When I was getting my start in the business world, our department was run by a kindly boss whose descriptors might well have been “gentle” and “forgiving.” However, he was nobody’s fool and, despite his demeanour, he pulled no punches when people failed to meet his high standards.

One day, he called together all the managers and supervisors to his office for a chat after one member of the department had let an opportunity slip between their fingers. He then talked about taking risks.