Why is Tom Shelby a good leader?
We are in Birmingham, England. It is 1919 and the Great War just finished. British soldiers return, as winners but totally exhausted, to a devastated and depressed motherland. The Shelby family has been doing OK during the war period in their illegal horse racing betting business. Three of the Shelbys, who battled in France, return to take over the business. This is where Peaky Blinders (Shelby’s gang name), the world acclaimed BBC series also available on Netflix, begins. I am not going to tell you more about Peaky Blinders. I can only recommend it so far. Today I would like to focus on Tom Shelby, the leader of the gang. He is not the natural leader of the gang. Initially this is Arthur, the eldest brother, the one that becomes the head of the family. However, Tom takes over quickly and I believe he does a great job as a leader. Why? He has a clear vision on how to grow the family business. He wants to move from a small illegal shop in Birmingham to a country ...