Trinidad

Tomorrow I am continuing my researches into food in the vicinity of industrial operations. A strange place to have industry you may comment. Not if it's oil and gas. 67% of the Trinidad and Tobago economy to be precise.

I shall also be interested to see how BA fare on a near 12 hour flight? Will they have any decent films I have not already watched shuttling back and forth to Chicago in the last month or two. Will it be the crab salad and the beef again or will they have the green salad followed by the shepherd's pie? Will the seat work? The last two have not, electronics, electrics and entertainment all being up the proverbial creek.

The answer - part 1 (of many?)

Lies in the fact that all of the leaders I cited apart from poor Gordon Brown were hugely successful and had begun to believe in their own omnipotence. Gordon Brown may have believed in his omnipotence but he had no actual track record as a successful leader - ie the others flew too close to the sun and Gordon was and may still be on the ground waiting for clearance from ATC.

When are you past it?

I have been looking for some time at the issue of leaders and when they "get past it" ie when they lose the confidence of their stakeholders and end up leaving their organisations ignominiously. Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Lord Browne of BP, Tony Blair, Percy Barnevik of ABB are a few names that come to mind. 

The interesting question is why Gordon Brown hasn't got into the same position as yet; when on any analysis three months ago you would have said he was well on the way to the door.....

More anon.