Drama in Ireland

I have just flown back from Ireland's IMI National Management conference where I was speaking to around 300 CEOs and senior management from Ireland's top companies about Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enabling Enterprise in business...

And what a fantastic event it was. Held at the stunning new Ritz Carlton in County Wicklow I met some amazing people and also sat through some brilliant speakers; Dan Pink talking about how to give your organisation new 'right brain' thinking, Tony Keohane CEO of Tesco Ireland talking about their initiatives to achieve sustainability and young entrepreneur Colum O'Sullivan talking about how he created the charming Cully & Sully fresh food brand.

But the best speaker of all was Laurence Olivier's son Richard who presented a one hour session on leadership through an exploration of Shakespeare's Henry V. How to take leadership of a highly brittle, tense and suspicious organisation (Britain in the 15th century), creating your vision, overcoming obstacles (invasion of France), living through the 'Dark Night of the Soul' (being surrounded by 40,000 French troops with only 8,000 able fighting men and knowing you are potentially sending them to their death), and motivating your troops to achieve victory in the face of absolute adversity (the Battle of Agincourt 1415.)

Brilliantly executed, hugely insightful and completely relevant - even in the 21st century. If you are planning an event and want an amazingly inspirational and entertaining speaker, I suggest you contact him!