LET’ S DO BUSINESS
“ Within minutes you’ re soaking wet with the rain and horizontal wind.”
The purpose was to discover what happened after a person reached the point where they thought they had nothing left.
Downes had trained relentlessly for the physical tests. The psychological element was harder to prepare for.
The latter stages included combat survival and resistance to interrogation, designed for soldiers who could potentially be captured while carrying sensitive information.
Candidates were deprived of sleep and comfort and subjected to prolonged stress. People Downes expected to pass sometimes failed.
His ability to endure it, he believes, was rooted partly in Bentilee.
“ I believe it’ s growing up and having gone through adversity, having hard times growing up and having to stand up for yourself,” he says.
“ I’ ve always been very competitive. I don’ t like to back down. I don’ t like to be beaten.
“ I think a lot of that attitude comes from coming from a tough council housing estate where you had to stand up for yourself.”
That philosophy runs through Downes’ conversation. Hardship happens. Mistakes happen. Careers go wrong. Businesses run into trouble. Money can be made and lost. Plans collapse. The important question is what happens next.
“ Nothing comes easy in this life,” he says.“ You’ ve got to choose hard. If it was easy, everybody would be taking that step and going for it.”
For Downes, much of the answer comes down to a word that appears repeatedly during our conversation … discipline.
“ Everything is self-discipline,” he says.“ What gets you out of bed in the morning? What gets you doing that job? What gets you doing that task?
“ Self-discipline gets you going to the gym when you don’ t want to, when it’ s cold and wet. It gets you doing that project or reading that extra chapter of the book when you’ re tired.
“ It pushes you forward, and that creates habits, which creates growth, whether it’ s in a business or whether it’ s going to the gym.”
That may be one of the simplest lessons Downes will bring to the Let’ s Do Business audience.
Progress is rarely dependent on a single heroic act. It comes from what people repeatedly choose to do when motivation has disappeared.
MELVYN’ S SAS ETHOS
CLASSLESSNESS
Respect people regardless of rank or background.
HUMILITY
Lose the ego. Listen to the people around you.
INTEGRITY
Own mistakes immediately. Trust is difficult to rebuild once lost.
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Even when something succeeds, ask how it could be better.
HUMOUR
Strong teams need people who can relieve pressure and maintain perspective.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
Do what needs doing, particularly when you don’ t feel like doing it.
RESILIENCE
When you think you’ ve reached your limit, you may have another gear.
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