Post by Mark Taggart FCIPD

I won’t be about today. I’m a real gone kid. Although not as fresh faced as I used to be. This is me, Aston Villa Leisure Centre 1993, with Lorraine McIntosh of Deacon Blue. The band I have seen more than any other over the years. Twice last year alone. Of course, I’m usually painfully cool and bang on the zeitgeist, as will be evident from a cursory scroll back through any of my LinkedIn posts… 🤥 But I have a soft spot for Lorraine, Ricky, Dougie, James (RIP), Graeme (RIP), Gregor, Lewis, Ewen, and the others who have joined them across the years. Soaring choruses, lush harmonies, heartfelt storytelling, and unabashed romanticism are spread throughout their songs. And – to make myself even more “cool” – it gets me right in the feels. Real Gone Kid, Chocolate Girl, Wages Day, Loaded, Fergus Sings the Blues, The Hipsters – load them up guys! Anyway. Today they play Bedford Park. A 15-minute walk from home, and a gorgeous Victorian green space in the heart of town. I’m off down there early to get a good spot – picnic chairs and blankets at the ready. Good friends, a few drinks, and a pre-booked sore throat from belting my way through “Dignity”. So, if you want me – I’m not here. Call this my global “out of office”. I’ll be real gone, kid.  𝘐'𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘈 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘙 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘙 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩. #Leadership #Coaching #Talent