IN PRAISE OF STICKING AT IT

We’ve all heard rather too much of “Eye of the Tiger” at Sales Conferences. We’ve see the salesmen puffed up by the vision of themselves as part of the Dirty Dozen going out there and kicking arse.
But here’s quote from Rocky that I rather enjoyed:

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that.”

As a philosophy it’s simplistic but the embracing of resilience, courage and persistence rather than one glorious cavalry charge appeals. The mass carnage of Waterloo in one day which was much worse than the Battle of the Somme reminded me of how futile those romantic versions of war are.

But life isn’t a war. It’s a patient game of chess, of trial and error and the sheer appetite to win more than we lose.  And it’s about momentum.

Watching someone with the wind behind them mobilising support is fascinating. Jeremy Corbyn, take a bow. He describes his life is “parsimonious”, is authentically and very left wing and has a somewhat fiery temper. I’ve been amazed by the establishment socialists’ repulsion at his current success. Because whatever else he’s speaking to a lot of young supporters (did everyone forget the SNP?) He focuses on precisely why so many people hate the filthy rich, opera- loving and corridors-of-power-strutting political class.  What Jezza has at present is momentum and devil-may-care-speak-it-as-he-sees-it attitude.        

Which brings me on to Gay Pride. Living in Brighton it’s been hard to miss. A parade of good natured diversity - a cross between the Village People, Pantomime Dames and some very  excited and over/underdressed young people - girls and boys in equal gaiety - and some sensibly liberally minded Corbyn- aged people strolling the street unselfconsciously. Fairy wings and T-shirts everywhere - my favourite said on the front “Out. Proud. Gay” and on the back “Little. Often. Co-op”. It was all a giggling and, yes, gay party. Momentum of the same kind….just remember how improbable all this was a decade or so back.

I’m  neither labour, gay or a pugilist but I’m rather impressed  by the tenacity I’m currently seeing  from all three. Winning is “how much you can take (from life) and keep moving forward”… well said Mr Stallone.

NEW YOUNG SCOTLAND - WELCOME

I watched a referendum debate on TV the other night at which hordes of young Scottish students were in the audience. They were amazing- very bright, eager and full of passion. If this is Scotland, I thought, they’re going to have a ball whether Thursday’s decision is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. And the debate has gone beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ already. It did that with Gordon Brown’s olive branch, not so much an olive branch as an olive forest. And the bruising nature of the debate from the ‘No Campaign’ has meant one thing.

Union as we know it is over.

There’s been an overall miscalculation by everyone and oddly I think this includes the SNP. They were, I was told a few months ago by a pundit, making the most of an average hand that had been dealt to them. But the campaign, populist, mostly positive on their part and above all young now feels more like a revolution than a referendum.

I wonder if Alex Salmond realises what kind of toothpaste he’s squeezed out of the referendum tube. Times writer, Robert Crampton, who’s been touring Scotland on a temperature-taking tour, may be right in predicting a successful “yes” vote. But what he rather sadly concludes is that this is a great, happy and upbeat nation we’ll miss. One he thinks that deserves to have a go by itself. But the general sense is that Alex will have served his time whatever happens. Old politics - simply not fit enough.

A friend of mine said right at the start of the campaign that he'd been down to England on holiday and felt what a miserable bunch we all were.  This holiday had converted him from staunch “no” to wavering “maybe”. Another friend defined the issue as a “governance” one. Westminster cannot rule anywhere anymore - too remote culturally. The mayor has taken over London and Westminster is sitting in a stagnant, historic pool. If Scotland goes, just watch the action from Cornwall and Wales.

(Something odd’s just happened. I’m a dreadful typist and I just made an error - Westminster as “Westmonster”. History will judge this époque as the one when centuries of history may be seen to have reached their sell-by date. ‘Westmonster’ is in its death throes.)

Undertakers are gathering like Nigel Farage and George Galloway (in that Scottish Referendum debate looking grumpy, wearing a trilby - why? What’s George got to do with anything?). Both are yesterday’s minor men.

Back to Scotland ….. whatever happens on Thursday this is the place to be right now … like Berlin after the wall came down. It’s got energy, verve and ambition. I’d guess it might even manage to hang on to its young talent - previously it squandered its entrepreneurial youth. It’s got momentum and that rebel yell feeling that successful and innovative places seem to have.

I think the referendum is no longer relevant. A new, young nation has been launched.

LET YOUR PEOPLE GO

Independence is in the air, you can smell the whiff of recession and of rebirth from Padua to Perth. There’s a restless mood of change. Crimea which represents just 5% of the Ukraine has gone home to mother Russia. Scotland is putting its gouty toe into the water of independence and dreaming of “Braveheart” and of Mel Gibson roaring “freedom”.

Just recently I’ve started taking the SNP quite seriously. This is partly because of the lacklustre campaign by the “No” team.  Although to be fair they do have a problem or two. The Tories amongst them know that independence for Scotland means virtually the end of the Socialist party so a large part of their minds would love it to happen. And a whole bunch of ‘schadenfreuders’ in England have a playground attitude of “let them go and see what happens…they’ll be sorry.”
It gets worse…the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Newcastle said compellingly this week that a “yes” vote would be fantastic for them with a migration of business from Scotland south.

But it isn’t any of that that interests me so much as a sense of curiosity as to whether the Scots as a whole, regardless of economic issues, would actually be happier being independent. Too small to survive I hear. Hmm. They’d be bigger than Norway, Finland, New Zealand and Luxembourg who are respectively number 1, 8, 5 and 10 in the “Happiest Nation Index” (the UK, by the way, is 16th).

And who ambitious wants either the been-there-seen-that status quo or the sense of being a small fish in a rather large and unfriendly pond?

Wouldn’t Wales and  Cornwall prefer to be independent – actually come to that wouldn’t London prefer it too – an independent London would be like Singapore only much, much more powerful? The biggest, richest glittery city in the world.

And I see now that Venice is at it, running a poll of ½ million people in the Veneto region of Italy,  voting to secede from the corruption of Rome and the hopeless poverty of the south of the country.

Then there’s Catalonia, Brittany and so it goes on. So it’s better to be independent and it’s better to be small is it? This seems to be the mood. Small is beautiful. Welcome back the apostle of the doctrine…

And that’s why there were 300,000 start-ups in the UK last year and already this year a further 120,000.

As regards size, business units of around 150 seem to be the perfect size. A size where there’s spirit, obsession and energy. This is where creativity seems to peak. Forget about scaling a business; a lot of business thinkers are beginning to wonder if big and bureaucratic isn’t just beastly and unwieldy.

Imagine countries with a population of 5m. and businesses of 150 employees? Maybe this really is the future rather than corporations of thousands or Shanghai’s of 20 million.

This …. and, of course, that bit of freedom.

IF POST-MODERN MEANS MAVERICK COUNT ME IN

Like any aspiring historian I think it’s too soon to make a cool judgement of the Olympics although I fully expect a “was it all really worth it?” backlash soon.

But there have been some surprising bonuses.

We got back the Union Jack from the BNP.

The SNP have been scuppered by seeing Andy, Chris and Michael wrapped in Union Jacks. Sorry Alex Salmond….independence is history.

Our football prowess was firmly put into its second-rate place. Andy Murray showed he was a team player unlike the bemused Swiss (bring on the Davis Cup now). The media, despite itself, has become positive and full of good cheer. Women have been schooled to punch with accuracy and power….no more glass ceilings…whack! Customer service has improved. Britain has learnt to smile. Actually I’d put it more strongly than that. Britain has found an identity that feels right. Maverick. Ironic. Emotional. Post-modern.

Here’s an extract from an e-mail from an Indian friend who is a successful entrepreneur in India and ex- Investment banker from London……

“At all events I felt a sense of pride.

I am unbothered about the economy during the games - GDP is myopic and one dimensional. We should focus on keeping this type of planning, execution and friendly attitude (without the American cheesiness) which will allow the UK to get ahead of the rest!”

I love the use of “we” and the genuine positivity. And yes to the dismissal of the antique measurement of GDP. I prefer the CE Index. CE? Sorry. Clint Eastwood.

“Do you feel lucky punk?”

Yes. I feel lucky. I think we feel lucky. Lucky to live in this wonderful country…..

But I feel strongly out of step with most of my contemporaries in business, politics and the institutions. Most of all I find myself looking at the leaders of parties in a bemused way and ask if Cameron, Clegg or Miliband are abreast with Britain (maybe in a quirky way Ed is come to think of it.)

The next time you hear one of them being grumpy, negative or shouting at an opponent tell them to bugger off and read my piece on the “Civilised Science of Challenging” (next week) – how to say “no” with a smile on your face…and tell them to remember the Olympics.

Winning really is fun.