Special Olympics duo highlight importance of ‘seeing, knowing and growing people’

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s Business Growth Studio Conference brought SME owners and leaders together at IET Birmingham: Austin Court for a day of keynotes, expert panels and practical workshops on growing a business in today’s economy. The conference was attended by over 100 guests and supported by Pioneer partner University College Birmingham. The Chamber’s media team of DAN HARRISON, FERON JAYAWARDENE and SASKIA MASAUN report from the event.

An inspiring athlete and the chief executive of Special Olympics Great Britain shared powerful lessons on inclusive leadership and building high performing teams during the final keynote at the Business Growth Studio Conference.

The key theme of the session, delivered by Special Olympics athlete Daniel Mills together with CEO Laura Baxter MBE, focused on seeing people, knowing people, and growing people.

Daniel Mills, who enrolled in Special Olympics GB at the age of seven, recently won gold, silver and bronze medals in the athletics competition at the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games in Birmingham.

He was also part of Special Olympics GB’s first-ever team of athletes to run the TCS London Marathon earlier this year.

He said: “I want to be a voice for people with intellectual disabilities around the world, and through sport, I’ve discovered a voice I didn’t even know I had.

“We became the first team to take on the London Marathon. These experiences have shown me that anything is possible. Even after doctors told me I had a rare heart condition, I was determined to prove what I could achieve.

“People with intellectual disabilities can achieve incredible things when they have the right support and someone who believes in them.

“My dream isn’t just to find out how far I can go, but to show other people how far they can go too.

“Special Olympics Great Britain has helped show the world what people with intellectual disabilities can do. But I also want people to see us for who we are, not just for what we can achieve.

“Too often, people underestimate us. Everyone has their own talents, strengths and potential, and it’s important that we look beyond assumptions and recognise the value of the person.”

As chief executive of Special Olympics Great Britain, Laura leads the organisation’s ambition to create a world where people with intellectual disabilities are seen, valued and taken seriously.

She has more than 20 years’ experience across sport, charity, local government and sports trust sectors in Great Britain, New Zealand and the USA.

Laura said: “Good leadership is about seeing people, knowing people and helping them grow. Assumptions can limit what we believe someone is capable of, but when we move beyond those assumptions, we can recognise people for their strengths rather than defining them by their limitations.

“As leaders, we need to be curious enough to listen and ask people what they need to do their best work, but just as importantly, we need to act on what they tell us.

“It’s also about empowering people to make decisions and giving them the confidence, skills and opportunity to do so. Leadership is no longer simply about watching an organisation grow, but enabling the people within it to grow.

Under Laura’s leadership, Special Olympics GB were able to bring back the National Summer Games after a nine-year gap with a new team, a new format and a significantly reduced budget, from £2.2 million to £400,000.

Laura continued: “We had to rethink how we worked and how we delivered our ambitions. We had two key priorities: resetting our organisational structure and strengthening our position externally.

“Project plans help coordinate the work, but ultimately, its people working together towards a shared purpose who make things happen.

“That’s why creating the right culture, building trust and bringing people together are so important.

“There are several ways businesses can get involved with Special Olympics GB, whether that’s volunteering their time at one of our 113 clubs, attending our events or supporting us through sponsorship.

“We’re also developing the concept of Unified Business, which brings together business leaders with and without intellectual disabilities to learn from one another, challenge assumptions and create more inclusive workplaces.”

The Business Growth Studio Conference ended with Stuart Bailey from change management consultancy Curium Solutions showing participants how to turn the day’s findings into actions.

Pictured: From left - Daniel Mills, GBCC chief executive Henrietta Brealey and Laura Baxter

Find out more about the Business Growth Studio.

Pictures: Shaun Fellows/Shine Pix