Early Work Experience with MJK Smith
In the early 1970s, the cricketer offered me 50 pence per half day for sweeping squash courts and performing other odd jobs at Wootton Court, the Warwickshire hotel and country club that he and his wife had opened. I was 14 years old and asked him how many hours constituted a half day. He replied that he would leave that decision to me, allowing me to experience the light, yet effective, touch of his trust and leadership.
Leading by Example
On one occasion, while I was painting in the gentlemen’s restroom, MJK arrived equipped with gloves, bleach, and wire wool. He began removing green copper deposits from the vertical surfaces of the urinals himself. He did not ask me to undertake this unpleasant task, remarking:
"It is amazing what one will do when a business is your own."
This approach clearly fostered respect and demonstrated his hands-on leadership style.
