It was clear that Tom has been reflecting on how his own point of view has moved on since he and Bob Waterman published In Search of Excellence, 25 years ago! Whilst the context for business has changed over that time, he argued that a great deal is still the same. If Nelson is still as good an example of a leader as there is, then there clearly are some enduring messages. Engaging with our people so that they are in a context in which they can do ‘work that matters’ is what it has always been about.

The key In Search of Excellence messages – hard is soft and soft is hard – are as important now as they have ever been. Tom has taken time out over this summer to reframe and refresh these messages, and the response from the London audiences was WOW!

If you haven’t already seen them, take a look at Tom’s slide set from the London speeches here

Tom’s next public appearance in London will be on 28th April 2008. Details here