether this is somehow a British trait.
This weekend was also a big one for sport, with the English team in action on the football, rugby and cricket fields. The script was similar in each, the doughty English outplayed by their technically superior opponents. The English football team have long played a brand of football that rarely quickens the pulse and against Brazil it was men against boys. In the rugby league the English team played manfully for the first 50 minutes before the inevitable Australian onslaught came and the thrashing duly delivered. The cricket team were equally crushed in todays 20/20 game against South Africa with few Englishmen showing any of the flair and verve on display by the South Africans. The rugby union team did at least manage a victory against Argentina but again the display lacked any flair or imagination with the team relying, as seems to be the case so often, on dull ten man rugby.
Amongst the various post mortems of these failures many possible explanations were given, but by far the most common was an overwhelming fear of failure, a fear of trying something different only to be ridiculed should it go wrong. And I wonder if its a part of the British spirit? Americans have the ‘American dream’ that seems to bestow a can do spirit amongst its people. Australians also seem to lack any of the insecurities that inflict us Brits.
It seems the same in the business world. I recently read a book about the incredible startup culture in Israel. I struggle to see anything remotely similar in Britain. Where are all the startups? Where are the people putting things on the line to craft something new and original? It’s surely not for a lack of brains or talent. Our universities are amongst the finest in the world yet there seems an almost embarrassment about success, a disdain for those that want to make the most of their lives.
Is it a forlorn hope that Britain unleashes the creativity within or are we a lost cause?
It’s weird isn’t it? I’m sure we want to have creative people in both sport and commerce, yet so often it never happens. This culture of fear seems to be the problem but I don’t really know why it exists here or how to overcome it.
I don’t think the press help as they build people up only to bash them down again. It’s no wonder people are scared of failing when they get so hammered for doing so.
I think there are many creative people in the UK. Look at how many Nobel prize winners we have and I think Scotland has more inventions per head of population than anywhere else. It may be that we could be better at delivery from a good idea.
By the way it was England 2nd team vs Brazil 1st team in football, England 2nd team vs Argentina in rugby and England won the first 20/20 so not everything is dark in the house!
Vince
The nanny state has smothered us all. Kids now get so much done for them that they lack the urgency or ability to get off their butt and do anything for themselves.
I think as a population we are no more or less creative inherently than any other nation. However, our culture and infrastructure is less supportive of the expression of such creativity. In sport we do not appear to want to provide the facilities and support for young athletes that say Australia, France or USA provide. In commerce and business we appear to have a high aversion to risk and are, in my experience, very mechanistic in our organisational cultures. I also agree with the point raised above on the preoccupation with our press to look to undermine and find fault with anybody who dares to be successful.
I don't think its so much that the British lack creativity but more that the venture capital industry over here isn't very good, so there is little means of capitalising on any good ideas that are created. Without that in place it is difficult for any ideas to flourish.
Didn't the British create penicilin; radar; television; telephone; steam locomotives and the likes? Okay, dining out on past achievements will only make us complacent but I was always told that "necessity is the mother of invention" and where there is necessity, there tends to be an inventive solution.
Perhaps UK Plc has become too focused on the things it was good at; engineering, shipbuilding; service industry (including the financial sector) but now that these industries are dying away, necessity will once again give birth to invention?
The British uncreative? Absolutely not! Our scientists and engineers are amongst the most innovative and creative in the world, and highly sought after. Our creative arts are flourishing. So what’s suppressing all that talent when it comes to business?