Sir Jackie Shares His Words of Wisdom

Racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart has been inspiring the North's company leaders with the canny Scot insight that has served him so well on the track and in business.

The 71-year-old told the Entrepreneurs' Forum how his struggle with the written word caused him to take an alternative view of the world.

The three times Formula One world champion was branded stupid at school as his dyslexia was not diagnosed well into adulthood.

He said: "I was told at school I was stupid, dumb and thick. I don't know the alphabet, I couldn't sing the national anthem or recite the Lord's Prayer, so I learnt how to say it a millisecond behind everyone else.

"When you are dyslexic you have a creative side of the brain and you learn to think in a different way. You can't think like clever folk. You will seldom be a banker or a lawyer because your brain works in a different way."

Sir Jackie left school at 15 and entered the world of motor racing, following in the footsteps of his brother.

He soon rose to the top to become one of the top five motor racing drivers of all time before switching to team ownership with his son Paul that saw him sell his F1 team to Ford.

Sir Jackie spoke at a Forum event marking Burns Night, at the BALTIC. He was joined by Graeme Lowdon, chief executive of one of F1's newest teams, Virgin Racing,

Sir Jackie shared with guests the formula that for him had proved a winner.

"Under-promise and over deliver," he said. "It is easy to get carried away with a little bit of success and that is the fastest way to bring you down. Never get angry; never get too excited; you have got to be clinical.

"I see these CEOs at motor shows with what I call the corporate strut. They think they are really important but no one knows their names and they can be here today and gone tomorrow. If you get carried away you will make bad decisions. You have to keep to your values."

He said you needed to develop experience and surround yourself with the right people.

"You have to have experience and from that you gain knowledge; put them together and you can get wisdom; you can mature and make some big decisions".

Chief executive of the Entrepreneurs' Forum, Carole Beverley, said: "Sir Jackie was a true inspiration because he was so measured in his approach. Being successful in business is more than just spotting an opportunity; it is also having the wisdom and wherewithal to maximise the potential in a consistent, calculated way."