The High Flyers Podcast with Vidit Agarwal
00:02:57 · Vidit Agarwal, Alan Joyce
[00:02:57] S0: And Alan, as you know, the purpose of this show is to reimagine the concept of a high flyer, to go beyond their job title and celebrate their human identity. Is there a high flyer who you feel hasn't got the recognition they deserve? [00:03:09] S1: I think for a lot of people that have done jobs like mine, it's your parents and your partner. So I think my High Flyers, my inspiration, and I mentioned it in my book, are my two parents. My mother is not well at the moment back in hospital. She's always been my inspiration. Then my husband, Shane, he's always been my foundation. So I think they're the people that usually get no credit or are a big part of any business leader's success.
00:03:09 · Alan Joyce, Vidit Agarwal
[00:03:09] S1: I think for a lot of people that have done jobs like mine, it's your parents and your partner. So I think my High Flyers, my inspiration, and I mentioned it in my book, are my two parents. My mother is not well at the moment back in hospital. She's always been my inspiration. Then my husband, Shane, he's always been my foundation. So I think they're the people that usually get no credit or are a big part of any business leader's success. [00:03:37] S0: Back to the episode in a moment. Something I ve heard a lot from business owners and leaders is that speed only matters if you still feel confident in the output. And it s particularly an important point in this world of AI. Xero answer to that is Accountable Intelligence. AI that shows you what it's doing and works from your own real data and is designed to keep you in control before anything happens. As Xero puts it, most AI asks you to trust it. Accountable intelligence shows you why you can. And that's how it works with JAX, Xero's in platform AI finance partner. So whether you're running the business, advising the client, or working with your board, JAX ensures that you get the upside of automation without giving up any of the control. If you want to see this practice, head over to xero.comhighflyers for 90% off your plan for the first six months. Terms apply and go to the website. That's xeroxero.com/highflyers. Now back to the episode. Yeah, I think you start the book with your parents, Colette and Maurice?
00:04:51 · Alan Joyce, Vidit Agarwal
[00:04:51] S1: And Maurice, that's Maurice. Yeah, they were being unbelievable because, you know, their background, they came from extremely poor backgrounds. Both of them lived in tenement housing, which is housing that were slums in Dublin, the worst slums in Europe, both grew up in that level of poverty, both really worked multiple jobs. My dad had three jobs. My mother worked as a cleaner to get her kids through university. A lot of people say that they're the first to get to university. I was the first in my family to finish secondary education, then the first to get university education, the first to get a master's degree, and then my brothers who were younger all followed. [00:05:32] S0: Yeah, I actually heard a story in my research that apparently, is it true that your, one of your high school teachers thought you were behind in your studies, but you were actually just bored, and when they did some tests on you, you were actually ahead of where you were meant to be? [00:05:48] S1: Yeah, it was interesting, because they were talking about putting us into remedial class in high school, and then the teachers did a few tests, and then I found out that I was just switching off in class because I was digesting it so fast. Was I lucky that was caught at an early stage before it became a problem. But you know, that can happen to kids, when you have big class sizes, which we did at the time.
00:05:48 · Alan Joyce, Vidit Agarwal
[00:05:48] S1: Yeah, it was interesting, because they were talking about putting us into remedial class in high school, and then the teachers did a few tests, and then I found out that I was just switching off in class because I was digesting it so fast. Was I lucky that was caught at an early stage before it became a problem. But you know, that can happen to kids, when you have big class sizes, which we did at the time. [00:06:15] S0: Yeah. A constant theme that I think you've talked about and that you've reflected on in the book and came up in all the people I spoke to is you've always believed in standing up for yourself and for your views. Apparently you've had that since day dot. Can you reflect on that for a moment? I think in the book you talk about your mum being at a fish market or something, and she asks for a refund or something like that, and she doesn't get it, and she stands up. Where does that approach come from?
00:06:42 · Alan Joyce, Vidit Agarwal
[00:06:42] S1: It definitely is in my family. It comes from my mother. My father was very placid, easygoing, but my mother always had this drive and this this really view that you shouldn't let people walk all over you. And there's a story, I think I was 10, 11 or 12 in that age group, came home on a Friday. My mom was cooking fish that she got from a little van up the road. She had a cold, so she couldn't smell the fish. And we bought... Had our first bite of it and found it was off, and I said to my mom, it's off. So she immediately marched up with the fish to the van and asked this guy for a refund. He refused. She then started protesting outside the van. And around three hours later, I went up, and I said, ma'am, come home. We're all starving. And the guy overheard us talking, and my mom says, I'm staying here all night because he refused to be phoned this bad fish that he's given us. And he he overheard us, and I was begging for her to come back, overheard us, and he finally relented and gave her the money. But it was a it was built into me from an early age that you need to stand up when an injustice happens and making sure that people don't walk all over you. And I think my man has that characteristic still today. [00:07:59] S0: And did you know that about yourself, like, from an early age? Did you have that understanding about your own self?
00:07:59 · Vidit Agarwal, Alan Joyce
[00:07:59] S0: And did you know that about yourself, like, from an early age? Did you have that understanding about your own self? [00:08:06] S1: Think so. I think I always knew that was part of a, you know, I saw some of the guys that I worked with said, you know, that it came out more when they read the book, particularly those early chapters. So, you know, the guys that were reported to me when I was head of quantums, they were all aiding me with writing the book. And a lot of them said, God, that was very telling, those family chapters, particularly your mother and her upbringing, and how she she saw the world, because that's exactly you. And I definitely am my mother's son when it comes to that. I think a couple of my brothers are exactly the same. [00:08:40] S0: The other story that I found really intriguing from your book is the karate story. [00:08:46] S1: Yes. Think [00:08:46] S0: you reflect on that your brothers were very good at karate. I think they went on to represent Ireland, some of them. But then you realized you weren't good. I think you, I think the term you use in the book is a second fiddle, and you decided to on that for a moment again, is that central to your personality where if you're not good or one of the best, you'd rather not do it?