Work experience

Stuart Watson, Regeneration & Renewal, 25 July 2008

What has been your most beneficial career experience to date? I had only been at Jones Lang LaSalle for six months when some changes to the team meant I had to assume a leadership role. Initially it was daunting and challenging, but it meant I had to develop leadership skills early on in my career.

What's the best advice you've been given? My first supervisor said: "Be professional in all you do because it sets an example to others, but don't be afraid to take risks." In business, many people are happy to play it safe, but they miss out on wonderful opportunities.

What's the best training you've had? I've just finished a course called Insights Colour Energies. It categorises people's personalities in terms of colours: red for dominant, yellow for gregarious, green for empathetic and so on. Everyone is a combination of the different types. The technique allows you to quickly assess people's personalities and therefore how best to work with them in a productive way.

What book would you recommend? The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. It's a mixture of practical tools and deep thinking. I would also recommend Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor, which makes you consider why buildings and the places around them succeed or fail.

What do you wish you'd known when you started out? I think I specialised too much early in my career. When I started out, I focused on sports and education consultancy, and I wish I had spent more time then working with a bigger range of clients and getting to understand all of the different property sectors.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1998: Graduates from University College, London, with a postgraduate diploma in town and country planning.

1998: Joins planning consultancy Turnberry Consulting.

2002: Completes postgraduate diploma in surveying.

2004: Joins Jones Lang LaSalle as senior consultant; promoted to current post six months later.