The greatest Briton: Mike Brearley

If the BBC can do it, so can Personnel Today. We want to know which Briton you rate as the greatest people manager and leader of all time. Personnel Today has invited 10 leading figures in the field of management to nominate individuals they believe are the best, and then convince you they are right. To vote, visit the voting form where you will also find summaries of all 10 nominees. The voting closes on Tuesday 4th March 2003.

This week's nominee is:

Mike Brearley

By Tim Yeo, Conservative MP for Suffolk South and shadow secretary of state for trade and industry

Great leaders and managers feature in all walks of life. I have been fortunate in both business and politics to work for and alongside managers and leaders who commanded respect and instilled the motivation and confidence to succeed.

However, the person I have chosen held a position that can stretch a person's ability to lead and manage to the very limits. A post that involves facing public criticism, handling powerful egos and delivering results in the cut and thrust of heated battle, often against all the odds.

He was not the leader of the Conservative Party, as the description might suggest. In fact, he held a public position that is possibly even tougher.

The role is captain of the England cricket team, and the man is Mike Brearley. He was a cricketer whose batting skills fell short of the top rank, but he is considered England's best cricket captain in the last 50 years. Brearley led England in 31 test matches, winning 18 of them and losing only four. He was an inspired leader and motivator, and will always be remembered as the man who brought the best out of Ian Botham in the Ashes series of 1981 - an astonishing victory which has become part of cricket folklore.

Brearley was a prodigy in his youth, making many runs for Cambridge University, and a triple century as captain of an MCC under-25 team touring Pakistan in 1966-67. He then left the game for two years, concentrating on an academic career, and resumed full-time cricket in 1971 as captain at Middlesex.

He was first picked for England to open against the formidable West Indian pace attack in 1976, and was appointed captain when Tony Greig departed for World Series Cricket. He may have been fortunate to take over a talented England team that faced opponents weakened by the Kerry Packer defections. But success really resulted from his deep understanding of cricket, his clear thinking and decisiveness, and his outstanding ability to get the best out of his players.

Brearley's finest hour coincided with what many believe to be England's greatest Ashes triumph. In the summer of 1981, England were one down in the series. Their talisman Botham had been sacked from the captaincy, and defeat at the hands of the Australians looked certain. In these inauspicious circumstances, Mike Brearley was handed back the captaincy.

After two days of the next test, England were dead and buried, following on 230 runs behind with odds of 500-1 to save the match. However, Brearley's influence was already evident. Botham had taken six wickets in the first innings, and was encouraged by Brearley's persistence in keeping him bowling throughout the innings. The captain's confidence in his brilliant all-rounder, who had cut a dispirited figure on the pitch earlier in the season, was now spectacularly rewarded. Botham made 149 runs following on, and when Bob Willis captured eight wickets on the fifth day, the incredible comeback was complete.

The art of captaincy

Brearley later said that Botham was "very headstrong, a very strong personality. He needed someone who would put his arm around him and tell him about the immense talent he possessed. He needed someone who would remind him of the role he had to play because of his unlimited ability".

Throughout that summer, Brearley reminded Botham of his abilities and led England to inspired victories at Edgbaston and Manchester. The Ashes were recaptured - a concept younger readers can only dream about.

Brearley's skill was in motivating his team and commanding respect, despite his own limited abilities. While Bobby Moore was as skilful a player as a captain, the impact of Mike Brearley's leadership was far greater than his playing skills.

Following his retirement, Brearley wrote a definitive work on captaincy, The Art of Captaincy, in 1985. His analysis of the captain's importance received attention across the academic spectrum.

In his introduction to the second edition of his book, published in 2001, Brearley described the similarity between a team captain and an NHS manager.

Both must absorb and understand the anxieties of colleagues and team members. Brearley concluded: "There is no substitute for the leader's capacity to bring people together in a common task, so that people come to take pleasure in their joint and individual work."

These ideas formed the basis of his successful career in psychological analysis, and Brearley is still in demand as a management consultant.

At first glance, my choice of manager may seem less serious than some. However, many leaders are famous for personal skills and achievements, rather than their ability to inspire their teams.

With a test batting average of 22, Brearley was only a moderately-skilled international cricketer - but he was a great captain, able to motivate, innovate, persist and inspire. These are essential skills for great managers and leaders of individuals.

The last word should go to current England cricket captain, Nasser Hussein. He said: "The man-management skills demonstrated by Brearley remain an inspiration."

Sadly, it appears they are still badly needed.

Brearleys CV

28 April 1942 John Michael Brearley was born in Harrow, Middlesex

1961 Educated at Cambridge

1971 Captain of Middlesex County Cricket Club

1976 Appointed captain of England and went on to lead the team on 31 occasions

1981 Won the Ashes against huge odds

1983 Retired from the sport and became a successful cricket correspondent, management author and consultant