Christopher Smith
Balfour Beatty
Give us a brief description of your background
After gaining a master’s in architecture degree from the Robert Gordon University I sought employment as a client-side construction coordinator before moving to a tier 1 (main) contractor as a construction planner. My role as a construction planner was split between the pre-construction and construction stages providing planning support across various projects within Scotland. Latterly I have moved into a design management role for the same employer working on commercial and education projects - some of which are designed to Passivhaus standards or principles.
Who/what inspires you?
I am inspired by people overcoming challenges, breaking boundaries and becoming the best they can be – which doesn’t need to be record breaking. I’m particularly motivated by athletes as their mindset is to chase 1% marginal gains while setting sights on longer range goals. A short list of inspirational people include: Steven Bartlett, Steve Jobs, Jacinda Ardern, Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai), Tom/Luke Stoltman, Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
What does the word leadership make you think of?
Leadership is difficult to define succinctly. Leadership is about empowering and developing others while providing a strategic decision-making capacity for an organisation or group of people. It requires different skills depending on the situation, an ability to operate in a range of environments with an awareness of when to change your behaviours to encourage others to follow you through periods of hardship or uncertainty – not just in the glory days!
How do you feel about taking part in the Future Leaders programme?
I am excited to be taking part in the FLP as it will set a foundation of skills, qualities and behaviours required of an authentic leader while challenging me to display and apply those within my professional and personal life. Gaining new skills and a deep understanding of my mindset will test my character, identify weakness but hopefully change me for the better.
What do you think are the keys to a sustainable future?
A sustainable future relies on changing our cultural/societal behaviours and lifestyles as individuals. It requires a community approach to rethinking how we live day to day to realign our values to minimise or reverse the damage of previous generations. I believe business economics and shareholder investment strategies need to shift away from the current, traditional, financial based frameworks to capture the broader business values associated with the response to the climate emergency, i.e. the triple bottom line.
