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Scaling mountains as a solo climber in his youth, Bryn Davies
learned early on how to make quick decisions and act without
hesitation. Now, as principal of a large college, Bryn declares,
“the buck stops with me,” and he knows he must
be quick-witted to stay ahead of the game.
Still a lover of the outdoors (he has plans to sail a new
21-foot yacht later this year), Bryn ranks his introduction
of a massive culture change at The College Ystrad Mynach as
his greatest business achievement.
Injecting innovation into the sleepy routines and practices
that existed when he joined in 1997, Bryn has succeeded in
encouraging and empowering staff at the College to make big
changes.
“Together, we have trebled income and the number of
staff as well as dramatically increased the number of courses
we offer.”
‘Management by walkabout’ is how Bryn describes
his leadership style. “Being accountable for 12,000
students and 800 staff is hard to do from the confines of
your office. So I try and get out and about, to chat to people
and offer
solutions. “.
Not only has Bryn changed the environment within the College,
but has literally laid new foundations on which to build for
the future. Working directly with surveyors to pioneer a redesign
of the College buildings, the new exterior features a large
mural depicting the tail plane of a 747 aircraft. “I
wanted to feature something bold that shows we are a college
of the twenty-first century, a college of the future.”
Bryn is inspired by a self-belief that he can make a difference.
He enjoys the challenge of making changes that have a beneficial
outcome and a positive effect on people’s lives.
After completing a politics degree, Bryn spent time working
as a civil servant before teaching English and communications
to people ranging in age from 16 to 40. He then spotted a
lucrative gap in the market to co-ordinate training placements
for companies. Using his knowledge and expertise in education,
Bryn set up a business. His workforce quickly grew to 26 staff
operating across five towns, and the organisation helped over
500 youngsters and 500 adults to embark on apprenticeships
and employment.
It wasn’t long before Bryn was headhunted away from
his own company and lured into academia, where he catapulted
himself into roles of increasing responsibility. He believes
his compassion for others and ability to laugh at himself
helped him progress in becoming a leader.
“I see my role as representing everyone in the College.
I must steer the direction and pave the way for people. A
good leader develops a vision, and impassions others to deliver.
“Knowing when to stop nurturing people is the hardest
lesson in leadership!” Bryn said. “You work with
people and encourage them, but you can’t do it all yourself.
Leadership is about teaching what you know, and giving people
the space to grow to develop ideas by themselves.”
Martin Yones, head of business development and technology,
nominated Bryn for the Leading Wales Awards, describing him
as an unconventional leader with a left-field approach. Martin
explained: “Bryn commissioned a painting of the college
which features nearly 300 full-time staff. On closer inspection,
you can see that Bryn appears more than once, dotted around
the campus. This is a great illustration of Bryn’s dynamic
‘walkabout’ style and shows what a highly visible
leader he is to everyone in the college.”
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