‘Tina’s take…’
9th February 2026
Edition No.4 of the newsletter which tries to help us understand what’s driving people’s frustration and distrust of organisations, institutions and leaders, so we’re better equipped to turn things around.
Hello and welcome! In this edition: not just a greeter, an M&S store-greeter; learning the ‘credentials of character’; a cup-winning former Chelsea and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper; and much more… let’s crack on!
Seeing the bigger picture – spotting the small things that matter 🧑✈️
Every time that I visited Marks & Spencer on the King’s Road in January I encountered the same employee greeting customers as they arrived in the store. He makes an impact like no other “store-greeter” I’ve come across before, which made me think why.
The single entrance to the King’s Road M&S is quite wide and as I’ve arrived, several people have been entering and exiting the store at the same time. On all occasions, he didn’t deploy unnecessary chit-chat (no time for that). He just looked straight at me as he said, “thank you”. Amazingly, as there were a lot of people around him, the greeter managed to address everyone the same way – whether they were on their way in or their way out of the store.
It’s fair to say that his energetically cheerful style is a bit out-of-keeping in Chelsea, and his enthusiastic welcome might not be everyone’s cup-of-tea. Even so, on behalf of his employer in that split-second contact, he made me feel that my being there mattered (and I was only going in to buy a small tin of chunky stewing steak).
Obviously, I’ve no idea how much thought he’s given to the way he does his job. But that store-greeter demonstrates the point of his role to the people for whom it’s relevant. That’s why he makes an impact – and why I think he’s so good at his job. How many of us can say the same about what we do?
Credentials of Character – vital for success💡
I realised later that I could have used the store-greeter as an example of what success looks like when I was invited to speak to the sixth-form students at Nottingham College. Whenever I speak to students at any school or college, I try and explain that success is not about ‘reaching the top’ but being good at what you do – whatever that is. It doesn’t guarantee financial rewards or the recognition it might deserve, but you do at least get the satisfaction and peace-of-mind from knowing yours is a job well-done. And you’re far more likely to be noticed and go further than if you don’t bother to try.
But I also explain, to be good at what you do, requires more than just learning how to do it. The best people always try and understand what’s happening around them, to stand back and see the bigger picture. Because when you do that, it becomes clearer why it matters that you’re good at it and how to be better: you can spot a weakness that can be fixed; or you can see to whom it could make a big difference if you made a small change to how you do it.
Someone who approaches any job like that, will usually possess ‘credentials of character’: the attitude and personal standards that mean they strive for excellence and can be relied upon. The great thing about ‘character credentials’, is they’re neither beneath nor beyond anyone; and when we spot them in each other, they cultivate mutual respect and bonds of trust. They quite literally allow us to build bridges across divides.
It’s one thing delivering that message to Nottinghamshire students – and I do hope it has a lasting impact on them, and that they all go on to be successful on their own terms. But it’s just as relevant to all of us in leadership positions.
Tips and Recommendations: 📺 👩💻🎧
A bit of history to watch: 📺 The same weekend I spoke to the Nottingham College students, I visited my old college tutor. Now in her 90s, Mrs Thomson is a remarkable woman who instilled great pride amongst us teenage girls for achieving the best secretarial skills. One thing she never discussed back then and I didn’t discover until some years later, was that her late husband – Chick Thomson – had been the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper when they won the FA Cup in 1959. (He’d also played for Chelsea during the 1954-55 season when that team won the League.) After my visit with her, I found this lovely, nostalgic 3min clip from a programme about the 1959 FA Cup Final. There’s a wonderful sight of women doing formation keep-fit on the pitch before the game which, albeit novel, didn’t amount to cheerleading (the commentator rather amusingly finds it tiresome). Towards the end, Chick Thomson can be seen making a save in goal, wearing a flat cap. They were different times.
Music video to watch: 🎤📺 Watching that black and white clip made me think of this music-video, which is one of my favourites. It’s a ‘doo wop’ 50s-style cover-version of the 1990s Hanson classic “MMMBop”. I realise that sounds a bit mad, but the combination of discipline and talent needed to create this is off-the-chart. I hope you enjoy it.
Drama to enjoy: 🎭 📺 Finally, I don’t think there’s been much good by way of drama on the TV this month, and I’ve struggled to find anything new to shout about. But in keeping with the ‘throwback’ vibe of this edition, one thing I watched some time ago on Amazon Prime which is brilliant and I’d highly recommend is The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Set in the late 1950s/early 60s, if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing something that’s got everything: comedy, drama, fabulous costumes, great acting, and heart-rending history about censorship and free speech.
Right, I’ll let you get on. Thanks again for reading. You can also read this on LinkedIn, X or my Substack, but the best way to guarantee you never miss an edition, is to sign up to receive it direct to your inbox every month. It also means you can just hit reply to send me your comments and feedback – which I’d love to receive.
See you next month!
Best wishes,
Tina
