When I was 29 and full of ideas for Common Purpose I met Anita Roddick for tea at the Meridian Hotel in Piccadilly, London. She had no idea who I was. I had begged a friend of a friend to introduce us. Over tea I told her my ideas and asked her to chair Common Purpose.
She said yes.
Only with age and experience – and regular disappointment with fellow leaders of my own age – have I really appreciated just how glorious Anita was that day.
She was at the height of her power. Her brand was vast and she just backed me on instinct. Maybe years on you might think: ‘clever her, she spotted a winner’… but it couldn’t have looked that certain to her at the time.
She could have taken the approach so many people seem to take, which is why I say I have been disappointed with other leaders. I can see the agony of the inner questioning:
- ‘Is this worth the risk?’
- ‘How might it catch me out?’
- ‘How would it look?’
- ‘I should do the due diligence.’
- ‘Why should I do this?’
- ‘Why doesn’t this person write a 16 page business plan?’
- ‘How could this inconvenience me and what would I have to do…?’
But Anita didn’t. She went with her instinct and as a result I would have done anything for her.
- Dame Anita Roddick in the first Body Shop
Sometimes I think the word ‘mentoring’ reduces what actually happens throughout this process. As a result of mentoring me, Anita became chair of my organisation and gave me an office to work from. But she also became my friend.
She asked the difficult questions, jumped in when I needed her and lightened the tone when I got grim. She mentored me, I suppose, but mostly she believed in me.
It takes courage when you start things from nothing when you are nothing. I should know. And courage was something Anita had in abundant supply, and that’s how she founded that first store in Brighton many years ago.
I know, now that I am closer to the age she must have been when we met, that it takes even more courage to risk it all again and again, backing and mentoring others to take the same route, even if it might risk your own hard won success.
Anita wasn’t timid at the start and most importantly she never became timid. The world needs more leaders like her.
27 March marks the anniversary of the first opening of The Body Shop in 1976
4 responses so far ↓
1 Jon Harvey // Mar 30, 2010 at 11:49
Without a doubt Julia – we need more and more courageous leaders like Anita. In these turbulent times for public, private & third sector organisations, we need leaders with vision, grit and enthusiasm and who can support & challenge in the same sentence.
For me the two most important ingredients in developing that kind of leadership is searching out for truthful feedback and maintaining a reflective standpoint.
2 TomPier // May 8, 2010 at 22:26
great post as usual!
3 Exercise Balls // May 20, 2010 at 05:57
Keep up the good work, I like your writing.
4 Steve // May 28, 2010 at 11:19
Without a doubt Julia – we need more and more courageous leaders like Anita. In these turbulent times for public, private & third sector organisations, we need leaders with vision, grit and enthusiasm and who can support & challenge in the same sentence.
For me the two most important ingredients in developing that kind of leadership is searching out for truthful feedback and maintaining a reflective standpoint.
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