Being Greg-arious - guest blog by Mark Beaumont

There is a book on my shelf that has sat there untouched for six years. I picked it up this weekend and it is fantastic. The book is the autobiography of Greg Dyke.

You've probably never heard of him. Internationally he is almost unknown and in even in his native UK, he is not a household figure. However, in the broadcasting industry, everyone knows who he is. Greg Dyke has run many of the major television organisations in the UK and the pinnacle of his career was when he ran, and turned-around, the BBC.

I'll blog about the way that he turned around the BBC, and the lessons that we can learn for the organisations we work for in a couple of days, but first I wanted to try and give you a measure of Greg Dyke's approach to leadership.

Greg Dyke is certainly no academic leader. His leadership is perhaps best described as a gut-led guerilla style and his entire career was punctuated with great, sometimes amusing, examples of this.

For example, on his first day as Chief Exec at one organisation he put a six foot cut out photo of his face behind reception with the words beneath that said: "Hi - I'm your new Chief Executive. I'm coming round today to meet as many of you as possible but if I don't catch you, I'll be in the bar tonight, so come and have a drink with me and let me know what you think of the place." Imagine walking into your job and seeing that behind reception.

Another example is that when he joined the BBC he noticed how bureaucratic the place was. So he sent a yellow card, like the ones that soccer referees use, to every employee with the words: "Cut the crap" written on it. The implication, I guess, is that those who didn't start acting in a dynamic way would be given a red card and sent packing.

These examples might sound like he intimidated the workforce, but the opposite is actually true. When he eventually left the BBC, the staff took out a full page advert in The (London) Telegraph thanking him for his efforts as a leader.

I think the secret of why he was so respected comes from the fact that everyone could see that Greg Dyke is the real deal. He says: "In leadership you must be yourself. If you ask people to act in a way that is different to the way in which you behave, people will smell it immediately".

Greg Dyke's antics, whilst unconventional, are an honest reflection of who he is.

There is a lesson here that we can all take on board: in the workplace, you should be true to yourself. When you walk in through the office door, don't leave your passions and interests outside - bring them in and build your role around them. It burns a lot of energy if you are in a role that doesn't suit, but if you are in a role that excites you it will give you energy.

In a previous role, I remember asking my manager why he'd taken a responsibility that I enjoyed away from me, only for him to look surprised and say that's what he thought I wanted. It's very easy for incorrect assumptions to be made about likes and dislikes, so I make a point now of always telling my manager what I enjoy and what I don't.

We should all try and shape our roles around our passions. If you are not already doing it, start today. Greg Dyke would.