Situational Leadership

We had a great night out with Mum at Scott’s at the Marina in Largs.   She told us more about her recent time in hospital and how Patricia in her small four-bed women's ward decided to sing late one night just as the lights were going out.   She sang a traditional Scottish song in a fine voice and Mum joined in to back her up.  Before long the other rooms along the whole long ward were singing along and the adjacent men's ward joined in too. The nurses stopped in the corridors and looked around, never had they heard anything like it.

At the end of it all, with the lights off and everyone settled on their pillows - many knowing they were going under the knife in hip operations the next day - Patricia whispered across to Mum, ‘ We've done what medicine cannot do . . . we've taken away the fear of their operations tomorrow.'

I know for sure that this story, when I share it, will be used in one of Europe’s top business schools as a great example of situational leadership.

Before going to our own beds, we shared some favourite songs of people close to us in our family in generations above.   Youtube was invaluable in bringing the tunes into our circle and also, out of the blue, Dd sang her own favourite for Mum.

Please see the links below if you are interested in a good old Scottish sing-song.

Favorite songs

My Maternal Grandmother’s favourite . . . Roses of Picardy . . .

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ87ICmR-2k

Mum's Wedding Dance Last Song . . . Bonnie Scotland . . .

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cmYNMFSGIHE

Dad's favourite, which he sang at many a wedding . . . The Rowan Tree . . . here sung by the truly incomparable Kenneth Mackellar.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9YGdPrAET6I

Dd's favourite which she sang to Mum last night . . . The Road To Dundee . . . here sung by the talented and popular Andy Stewart.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=RDqtltT7K_-pI&params=OALAAQE%253D&v=qtltT7K_-pI