Q: How can one tell when it’s the right time to retire? I’m “of age” and have the savings to make most of my post-retirement dreams a reality (so money isn’t an issue), but I just can’t bring myself to quit my job, which I’ve been doing for over 30 years. A: When I was…
If you thought bipartisanship has quickly become a rarity in Westminster, it’s all but evaporated in Washington DC. Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening was widely well received. Watching Democrats and Republicans up on their feet – applauding the Ukrainian ambassador to the US and the fight for freedom she represented…
Q: Should business leaders be on Twitter? I realise we can’t all have tens of millions of fans like Elon Musk, but surely even a few hundred followers can be good for networking, marketing and thought leadership? A: Perhaps I made a mistake five years ago when my grandson, Bede, helped me sign up for…
Q: John, what do you think about those seemingly meaningless job titles like “chief happiness officer” and “tech ninja”? Whatever happened to basic “Ronseal” job titles that do what they say on the tin? They’ve worked perfectly well until the past five or 10 years… A: A few years ago, I would have agreed with…
Q: Based on your considerable business experience, what do you think is the secret of good decision making? A: It’s wise to keep clear of politics and stick to common sense. Don’t make decisions at a meeting. Boards are there for debate, formal approval and to communicate critical conclusions. Good decisions are seldom made by…
Q: Do internal hires make for better chief executives? Parag Agrawal, who was recently appointed as Twitter’s boss following the departure of Jack Dorsey, was hired, in part, because he had been rising through the company ranks for more than a decade. What do you think? A: There cannot be a golden rule. It all…
Q: With a new year almost upon us, what do you think the business world should resolve to do in 2022? A: I have given myself three wishes for 2022, none of which, if I’m being realistic, have much chance of becoming true. But, being a bit of a maverick, it’s important to dream. We…
I’m going to say something heretical. Having spent a good deal of my career working on continental railway networks, the British attitude towards rail surprises me. To be blunt – why are you so down on your trains? Up to the pandemic, the railways in Britain experienced their longest sustained period of growth in history,…
