In his talk, Mr Sole highlighted the significant interwoven elements of the team; leadership; and culture which all need to be connected by trust. He also embraced the need for diversity in teams, expressing to be truly inclusive you need to be comfortable with conflict in your team and opposing views.

Highlights of his speech included his guidance on how you should react under pressure, as it can make or break teams, advising when things go badly, you should lead from the front; and when they go well, you should lead from the back, and not to be too confident or arrogant and focus on humility being your shining quality. 

This event at Murrayfield Stadium was a wonderful opportunity to bring together our growing Causeway membership and also gave us the opportunity to welcome and make new connections with professionals who share our interest and drive in fostering business relationships between Scotland, Ireland & Northern Ireland.

In addition to attracting over 80 attendees across a range of sectors, this event was also attended by members of our corporate partners, the British and Irish Trading Alliance (BITA). In 2018, Causeway formed a formal collaboration with BITA, to offer a dual membership in recognition of our shared values and mission and that working together is the best way to secure the most opportunities for our members. 

Commenting on last night’s event, BITA Operations Manager Laura Watkins said:

“BITA is looking forward to a closer relationship with Causeway moving forward, there is much to be gained for members of both organisations as seen at the event last night. The opportunities in the room were incredible and highlight the excellent work that Causeway is doing.”

At the close of the evening, Mr Sole answered audience questions, and when questioned about the importance of networking for businesses, he expressed his view that coming to networking events is vital, and making connections is all about building relationships and trust. He advised in your professional life, you need three types of network – a personal network to give you feedback, to challenge and energise you; an organisational network of people who you deal with and do business with; and an external network who will give you your next bright idea. 

Commenting on the success of the event, Managing Director of AM Bid Mr David Gray said:

“I really enjoyed last night’s business leadership event at BT Murrayfield, with keynote speaker David Sole OBE. David shared some fantastic insights on the importance of common purpose, trust and culture, both in teamwork and in leadership. 

“AM Bid was delighted to partner with our friends at Causeway to deliver the event to a full house of over 80 clients, colleagues and business contacts.”