«
»

Role Models?

I was listening a leading Icelandic business woman talk today about the two new female CEOs in two of their big banks.  It was suggested that they were more likely to be trusted by the public than another male leader.  During the course of this conversation it was stated “Everyone needs a role model” and that got me thinking.  I am unaware of having ever had one and perhaps it is just part of my character, that I like to explore and find my own way (and that is a lot of the reason I love walking).

Do you have a role model(s) if so who? And how has it helped you?  If you haven’t, to you regret it and why do you feel that you don’t?

“I’m so proud to be voted as a number one role model by these young women. Of course though no-one knows more about “rolls” than I do.”   Dawn French

Tags: , ,

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 15:35 and is filed under Business Change, Personal Change. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Role Models?”

  1. Iain McGuigan says:
    15 February , 2009 at 19:04

    Hi Richard,

    I can’t say when I was young there was anybody out there that I wanted to be like but certainly people that I admired.

    Throughout my career there are definately people who have mentored me and without whom my life and career would have been imeasurably poorer.

    The person who had the biggest impact on my career was a gentleman called Nick Lawrance, he spotted something in a know nothing youth that made him employ me as a trainee and then pushed me for the following 2.5 years. I was given the opportunity to learn from others but also to try things out and make my own mistakes.

    When grew to confident and cocksure of myself he had a balanced and effective way of bursting my ego without permanantly damaging it something I have tried to emulate with my own staff. He was a tough bugger at times, I remember doing something stupid which earnt me a couple of weeks of kitchen cleaning during the night – the kitchen got cleaner and I learned a valuable lesson.

    He encouraged me to go to college one day a week to gain a qualification and paid the fees for me to do so (well the company anyway).

    I moved on as did he and my career progressed as did his. Six years later he brought me in as his deputy and we put together the best hotel team I ever worked in. Watching him put together the team and managing them and myself was invaluable. He invested in me and the team constantly and when the time was right made sure I learned the necessary skills to be come a General Manager.

    There are lots of people I have learnt from but it is the person who sees smething in you and then allows you to grow supporting you all the way that you perhaps owe the greatest thanks to.

    I would like to think I have returned the favour by championing a few of my own trainees over the years.

  2. richardderwentcooke says:
    15 February , 2009 at 19:44

    Thank you very much for sharing your story Iain

Leave a Reply

This blog is kept spam free by WP-SpamFree.