Who’s Involved – David Watt, Institute of Directors, Scotland

David Watt – Executive Director Institute of Directors, Scotland: I think leadership is the key skill for Scottish business, right now – especially in difficult times. But I think it’s also crucially important that people in business find out about schools; find out how young people tick, find out how teachers tick and find out how schools operate. So I think, again, that width of experience is massively important leaders – that they don’t just know about their own particular business area, whether it be finance or construction, but they actually know about education as well. I think the more they know the better and the more they see it in practice. Because we all tend to relate to schools as they were when we were there, which is nothing like what they are now, in many cases. I think it’s really important that they get a wide experience as a leader.

Research and development of new products, new services is fundamentally, massively important business right now in this very complex and very competitive global economy. So you can do that better the more fresh ideas you have and young people bring them. They really do. And I think that new challenge, new freshness is brilliant.

Working with young people always has a tremendous impact on people; it gives a new freshness, new ideas, as we talked about. But also the general energy that young people have – and sometimes, when you're in business, [you are] very much focusing on your day-to-day operations, you begin to lose that enthusiasm and the energy. And sharing some time with young people always reinvigorates staff. I think it’s a really healthy thing to do.