The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

So back to the post …

A while back, the great playwright, Tom Stoppard, died.

His death affected me because he was someone my family didn’t just respect highly, but knew well.

Especially my Auntie Silvana, who first met him when they worked at the iconic Aldwych theatre, London.

If truth be told, I’d not thought about Tom for years but on hearing he had died, I realized the people in my life who would be the most upset at this news – namely my Mum, Dad and Aunt – had all gone, and somehow that made the news the more potent.

Unsurprisingly, news of Tom’s passing led to many stories about him being told in the international media.

Stories about his talent.
Stories about his stories.
And stories about his integrity.

The word integrity is one that is often overused and incorrectly used.

Too often used to justify a one-off decision and/or a small act of consciousness within a big pattern of complicit acts.

But Tom wasn’t like that.

Even those who would label his decisions as ‘stubborn’ would grudgingly acknowledge – and respect – he was simply being Tom. Doing what he said he would do, regardless of opportunity, pressure, money or fame.

At a time where people and companies will seemingly destroy any relationship, promise or agreement for the ability to squeeze out $1 more than they had before … it’s beautiful Stoppard would never entertain doing such a thing.

Nothing sums this up more than this story of when Spielberg wanted him to write the screenplay for Jaws …

Isn’t that amazing?

It was also smart … because not only did it make Spielberg want to work with him even more, it had the same effect with the people at the BBC.

As I wrote a while back, our industry loves to talk about integrity and relationships but rarely seems to understand what those words actually mean, let alone how deeply entwined and interconnected they are.

As I wrote a while back about a private client of mine – the biggest street fashion investor and most profitable retailer on the planet – powerful, valuable and sustainable relationships aren’t built on convenience, but on inconvenience … and how your actions, honesty, transparency and focus continually demonstrate how you never lose sight of what you’re building together, how you want to build it and what each other is able to do because of it.

Also known as integrity.

Thank you Tom. We need more people like you … or at least acting like you.