Good advice from a good man: words of wisdom from Ian O'Doherty
I’ve enjoyed another varied and exciting week. I know how lucky I am. It began with me taking my Break A Leg! theatre show to Torquay where I met up with my old parliamentary colleague and dear friend, Jeremy Hanley, and his brilliant wife, Verna. It’s ended with a fun morning on Saturday Kitchen Live . In between , I have been in Chester, wearing my mortar board and gown in my capacity as Chancellor of the University of Chester. It’s an honour to be the ceremonial head of the university and this week to be conferring degrees on students who have graduated over the past two years but have not been able to collect their degrees before now because of the pandemic. It’s an honour - and it’s exhilarating, too. If you had met the young people I met this week , you would be as optimistic about the future as I am.
On Thursday, we conferred an honorary degree on a remarkable individual: Ian O’Doherty, formerly chief executive of MBNA Bank and now chairman of Chester Racecourse. Once he had received his degree, Ian gave a short speech to the congregation gathered for the ceremony in Chester Cathedral. I was very struck by what he said and asked Ian for a copy of his words so that I could share them with you. Here they are:
Chancellor.
Distinguished guests.
Graduates.
I would like to thank the University of Chester for this award.
I am honoured and humbled.
Chester has been very welcoming to me and my family,
So it is wonderful to be recognised in this way by the University.
I am very grateful to my family and all my colleagues over the years,
Who have made this possible.
This is an important day for all you graduates,
A significant milestone in your careers.
My daughter Aoife was recently in the same position you are all in now,
So I asked her what she would have wanted to hear,
From a speaker at her graduation ceremony.
And without any hesitation she said,
‘I’d want to hear you say “the drinks are on me”.
Unfortunately, the Chancellor has said it’s too early in the day for that,
So instead, I’ll share some thoughts that I hope might be of use to you on your career journeys.
Firstly, whatever role you take on,
Always do it to the best of your ability.
Always bring the best version of yourself to what you do.
You don’t get to control everything that happens around you,
But you do control your own attitude.
Be yourself and allow others to be themselves also.
Success looks different for different people,
But no success is ever achieved in isolation.
You don’t achieve anything without the support of many people.
So, recognise, support and thank those others who contribute to your success.
Be prepared for things to not always go as you might like.
No one gets through their career without suffering setbacks.
It’s how you respond to those setbacks that matters.
Believe in yourself,
Keep doing the right things,
Good things will happen.
And lastly,
Be kind.
To yourself and to those around you.
Treat everyone you meet with respect.
Some people may mistake this with being a soft touch,
But that’s not the case.
You can be good at what you do,
AND be a good person.
In this magnificent, sacred space that is Chester Cathedral,
I hope it is not sacrilege,
For an Irish-born Roman Catholic,
To quote a Lincolnshire-born Methodist, John Wesley,
Who said…
Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.
Congratulations graduates.
Being here today reflects wonderfully on each of you,
For all your hard work and dedication.
On your families,
For their support of you throughout.
And on the University,
For providing the environment in which you could thrive.
I wish you much success in your future careers.
Whatever life throws your way, remember…
Be yourself.
Be resilient.
Be kind and respectful to others.
Help and thank those around you in equal measure,
And whenever you get the chance,
Do some good.
Thank you.