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Whilst growing up, leadership was never a quality that Glyn
Jones recognised in himself. But nowadays, overseeing 12,000
students and 700 staff is all in a day’s work.
“It wasn’t until I started my postgraduate training
in education that I realised I was good at motivating people.
As a team leader of outdoor education courses, I had the opportunity
to work with a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds,
as well as people with special needs. Learning I could inspire
others and harness their skills gave me a great feeling of
personal growth.”
Glyn’s leadership style is all about encouraging others,
and at Pembrokeshire College he has pioneered an award-winning
staff development programme*. Team effort is the driving force
behind a successful organisation and Glyn believes being a
good leader is about being not too demanding and providing
rewards as well.
Glyn said: “Keep it simple. Communicate clearly and
set straightforward priorities. Allow your staff to get the
job finished and don’t create unrealistic workloads.”
Good staff morale is another important feature for good leaders.
Staff should be happy and motivated and given praise when
it’s due. “No matter what your role within an
organisation, we all respond well to positive strokes,”
he said.
Barry Walters, assistant principal, has worked with Glyn for
five years and admires his open-door policy. “Glyn is
a high profile, approachable leader who treats staff with
respect and encourages them to grow. He makes time for people
and has set up focus groups so that he’s available to
offer advice to staff on a regular basis.”
Glyn took an alternative path into academia, initially graduating
in Law in the 1970’s and working as a commercial contractor
for a large textiles company. Having then decided his passion
was to work in education, he returned to his studies and gained
a Masters in the subject.
Setting a goal and having the determination to achieve it,
together with humility and perspective, are qualities that
Glyn believes aspiring leaders need. “You can’t
be oblivious to when you’ve upset someone or lose sight
of the bigger picture. Having a sense of my own mortality
inspires me to lead and I regard my family - my wife and our
three fantastic daughters - as my greatest source of pride.”
*2004-2005 Beacon/Elwa Award for College Engagement with Employers.
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