Enormous thanks Freddie Guilmard and his THE RED THREAD PARTNERSHIP LIMITED plus event cosponsor Pulse Group Media ; Martin Lewis-Stevenson Kerry Lewis-Stevenson and venue Cherry Tree In Olney (especially chef Ben!). 

 

The night had everything against it! 

⚽️ it clashed with the England match (only a French host 😉) 

🪩 I’d already been to a gala ball and awards evening and my rule is one work night intrusion per week 😜 

🥱 I’d also had a 7:30 early breakfast networking so it was a long day 

🫶🏻 As it was an invite to speak, I had gone alone (and later realised I needn’t have 😂) 

But boy am I glad I pushed through and turned up! 

 

The warmest welcome from Freddie and his team, a cheeky welcome drink - perfect for anyone with speaking nerves 😳 and some mingling with the exclusive group of attendees. I was lucky enough to hang out with Dr Susan Izadkhasti and Hannah Klewpatinond and we sat together to enjoy the presentations and gorgeous canapés 

 

Freddie kicked off the evening with some #leadership quotes, anecdotes and humour, he set the scene perfectly. 5 other speakers followed with 10 minutes #onthebox to share their leadership stories; some recounting amazing tales of leaders who paved the way for their success (Jessica; amazing!) some who recalled horror stories of awful leaders - anonymised of course for legal reasons 😝 (Siobhan you made me laugh, brilliant 🤭) and I loved hearing Susan’s story of her road to doctorate thanks to the leadership of her wonderful father. 

 

I shared - for the first time ever - my lifetime journey of leadership 🎢 themed around the #absoluteabsenceofleadership in my first three decades; my own journey of discovery and some embarrassing #rolemodels and sources of #inspiration …. and I won a prize!! You know me, I love a mic 🎙️ 😉 

 

By way of review- if you are a leader, this event is a MUST, currently ‘invite only’ but I know a man 😉 so let me know if you’d like an intro to RTP. I’d attend regularly, I’d take the hubby, I’d go with a girlfriend or 2, I’d take a work wife or I’d go alone. And I will. The setting, the staging, the warmth and especially the hospitality (who’s kidding; the food!) was utter perfection and I left feeling a more wholesome human than I’d arrived. 

 

Congratulations to all involved 🥂 🙌🏻