Meet Jason Lancaster, principal and chief executive at Northampton College and back on his old stamping ground, as he settles into his role at the start of the academic year.
MY CAREER…
What was your first job?
A four-hour a week part-time job in Argos. I used to love running the collection counter on my own on a busy Saturday afternoon. Maybe I have never really liked taking the easy route.
Why did you choose your particular career?
I am a product of further education, really finding my confidence and direction through my time at college in Staffordshire.
Teaching is the very best profession (although it has its frustrating moments) because we get to shape and transform students’ lives. Getting to lead in FE is just a massive privilege.
What’s the best advice you’ve received in business?
I’d say it is to be yourself, to trust your judgment (and that of your colleagues) and to try to outsource doubt.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Without doubt, my new role at Northampton College. I loved working here a few years ago and am bowled over to have the opportunity to come back and lead the organisation.
It means a lot to be able to help a community such as this where skills and personal growth can make such a difference.
…and the low point?
Through a combination of good luck and a determination to take the experience from my career, I’ve not had too many negative times. I think it’s really important to learn from challenging experiences, although it’s sometimes tricky when you didn’t listen to your inner voice which later turned out to be correct.
Who in business do you most respect?
I’ve a lot of time for Timpson, the service retailer, who combine some genuinely good work with vulnerable people (including former offenders) with great service in their stores. I like the idea of doing good while doing business.
What annoys you the most in business?
Unnecessary bureaucracy. Well thought through systems and processes can really make a difference to business effectiveness but they too easily balloon into something that takes your eye off the ball and leads to organisational drift.
What’s the best thing/worst thing about where you work?
Our college focuses strongly on its students, particularly those who need a bit of extra help. It means our focus is really clear and we can see our impact in the progress and success of our students.
The worst: I’m living in Northampton during the week but home is in Staffordshire so it’s just a little bit far away on a Monday morning.
What’s your career ambition?
Bizarre as it may sound, I’ve never really ‘done’ ambition. But working with such a great staff team to change the life chances of thousands of local people in my current role is an absolute privilege.
I struggle to see how I’ll top this.
What’s your worst fault?
I have been known to overthink a little so I try not to do that too much.
What’s the best decision you ever made in business?
There have been a few times when I’ve taken a chance on new staff, choosing energy and potential over ‘steady’. They’ve pretty much always been the best appointments I’ve made.
If you could start again, would you do anything different?
Absolutely not – see my point below about regrets.
You’re retired. What are you doing, where and why?
I imagine it’ll be Cornwall, music, walking and books – hopefully just more of what I already get a chance to spend time doing.
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MY LIFE…
Experience teaches you to worry less… things tend to work out
What’s your earliest memory?
I have a vague recollection of ‘teaching’ my grandparents with my toy chalkboard…maybe I was always destined for a career in education.
Schooldays – the best of your life?
I really thrived during my time at college rather than school. The support of my brilliant teachers, some of whom I still know, really helped me to gain some confidence and find my passion for engineering.
As a child, where was your best family holiday?
We had a lot of holidays in Wales, both North and South. I have very fond memories of tramping around a whole load of castles in the rain – something I am still very happy to do now when I get the chance.
As a child, what job did you want to do when you grew up?
I never really had a clear ambition as a child. So since then I have always had a strong commitment to doing my best and seeing where the wind blew me.
So far, it has led me to some brilliant places so I have no complaints.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Mostly “Chill out, be a bit more confident and it’ll be OK”. Getting older and gaining experience really teaches you to worry less. Things tend to work out by and large.
How do you relax?
I read a lot, listen to a lot of music and try to get out and about for a walk whenever I can.
My partner and I also regularly spend time in Cornwall – seeing the beauty of that coast in all sorts of weather is a great tonic for the soul.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
There’s no such thing! Like what you like and have no shame about it.
What’s your perfect night out?
Seeing a great band/artist in a mid-sized venue with an audience that’s really up for the gig. Being part of an audience connecting over music they love is just the best feeling.
What’s your most treasured possession?
Right now, I have a very pleasing pair of Bluetooth headphones that let me listen to great music really loudly without disturbing anyone around me.
Any regrets?
Absolutely not. I have always tried to do the best that I could in the circumstances and to learn when things did not go to plan. I suspect regrets are a path to wonky thinking.
What’s on your bucket list?
I am not all that exciting. So it is probably to be in Cornwall as often as possible, to read all the books on the ever-growing ‘to read’ pile and to experience life fully and honestly.
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What are you…
…Eating?
I’m going to play the Stokie card here – I love a Staffordshire oatcake with Cheshire cheese. The taste of home. It’s astonishing to me that these have somehow not become a national dish.
…Drinking?
I’m not a big drinker of alcohol but probably a cheeky gin and tonic. Far more important is a decent cup of tea which really helps get the day started (…continued and finished!).
There’s something very comforting about a mug of tea to keep things grounded and ticking along.
…Reading?
There are plenty to choose from. A couple of books that have recently stuck with me include We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson and The Outsider by Albert Camus. Both look at the world from an oblique angle which helps give new perspective.
I also love reading Terry Pratchett and Jasper Fforde, both of whose books combine an interesting take on their themes with a healthy set of in-jokes.
…Watching?
The best film I’ve seen for many years was The Zone of Interest. It was a deeply unsettling watch and definitely not fun but the most powerful illustration of how humans can act inhumanly under extreme circumstances.
It felt to me like a film that should be shown very widely indeed.
…Listening to? Again, plenty to choose from. I adore Kate Bush, creator of enigmatic and left-field music that somehow also managed to sell in the millions. The sheer strangeness of her ‘pop’ records blows me away every time I listen to them.
Others favourites include Ezra Furman, Stevie Wonder, Gazelle Twin, Radiohead and St Vincent. I love artists who are true to their vision (mainstream or otherwise) and commit to it.
…Dreaming of?
My dream for both life and work is the same: to try to be authentic, to try to actively experience every day, to make the best calls I can in each circumstance and to have a bit of fun on the journey. Every day is an opportunity to live your ambitions.
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