Growing the economy: John Lewis' Andy Street

Staff are partners at John Lewis - the UK's biggest example of worker co-ownership

"Leadership is not about doing the popular thing. It's about doing the right thing."

The words of Andy Street, the managing director of John Lewis, who is now also the chairman of the Birmingham and Solihull Local Economic Partnership.

You will have gathered that Mr Street knows a thing or two about partnerships.

The 76,500 staff in his 29 department stores, six John Lewis "at home" outlets and online business are not employees.

They are partners in the UK's biggest example of worker co-ownership.

No wonder the business has been quoted in support of everything from the Big Society and social entrepreneurship to a more inclusive approach to employment practices.

Street level

On this Sunday's Politics Show, I will be talking to Andy Street about his chairmanship of the Birmingham and Solihull LEP.

It's no mean challenge with unemployment in the region nudging 10% and one-in-five 16 to 24 year-olds looking for work.

Not even the strong recovery by leading firms like Jaguar Land Rover and this week's better-than-expected growth figures can hide the fact that many smaller businesses are fighting for survival.

Andy Street is active in economic initiatives in his home town

Mr Street is certainly doing his bit for his home town.

He is an Old Boy of the city's King Edward's School and has an apartment in that triumph of 'statement architecture', the 25-storey Cube building which now towers over Gas Street Basin.

John Lewis is currently building its biggest store outside London, due to open in 2014 as the focal point of the New Street Station redevelopment.

His LEP also bid successfully for the city centre to be designated a Local Enterprise Zone, benefiting from streamlined planning regulations, improved broadband access and other incentives for business start ups.

Collateral benefits?

But critics of enterprise zones say they do not really create new jobs or investment opportunities, they merely relocate them.

The Merry Hill Shopping Centre stands as a gleaming example of an enterprise zone established under the last Conservative government.

But local high streets in neighbouring Black Country towns have seen precious little collateral benefit.

There is no shortage of challenges, then, for the man who has accepted the Chancellor's rallying cry to 'strain every sinew' to get the economy growing strongly again.

Find out what he makes of them on the Politics Show from 12.00 on BBC One on Sunday 6 November 2011.