Along with a lot of our colleagues, we’re watching to see how the leadership of the new coalition government approaches the huge job that faces them.

At the same time, we’re keeping an eye on the slowly unfolding leadership contest in the Labour Party.

It appears that Gordon Brown was more comfortable surrounding himself with people significantly younger.  He disposed of the serious hard hitters of his generation who were capable of acting as role models to others underneath.

As a result, the young acolytes he picked to serve him had little exposure to role models of strong and authentic leadership, and are now revealing the gap in their ability, their experience, and their credibility.

They were not given the development that they required – and deserved – and as a leadership cadre it is arguably ill-equipped to take over.

Was Gordon Brown unaware of this part of his responsibility? Or was it that at a conscious or less-conscious level he was afraid to develop them, as he felt too vulnerable in his own self, and saw his own team as competition?

If you don’t give your people the encouragement, help and support to develop their talents, you are in dereliction of your duty and responsibilities as a leader.

As we see, he has left the organisation in a vulnerable state. How long will it take them to recover?