"When George Begg stepped out of an RAF fighter jet for the final time, he had no idea his next chapter would involve building multimillion-pound businesses, losing everything in a recession, rebuilding from scratch and-eventually-becoming an author. His story offers business leaders a rare mix of high stakes thinking, strategic resilience and an unexpected period of reflection that reshaped how he sees the world."
"When he left the RAF, George channelled this clarity and decisiveness into entrepreneurship. With no savings, he took out a 100% mortgage on three derelict cottages, renovated them himself, and sold them for profit. Soon after, he launched two nursing homes, one of which generated more than five times his RAF salary and ran at full occupancy. Within a year of entering civilian life, he had made his first million."
"At the height of expansion, a recession hit, and he lost everything. Rather than derail him, the setback transformed the way he thought about planning, growth and agility. "I was overconfident. I didn't see the economic storm coming," George admits. "Now I'm always scanning the horizon. Contingency isn't optional - it's leadership." From that period came a set of principles he believes every founder and leader needs today:"
George Begg moved from RAF fighter pilot to entrepreneur, applying cockpit-honed decisiveness to identify and act on opportunities. He financed and renovated three derelict cottages, then launched two nursing homes, one earning more than five times his military salary, achieving his first million within a year. A subsequent recession wiped out his assets and forced a reassessment of growth strategy. The experience shifted his approach toward continual horizon-scanning, contingency planning, organizational agility and empowering highly capable teams. He now prioritizes nimbleness, exploiting large-firm vulnerabilities, expecting plans to change, and treating uncertainty as a core leadership concern.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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