Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about how Thomas Cook chief executive Harriet Green had secured her position by cold‑calling the company’s chairman and insisting she was the right person for the job.
It was a bold move, but it paid dividends, and I made the point that being proactive can often reap rewards – whether it is to secure a new job or persuade a customer to make a booking.
Just a month later, we have a similarly uplifting story that underlines my point – and this time it features someone at a very different stage of her career.
Not everyone will have the success of 23-year-old Charlotte Hughes, who is about to start in a new role with Midcounties Co‑op after putting her case directly to chief executive Ben Reid.
But the happy ending to an episode that began with the closure of Charlotte’s branch of Midlands Co-operative demonstrates how a positive approach can really pay off.
I’m sure Charlotte – and the colleagues who will be running the new Midcounties shop with her – will be facing their new challenge with real vigour.
After all, she has already proved that you can achieve great things if you set your sights on them and really go for it.
Despite her tender years, she has set an example we would all do well to follow. And with talented, passionate and resourceful young people like her in our industry, we can look forward with real optimism.
The market may still be tough, but the best people will find ways to prosper whatever challenges are thrown at them.