David worked with me as my mentor throughout the last four years of Full Stop, which was quite often a very challenging time. We had this huge and previously unattained goal to achieve, and were certainly quite off track on various occasions. He was really helpful as I tried to bring the ship into dock … which we did.
We’d built a big team to achieve our goals and at the end were able to integrate everyone into the organization . We also raised £274m.
After a long journey it was a success, but I had no idea what I was going to do next.
Where David really made a difference was helping plan what I was then going to do. I had absolutely no idea so he very wisely said, “If the only thing you’re certain about is uncertainty back the thing that you’re certain on and that is that you don’t know.” This gave me the space both to recover personally from the challenges of the campaign and also enough time to build a portfolio of options until the solution arose. To paraphrase some well-known quotes of Goethe and Pasteur, chance happens to the prepared mind!
Mentoring works in periods of transition. How do you help people make the right decisions in the process of transition? David has helped me make decisions during those moments.
David moves between technical input, tools to use and on occasions more just asking you questions and forcing you to think about decisions. He refuses to make the decision for you.
In the roles I have, avoidance of mistakes is almost as important as entrepreneurship. This is a key mindset for me and I really do value David’s guidance.
David knows his subject. He’s remarkably good at framing things and helping you make decisions. Not taking it off you but leaving it for you to resolve. David is excellent at facilitating the process to do that.
David has a remarkable ability to understand people and to help them maximize their potential and opportunities, coming at it from their perspective.
David is immensely supportive. Everything starts with that. You know you can raise anything you want. An important part of my life is to know he’s there if I need him. He’s very thoughtful, reflective, funny, caring … you don’t get a sense you’re just one of 10 people. David is horribly perceptive.
David, to quote Adam Smith, is an invisible hand in the market … he’s an invisible hand in your own free market of opportunities!
