Episode 133 · 3 October 2024 · 50:25
How to network with VIPs, with F1 Legend, Sir Jackie Stewart
Featuring Jackie Stewart
How to network with VIPs, with F1 Legend, Sir Jackie Stewart
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Introducing Sir Jackie Stewart and his VIP encounters
Sir Jackie's early life with extreme dyslexia
interview#dyslexia#early-life#school
From school failure to shooting for Great Britain
Treating VIPs as normal people and a chance meeting with King Hussein
Servicing sponsors well without being sycophantic
Why successful people like being around other successful people
interview#success#networking#psychology
What VIPs look for when deciding to work with you
Advice for leaders: don't try to be too big too soon
interview#leadership#business-advice#growth
Deliver — but make the delivery about them, not you
interview#service#delivery#customer-focus
On losing, trying harder, and Race Against Dementia
Show notes
How to Network with VIPs — with F1 Legend Sir Jackie Stewart
Guest: Sir Jackie Stewart — three-time Formula One World Champion, motorsport safety advocate, and founder of Race Against Dementia.
Most of us freeze up around famous people. Sir Jackie Stewart has spent a lifetime doing the opposite — building genuine friendships with kings, CEOs, and racing royalty by treating them as normal people.
In this special episode, Al sits down with "The Flying Scot" to uncover the art of networking with VIPs. Sir Jackie shares how he turned severe dyslexia into a superpower, why service beats sycophancy every time, and how he's now applying his racing mindset to one of the biggest challenges of our time — dementia research.
Top 3 Takeaways
Don't be sycophantic, be of service. VIPs can smell fake flattery from a mile away. What they remember is who delivered value, kept their word, and treated them like a normal human being.
Turn your challenges into your edge. Sir Jackie's extreme dyslexia made school a nightmare — but it forced him to develop other ways of learning, observing, and connecting that served him for life. Your "weakness" might be your differentiator.
Find the right people and go to bed with the right people. Success isn't just about what you know — it's about who you surround yourself with. Build genuine relationships with people who challenge you, and deliver more than you promise.
Connect With Us
Get in touch, book a call, or find Al and Leanne on LinkedIn — all in one place: truthliesandwork.com/connect
Mental health support: findahelpline.com — UK: Samaritans 116 123 · Mind 0300 123 3393 — US: 988 — Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14
Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network.
Full transcript
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Al ElliottThe dirty little secret is that most businesses think they know their customers. They have the data, the records, the history, but it's scattered across 3 teams and 4 systems. And in our case, it's about 216,000 spreadsheets, which means nobody can actually use it.
Leanne ElliottWhat you should be doing is using HubSpot, because why? HubSpot connects it all— every interaction, every support ticket, every conversation— into one platform every team can work from. So when sales talks to a customer, marketing already knows the full story. And when you know more, you grow more.
Al ElliottNice. Check out hopspot.com, the agentic customer platform for growing businesses.
Jackie StewartAnd I've hung out with some of the most successful people in the world. King Hussein of Jordan, sadly no longer with us. became one of my best friends because he was very keen on motorsport, and I met him by chance in America. He came to my shoot up at Gleneagles, and Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery were there, but so were members of our royal family, and a whole lot of all the best sports people in the world came. So I bring the King and the Queen over over to them, and they can't— they just don't know what to do with themselves. And she, on the other hand, was looking at Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery. You know, she was taken aback by them, and so was King Hussein. Bingo. They got what they needed, and they got it. Hanging with the right people at the right time can be very forthcoming.
Leanne ElliottHello and welcome to Truth, Lies and Work, the award-winning psychology podcast brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. My name is Leanne. I'm a chartered psychologist.
Al ElliottMy name is Al. I'm a business owner.
Leanne ElliottWe are here to help you simplify the science of work and create amazing workplace cultures.
Al ElliottYes, we are. It's Thursday today, so this is our regular Thursday interview series. If you like to keep abreast of the latest news and love a good agony aunt segment, Then you're gonna like our Tuesday episodes too, where we bring you our weekly news roundup, the brand new segment which Leanne's devised, which is cool, called Hot Takes, and of course our world-famous weekly Workplace Surgery where I put your questions to Leanne.
Leanne ElliottBut today, wowzers, have we got a special episode for you. Today's guest is none other than Sir Jackie Stewart, a true legend in the world of motorsport, known as the Flying Scott, Sir Jackie, is a 3-time Formula One world champion who dominated the racing scene in the late '60s and '70s. But this story isn't just about racing. He's a man who overcame severe dyslexia to rise to the top of the sport, and his incredible journey from struggling schoolboy to global champion is nothing short of inspiring. Beyond the track, Sir Jackie has been a key figure in pushing for better. Safety standards in motorsport, saving countless lives along the way. But racing is just one part of Sir Jackie's legacy. He's also navigated the world of business and high society, building relationships with some of the most powerful and influential people across the globe. From collaborating with giants like Henry Ford II to hosting events with royalty and movie stars, Sir Jackie has mastered the art of networking with VIPs. Today, he's here to share those lessons and give us a sneak peek behind the curtain on how to handle yourself when you're rubbing shoulders with the elite.
Al ElliottI was so fortunate to interview Sir Jackie. Huge shout out to Andrew, by the way, for making that happen. And I initially thought I was gonna get a lesson in dealing with fame. And in fact, that's what all my questions were around. But actually the conversation took a slightly different turn, as we've just alluded to. I quickly realized that despite being arguably the most famous racing driver that ever lived, Sir Jackie is incredibly modest. He gave me a phenomenal lesson in how to deal with really famous people. He talks about how to approach them, how to behave when you speak to them, and how to get them excited to help with your own projects. So whether you want to have beers with Steven Spielberg, tea with the Princess Royal, or just shoot the proverbial with David Beckham, Sir Jackie will show you exactly how to make that happen. So let's go and meet Sir Jackie and learn about his early life and how he got into motor racing.
Jackie StewartNow, I was a disaster at school. I'm an extreme dyslexic, and I can't read, I can't write. To this very day, I, I don't know the Lord's Prayer, I don't know the words of our national anthem. And many times have I spoken to members of the, uh, our royal family not being— I'm a millisecond behind everybody else because I'm hearing it and I can picked that up, and that's a sort of skill that I got out of necessity. And in my particular case, if I had just accepted what happened to me in school, I think I probably would be in jail somewhere because they said I was stupid, I was thick, and I was useless. They did not know what dyslexia was. I fortunately took up trap shooting, clay pigeon shooting, at an early age. My grandfather was a gamekeeper, my father a fine shot, and for some reason, at the age of 14, he said, listen, why don't you have a little go at trap shooting? Now, it turned out that I was good at that. In fact, the first event I ever entered, was in Scotland on New Year's Day, and I won the most beautiful trophy. I mean, it must have been this size. Um, why? Because everybody else had been drinking all night before New Year's Eve, and I, as a wee boy at 14 years of age, was completely clean. So I won it 3 times in a row, as a matter of fact, each year. for the same reason, but it gave me an indication of having to focus on whatever I was trying to do in the, in the element of my shooting. That was a fantastic learning curve to shoot competitively, as it so happened. But my mum and dad had a wee garage in Dumbarton, so I When I left school at 14 with no education, I started to be serving petrol on the forecourt. And I learned that if I did it very well and I did a bit more than was being asked for, I'd get tips. And I earned more money on tips than I did on what I was getting paid for a wage. And that was me learning That if I'm really nice for you, Fred, and you're really nice to me, he'll give me a wee bit of money. And I, I built that very strongly. I went to night school. That wasn't much of a success, but I also became a good mechanic. I worked in the garage and the floor was clean because I cleaned it immaculate all the time. And I'm still doing that in whatever activity I'm in. So I think you start by finding something you're good at. It doesn't matter what it is, and it may not be the thing that it ends up to be, the, the talent that you're being recognized for. And in my particular case, it was first of all shooting, because then I shot for Scotland.
Leanne ElliottTrap shooting.
Jackie StewartThen I shot for Great Britain trap shooting. I shot all over Europe, um, shooting for Scotland or Great Britain or for myself. And I missed the Olympics by one target, my own fault. I made a mistake. I made a mistake, and it was a very important mistake for me later in life because I said, I'm never doing it lose that again because I would have loved to be in Rome at the Olympics. There were only 2 people on the, on the, on the team and I was the reserve, and being a reserve is not successful. So I got my shooting up even another level and won the European Mediterranean and the Scottish, English, Irish, Welsh, and European ones, traveling all over Europe for trap shooting. Big learning curve, because if you miss the target, you never get it back. As a racing driver, if I made a mistake, a little bit of a mistake, I can always gain it back. In shooting, it's going to be 99 out of 100, and it can't come back. So my shooting had an enormous amount to do with any success that I've achieved. And that applies to almost everything I've ever touched, whether it be in the business area, finding major multinational sponsors, whether it be in social areas, whatever that may be, whatever it may be, because you're— you then start to hang out with the most clever people, the most talented people. Hang on close to them, listen to them, feel out how they live and how they've achieved their success. I was— it was a little— I mean, I was driven to be able to be with those very successful people, whether it was my shooting people to begin with or later finding sponsors. And when I started motorsport, I, I had done everything I could in, in shooting. And when I was a mechanic in the garage, a very rich young man who was an only child was not allowed to race, but he could have fancy cars, the best cars. And I was the mechanic for him. And as a result of that, He gave me a drive because one of the guys had damaged the car badly and I had to repair it. I finished second, but the man who was first was top class. So he said, oh, you better have another wee try. And I won. And then it was like a rocket ship. My learning in another field, i.e., shooting, not to make mistakes, not Not to let myself get carried away with a bit of success. Learning how to match the best. And by so doing, you match and get to be with the best people. And when you're with the best people, as long as you don't be sycophantic with them, you can learn so much.
Leanne ElliottDon't be sycophantic, don't be creepy, and treat VIPs as the normal people they are. This was the core message throughout the interview. But what happens when Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and Steven Spielberg turn up at your event and get hugely starstruck by the King of Jordan? If you're Sir Jackie Stewart, then you just take it all in your stride.
Jackie StewartWe had a big shooting event up at Gleneagles for several years. Again, because it was a fundraiser, I did it with Sean Connery, and he brought Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg. But I had half of the royal family there shooting and a whole lot of some of the best names in the world as part of the event. And it was just a huge success. And they came because the people that they were meeting in that particular case was a good one. King Hussein of Jordan, sadly no longer with us.
Al ElliottYeah.
Jackie Stewartbecame one of my best friends because he was very keen on motorsport. And I met him by chance in America, Daytona actually. And he said, oh, I'd love to have dinner with— can we have dinner together? Of course, I had dinner together with him and we created a fantastic relationship. I went to Jordan and drove with him in his car. He had a hill climb that he was very fast on. And we became really good friends. And now, of course, we're good friends with his son, who is now the king. King Hussein was one of the best, probably the best male Mayan that I've ever known. Fantastic man. So you meet people like him. But he came to my shoot up at Gleneagles. And Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery were there, but so were members of our royal family, and a whole lot of all the best sports people in the world came. And just when they arrived, I went to meet them properly, and about 5 minutes after our chatting, suddenly they're not paying attention to what I'm saying. And I said, excuse me, Is there something wrong? No, but there's a man over there that looks really like King Hussein of Jordan, and his wife was with him. And I said, well, what's the big deal there? He said, well, we're trying to get Sean to ride through the, um, in Jordan, the wonderful palace in Jordan that's many hundreds of years old. And it was part of Indiana Jones, the show, the film. And they couldn't get permission to go through this, this very tight place that Sean was supposed to ride through on a horse. And they said, we've been at it for weeks and nobody's listening to us and they won't have it. I said, well, hang on a second, I'll go and get— so I bring the king and the queen over.
Al ElliottWow.
Jackie Stewartover to them, and they can't— they just don't know what to do with themselves. And she, on the other hand, was looking at Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery. You know, she was taken aback by them, and so was King Hussein. Bingo! They got what they needed, and they got it. Hanging with the right people at the right time can be very forthcoming. And I've hung out with some of the most successful people in the world, and my, my ears are wide open, and I learned so much about them. George Harrison— I love George Harrison, one of the best minds of anybody I've ever met. Unbelievable. And, and he was a great enthusiast of motorsports, so I took him to a lot of Grands Prix, and I learned so much from George Harrison. If you hang out with the right people, you're doing the right thing. If you'd go with the boss who thinks he's the best and he gets overconfident, that's the one that's going to trip you up because you're going to be judged by him or her who you're doing business with. Motor racing is dangerous and so is business. You need to remove as many of the downside risks as possible. Because you go into a board meeting with a whole lot of people, one or two of them will have it wrong. You've got to find the right way to get it right. So always drive to get over what people have asked you to do. Perform beyond their, their expectations of what you have to do. So That has driven me all the way through my motor racing career and into the business side, because I brought, for example, HSBC into Formula 1. Sir William Purvis was the, was the, the chairman, and I had to— and it was a large— it was, I think it was 42 people on the board of HSBC, and I had to speak To them in their own home ground. To be sure to do that, I then went to what I think is still the best public speaking course that you can get. And I wanted to be sure that I didn't mess after getting to the point where Sir William said, well, I like the idea, but I'll never get— I don't think the board will get it. They'll not get it for you. And I said, well, sir, can, can I approach the board? Can I explain to the board what we're doing? Because it's global and so are you, HSBC. And I won it. We won it for 5 years. HSBC, big deal. But I had already been with Ford Motor Company. So therefore, when you get together with 2 big companies in the same area, You've got to service both of them. So I got them serviced. Ford Motor Company, once I had HSBC, I got Ford Motor Company to invest some of their financial interests with HSBC. And they're still doing it.
Al ElliottAfter this short break, we're getting into the meat and potatoes of how to act when you're around VIPs. See you in just a second.
Leanne ElliottDid you know that the UK's number one management podcast, that's Us, by the way.
Al ElliottYeah, yeah.
Leanne ElliottAnd the UK's number one marketing podcast are both on the same podcast network.
Al ElliottWe actually have a lot in common. We both use behavioural science to help people do better at work.
Leanne ElliottAnd we both had to wrangle Rory Sutherland on an episode.
Al ElliottAnd 2 out of 3 of us are devilishly good looking. And you're not gonna say which. Fel, host of Nudge, UK's number one marketing podcast. It's brought to you— we need to do this in 3s— the HubSpot Podcast.
Leanne ElliottThe audio destination for business professionals.
Jackie StewartSeamless.
Al ElliottSeamless. Tell us about your latest episode, Phil. Uh, we've just done an episode on fake fandom and how New York indie bands are paying agencies to create fake TikTok videos about how much they like their work. And we talk about the behavioral science behind fandom and how that encourages people to enjoy the music and all of that good stuff and do some big things about how this affects the world of pop culture.
Jackie StewartIt is.
Leanne ElliottIt's such, it's such a good show. Of course, you'll hear all the stuff you want to hear about how to grow your business by using behavioural science in your marketing. But there's also just some really interesting episodes that'll be right up your street. Personally, I enjoyed Can Balsamic Vinegar Make Beer Taste Better?
Al ElliottIt can.
Leanne ElliottAnd Are We All Just Status-Seeking Monkeys?
Al ElliottI am. Go and listen to Lunch wherever you get your podcasts.
Leanne ElliottBut come back.
Al ElliottYeah, come back.
Jackie StewartDon't forget to subscribe.
Al ElliottDefinitely come back because Nudge isn't as good as this, so come back. I'll cut that out. Keep that in.
Leanne ElliottWelcome back. So let's say you get invited to an event where you know someone famous will be there. How will you behave? What are some tips?
Jackie StewartIf I took anybody of our major sponsors, whether it's the Ford Motor Company, and it would have been Henry Ford II, Or his son Enzo Ford. It could have been anybody. If I took them to a Grand Prix, our— one of our racing teams, even before I got to Formula 1, it's Paul Stewart Racing, the transporter was immaculate. We painted all our tires to be black and not look untidy with the with the very immaculate transporter itself. So we'd get— and also the tire company, let's say it was Goodyear, I'd get the boys to lift up the truck to put the Goodyear on top so that the Goodyear is seen. It's another advert, and it costs nothing. Nothing. But boy, did it impress the Goodyear management to see it. So sometimes it's little things that you think is maybe not important. The little things become big things, and recognition of the big things usually come your way. Big trees, they blow over. It only depends on the strength of the wind. And if you can stay away from that, doing the wrong thing with the wrong people— so you've got to hang out with the wrong people.
Al ElliottYeah.
Jackie StewartThat with the right people. And to do that, you've got to service them well. Not be sycophantic, because they'll see through you if you're sycophantic, but deliver success for them. Let them see something maybe they haven't seen before. And motor racing, in my case, Porsche racing, became very successful. It went up and up on each Formula until we got to the point where we're in Formula 3000. We decided to go for Formula 1, and we had to go only with the very best sponsors, Jackie Stewart said. No good of getting somebody that's slower and not in proper— you know, to HSBC, to have the Ford Motor Company, to have all sorts of other names that I could give to you that were considerable investors in what we had. We had a factory that we started. It was immaculate in every way. So anytime we were approaching any presentations, we did it in our factory, which was always immaculate. The floor was always painted. It was always clean. And you know what that factory is now, the Red Bull factory, and it's the Stewart Building. I didn't put that there, they did. We got to a level in Formula 1, we were second in Monaco in our first year behind Schumacher. We won the Grand Prix, which to be our— was to be our last Grand Prix, the German Grand Prix. Um, we did well, and then Ford Motor Company who were one of our major sponsors, decided they wanted to do it themselves. It didn't succeed. We, of course, sold to them very successfully. Because they were in Detroit and Formula 1 was in Europe, they weren't getting the real talent all of the time. You know, why is Red Bull or Mercedes-Benz over the certain years, or any of these top racing teams, good because of people, quality people. Being with people who are so much more successful than you are is lovely to see. It's, it's, it's a terrific education. I don't see myself as successful all that much at all. I see other people as being successful. I mean, I, I— you can't be sycophantic with them. You can't, you know, suck, suck, suck up on them. You just have to say, my God, isn't that something special? And you might have the privilege of meeting them again, or them coming, knowing that in my particular case it would either be for For motor racing or safety or shooting, um, trap shooting, etc. Now I know Mr. Beretta, he's a wonderful man. When I won my first world championship, when I got back to the Villa d'Este, the hotel I was staying in, there was a— the concierge said, there's a gentleman and his son have been waiting to see you. It was Mr. Beretta, because I had just won the Italian Grand Prix. And he said, we love what you're doing and we know you shoot, and I'd like to present you with a new Beretta gun. And he's got a son now that I like, and he— because his daddy thinks Jackie Stewart's okay, um, we've got another generation. And I'm holding this Race Against Dementia event At their shooting school in London at no cost. Mr. Barrett is giving me that for Race Against Dementia, and we'll have a lot of people there, a lot of good, high-quality people who know about dementia a little bit. They don't know a lot about it, but they're frightened from it, or they've got a loved one with it. And we've got to find a cure for dementia. Now, that's the biggest challenge I've ever faced. To do that, you've got to hang out, you've got to have the right people to be with you. It's not going to happen just with Jackie Stewart, that's for sure. So we've got to have quality people who want to help you.
Leanne ElliottOne of the things that we don't necessarily think about is that successful people like being around other successful people. And as we learn, you don't need to be Beckham-level successful. If you've achieved something pretty impressive, then chances are VIPs will want to learn more about you.
Al ElliottI took Sir Jackie back to the time where he started consulting with Ford. And of course, it wasn't just the head of engineering that was Sir Jackie's point of contact. It was Henry Ford's son. I do want to hear a little bit more about, um, Henry Ford II though. You, you— I've got written down here that you're a consultant for about 25 years for Ford. So what was it like working with Henry Ford II?
Jackie StewartWhen I met him, I had already had a relationship with the company in a small way. I then started to say, why don't you have me work with some of your product development teams? And because I was a world champion racing driver at the time, for them to be with me was a big deal, whether it was in Detroit or whether it was in Europe, because they had factories in Europe as well. At one of the events, I was sat beside him at the dinner, and we just happened to get on well. And then I got to know his son, Edsel Ford, and he's been a member of Race Against Dementia. He's been part of our, our program. And because of that, I, I knew him. I got to know him very, very well. He became one of my best friends. And therefore, Henry, at the same time, was getting good reports on what Jackie was doing. Because I'd go around the world every time I won the World Championship. I had to go around the world with the Ford Motor Company, and we went round from Saudi Arabia to India to God knows where, all the way down all of the big continents. And when you're a world champion, you always meet the president or somebody of that level. Now, if they're impressed by your Presence, not just oh yeah, he's world champion. Hi, how are you doing? I liked your driver, your car, or something. If they like you and the fact that you're presenting yourself not one dom domineering way in Argentina, for example, because there's a Ford Motor Company. There was a Ford Motor Company manufacturing city in Argentina. country and Argentina. So I met the president of Argentina and he said, oh well, and he was a fan of motor racing, so he said, come home for dinner. So I go for dinner. He said, what are you doing tomorrow? I said, not a lot, sir. He said, well, why don't we golf together? So we went out and golfed together because I had played golf from the age of 11. And therefore I had a long-term relationship there and And that happens in successful people in any area, not just monarchs, but people who have also achieved a lot. And they like people who are achievers themselves. They like to be with people who are successful. And you see that nowadays. You can see it in other sports. Beckham. He's a bright guy and he handles himself extremely well. And because he's David Beckham, the success that he's achieved on this— and they're not expecting him to be like that as a football player. He's a very successful man today, not just in football, commercially. And That's true of an awful lot of people I could, I could think of in a similar area that have just found their way into their next part of their life, because you're never a football player forever, and you're never a racing driver forever either. So you've got to be able to see yourself Beyond, I mean, I am now 86 years of age, and I enjoy enormously still going to Grand Prixes. But I've got to deliver. There's no point in me going there and not doing something for the company that happens to be with me at that time. You've got to. Under-promise and over-deliver. You never get the sack.
Leanne ElliottSo how and why do successful people decide to work with us normals? What do they look out for when considering potential partnerships?
Al ElliottWell, so Jackie, let me ask you about this because I love that you're talking about people and it all rests on people. So do you have some kind of formula for recognizing that someone is special? Whether it potentially be a partner or someone to— someone who you want to work for you.
Jackie StewartThey're not being sycophantic. They're not promising things that I can see that they can't reach. Who do they hang out with? They hang out with the wrong people. You're likely to find the wrong success, second-rate. Choosing people, vitally important. Choosing friends, vitally important. Don't hang out with the wrong people. That's expensive in the end. So I've been very lucky to have friendships with some of the most important people in the world because of my motor racing or because of my shooting, whether they be monarchs or whether it be, you know, multinational corporations. Leaders, um, because they've seen me shooting successfully. HSBC— Sir William Purvis was then the chairman— was inviting me to events that I would be meeting people that otherwise I would never have been close to. And as long as I didn't misbehave, they might invite me to come to a lunch or a dinner or event, which often happened. If you're hanging out with the wrong people at the wrong time, you're judged by the associations you have with these people. And if I was with HSBC, the Ford Motor Company would pay attention to us— not just Henry Ford II, but investment people, management people would say, well, if Jackie's hanging out with HSBC, I got them to, to invest in their, their, in their works charity at Ford Motor Company at the highest level. Um, and that came because they were impressed by, well, you've got Sir William, the top man. So if I could take the chief financial officer, the financial officer, To Sir William Purvis, that's a big deal for him. So that applies all the way through, um, still going on today with the right people. Um, I love being with the right people. I learned something every time I go with somebody that's, you know, that's So clever and have achieved so much and are not sycophantics. You know, they're real people, but they don't grow on trees. And if you overplay it to even reach them, they think, what's he up to? You've got to present yourself in a way and make them say, oh, He's successful, he's done this, why don't we have a chat with him? And that goes through a corporation very easily.
Al ElliottSo if someone's listening and they are a leader, they've got an— they've got a business, what advice would you have for them to grow a business the way that you've grown your businesses?
Jackie StewartDon't try and be too big. Don't try and involve too much too soon. Get success in a smaller level. And so polished should that success be, it attracts people when you go to see them and you let them know what you're doing and why you're doing it. You've got to have people that you can depend on. Some of the cleverest people I know are the ones that I most want to be with. If I'm going to do something, God, I'd love to go back to anybody of that caliber, um, whether it was in the days of my shooting or whether it was in the day of my motor racing. Ken Tyrrell was who I drove for, wonderful man, and he managed people really well. Yeah. Chose the very good mechanics. It's no good having a fancy racing car if you've got second-rate mechanics. You've got to have the best in whoever you're involved with. And if you are able to be with other people that are in some cases very famous, they don't like to be rushed at. They don't like to be over respected. That you, you know, if you first of all show them that you're not a sycophantic, um, you might meet them again sometime. The Princess Royal is one of the most impressive women that I know. I met her because she was the Sportswoman of the Year in the Daily Express, and I was the Sportsman of the Year with the Daily Express. And we had a big lunch that was given to us by the Daily Express in Savoy to receive this— these titles. And it just so happened that we sat with each other and the conversation got more interesting, that me asking more about her and what she did. And how she became so successful. And she was interested in driving. She's a very good driver to this very day, a very good driver. And we went to Silverstone together. I took her to Silverstone and I got her to drive racing cars. But I didn't overdo it. If you overdo it, it doesn't work. I think, again, if you hang out with the right people, people who are more successful than you are, Personally, that's always better.
Al ElliottYou use the word service. You said service, not sycophantic, um, which should be on a t-shirt, I think. How do you properly service a relationship? How do you— how does— how does the Jackie Stewart do it?
Jackie StewartDeliver. Deliver. But don't deliver that it's only satisfying you, the delivery. Make it a delivery that Is that, that's, that's progressing them with benefit. And if they— if you can do that, they'll always come back. They'll say, Jackie, what do you think of this? Or what do you think of that? Somebody will call up and say, hey, I'm going to do this, do you think this is a good idea? I'll say, I'm not so sure, but I know somebody else who I might give a call to, and I'll come back to you on it. If it's something that, that might be helpful. So to do something and to service them is quite important. And try and avoid being the big, the big boy. You know, it's better to let the big boy be the big boy, uh, and not to be threatening to the big boy, but deliver for the big boy. If that's the case. And it's not being sycophantic, it's delivering what's been brought to your attention, either for help or for something you've seen that would be beneficial. You hang out with the wrong people, you don't get what you need. Choosing well with who you spend time with. They don't need to be billionaires. They're just good people. And when you meet good people— gamekeepers. My grandfather was a gamekeeper. My grandfather was a wonderful gentleman, wonderful manners, to be the head keeper for Lord Weir. And that applied to a whole lot of head keepers in the world. Bill Meldrum, and who was one of Her Majesty's great folks, who was the head keeper at Sandringham, and he also was good with dogs, and the Queen entered a lot of dog events, and it was all with Well, with, with, with that same man, and he's still alive. Sadly, his wife died of dementia. Her Majesty looked after Bill Meldrum and his family really well, and that's the sort of person who I've— I always think the world of, is You know, you don't have to be multi-billionaires to like them. They can be very boring and they can sometimes, you know, be not who you should be hanging out with. If you fly with the crows, you're liable to be shot at.
Al ElliottYou have been so successful in a lot of things you've done, but I'm curious, what, what goes through your mind if you don't win at something?
Jackie StewartYou try harder. I didn't always win, but in the end, I won more than I was losing. I've got to hang out with the right people. The best team principal, the best technical director, the best mechanics. Always go for the best people. Find the best people. And that's what we're trying to do with Race Against Dementia. So it's the same in anything.
Leanne ElliottYeah.
Jackie StewartIt's find the right people, go to bed with the right people.
Leanne ElliottSir Jackie founded Race Against Dementia after his wife, Lady Helen, was diagnosed with the illness. For over 60 years, Helen has been by his side, but dementia has changed their lives. This charity is personal for Sir Jackie. He's tackling dementia with the same determination he used on the racetrack. The goal is to fast-track research and find a cure for this devastating disease. By supporting young scientists and innovative research, Race Against Dementia is bringing urgency and fresh ideas to a fight that affects millions of families, just like his own.
Al ElliottSo let's hear a little bit more from Sir Jackie about this amazing organisation.
Jackie StewartMore people die of dementia than any other illness in the world, including cancer. Cancer gets millions, maybe billions of amounts of money from other— around the world. That's not been true in the case of dementia. Dementia is a newfound area of fear of a family finding themselves. And I now go around to all of— a lot of these homes, and it's a sad, sad story because That wonderful person. And my wife Helen has dementia. She doesn't know where she lives anymore. She can't walk anymore. Beautiful woman, my timekeeper, my lap charter all my life. 2 good boys, both who have been very successful in their own field. Mark making a very good movie, Paul with me in motorsport, and Helen, now we have, because I can afford it, we've got, I think, 8 neuro nurses caring for Helen. Not 8 at a time, 2 at a time, 24 hours a day. I think it's again picking up the right people. There's a very good university in Scotland that is specializing now in matters of dementia because it's become such an epidemic. Like, most people— more people in the world die of dementia than any other illness in the world. And they're now saying that for everybody born today, 1 in 3 will die of dementia. And there is no cure. So I want in my lifetime to find a cure for dementia. I've got fantastic people around me, fantastic trustees that we have. We've had tremendous support from people like James Dyson and a whole lot of other people of that ilk. Um, and I want in my lifetime To see that we find a cure for dementia. That's the biggest challenge that I've ever had in my life. Much bigger than driving a racing car. Much different than hitting clay targets. The pharmaceutical industry have given up. They've gone because they weren't going to make any money out of it. They tried and failed because it's such a complicated. The brain is by far the most complicated piece of kit in the world. The heart can be bad, cancer can be bad, up here is the worst. And that's what I have with Helen. And it's a really bad— I mean, I go to a lot of homes, and they're not even prepared well enough, these homes, because it's a relatively new recognition, this dementia thing. And it's, it's just a nightmare to go and see these people. So these are the things that I started off Race Against Dementia. Race because of speed, because of Formula 1, getting fixed, done before it's gone too far. So that's what The biggest challenge I have in my life, and maybe ever in my life. But it's a terrible thing to see and a terrible thing to be part of. And now more people have dementia than any other illness, and most people can't afford what Jackie Stewart's doing. They've got to go out and work. And who— where's the mommy and where's the daddy? They don't have talented people looking after Helen right now. She's still in bed and she won't come down until about 1 o'clock for lunch. Um, but they're top-class people. They're coming from Scotland, from this one university actually, in most cases. Um, and we're building this new unit which will be one of a kind, just suitable for trying to make somebody have more quality of life, if that's possible, with having dementia. The charity is very successful. I mean, it's globally— we've got— we buy the best PhDs in the world, young PhDs. In the world, because now with the internet, you, you, you can see with every medical university who the best person is and how good that university was in the medical world. So you can find the right person. We give them the money for 5 years. Uh, it's a lot of money, guaranteed for 5 years. I can't touch it after we've given it. And we've got them in South Africa, we've got young talents over there, we've got them in, in, uh, in Australia, we've got in America, we've got them in America obviously, we've got them in Scotland, we've got them in England, we've got them everywhere. And we, we give them sufficient funds for 5 years, uh, with our money that's deposited for them only. That's the biggest thing in my lifetime, is to, to find a cure for dementia during my life. And it will not be found by Jackie Stewart, it will be found by the talent that we are finding around the world, and they're getting great support from them. wonderful support financially.
Al ElliottI really love talking to Sir Jackie and genuinely could have spoken for hours. He's so modest, yet he's achieved so much, and he's 85. Let's not forget that.
Leanne ElliottHopefully you now have a good idea of how to network with VIPs. If you use this advice and get in front of someone famous, let us know, would you? Maybe get a selfie. We would love to hear that story. And if you want to get involved in Sir Jackie's Race Against Dementia charity, then go to race And a quick reminder, if you like to hear stories of how organisations big and small have built amazing workplace cultures, then every Thursday we bring you an amazing guest with a great story just like today.
Al ElliottAnd if you like to keep abreast of the latest news and love a good Agony Aunt segment, then tune in next Tuesday. We will bring you more of our weekly news roundup, our brand new segment Hot Takes, and of course our world-famous weekly workplace surgery where I put your questions to Leanne. Leah, anything to add before we go?
Leanne ElliottNo, nothing much to add apart from what a fascinating conversation with Sir Jackie. What an absolute legend. And what some cool little insights into, into a world that maybe one day, Al, you and I will tap into. You never know. Imagine me and David having a pint of Guinness on a, on a Friday.
Al ElliottI'm not sure I'd be very comfortable about you sitting there with David Beckham. I think, I think, I think I'd be very jealous.
Leanne ElliottI don't think you'd have anything to worry about. He's married to Victoria Beckham. I think you're all right.
Al ElliottFair enough.
Leanne ElliottIf you too enjoyed that episode, the best way to support the show so we can bring you even more great conversations is to subscribe, hit that follow button, automatic downloads, whatever app you use to listen or watch the show. It really, really does make a difference. And if you want to make an even bigger difference, do consider leaving us a review. Can't tell you how much that helps other people find the show.
Al ElliottAnd if you wanna make a huge difference, then we just send us a cheque for £10,000 UK pounds.
Leanne ElliottDo you know what? Don't send it to us. Send it to Race Against Dementia.
Al ElliottMaybe 50/50? No, send it to Race Against Dementia.
Leanne ElliottJust mention, just mention it, that you heard it through us.
Al ElliottOkay. We will see you next time then. So say goodbye, Leanne.
Leanne ElliottGoodbye, Leanne.
Al ElliottBye-bye. Bye.
Leanne ElliottPeople often get starstruck by me. Um, sure. Yeah, no, they don't know. They don't know who I am.
Al ElliottThey don't think about you at all.
Leanne ElliottNo.
Al ElliottWho?
Leanne ElliottTruth and what? Uh, next week, as we've just said, Tuesdays and Thursdays with more. If you want to subscribe— no, do all that again.
Al ElliottThat was good though. I like where it was going.
Leanne ElliottOh, I got little goosebumps then.
Al ElliottWhy?
Leanne ElliottJust a really nice cause, isn't it? Dementia's horrible.