"You've got to start at the top of the executives. If they're not right, if the people that are leading you don't know where you're going and aren't capable of doing the job, then you can't expect anyone else to perform."

That statement was made by David Hucker, the interim chief executive of the beleaguered Nottingham City Homes, in an interview in Inside Housing. It speaks clearly to the need for leaders to have both the vision and the technical skills for leading - and makes the point that vision and performance start at the top.

How many of us have been in the position where we had no idea why we were doing what we were doing? It's not enough to have a nifty mission statement; there needs to be clear direction from the top saying "this is who we are and why we are".

People yearn for order and understanding. We seek patterns in order to create meaning. When we don't have these, what happens? We invent them.  As businesses are made up of people, it becomes clear that if there is no vision - no shared understanding and meaning - that everyone will create their own. How can any business or company - be it private or public sector - hope to survive with everyone having their own vision of their work and their company?

However, vision will only get you so far. Translating that vision into deliverable good and services is the next step. There needs to be a passion for excellence. It's not just doing what the customer wants, but understanding what the customer needs.

Built into this is also the realisation that quality counts. It's not just the quality of the materials we use to make items - it's also the quality of our staff. Understanding that means the good leader knows they must be good quality as well.

How can you ensure quality people? It's in the attitudes and behaviours. The saying that people are "hired on knowledge, fired on attitude" is very true. We need to hire on attitude - we can always teach knowledge. An open, curious mind will bring more to a company than ten diplomas.

This is true of those at the top. David Hucker is correct when he says that getting the right people in at the top will be crucial to Nottingham City Homes' long term survival and success. I hope he and the hiring committee remember to look long and hard at the attitudes of the applicants, as well as their track records. The people at the top set the vision and translate that those into the deliverables for everyone else.