January saw the first StandOut event. And It was a really great start. Using Richard Stengel's book about leadership and life lessons from the life of Nelson Mandela, we went on a fascinating journey of stimulating and thought-provoking conversation. Here's what Pete, one of the attendees, said about it:

I wasn’t sure to expect when I turned up to the first StandOut event – I was hoping it wouldn’t be a dry academic debate. It turned out to be great fun - a stimulating discussion with a really friendly and interesting bunch of people. Highly recommended as a way to spend a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening.

Our next meet up is happening on Wednesday 27 February, 7.30pm at Crucible Corner. This month our conversation will be triggered by Tim Harford's book ‘Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure’.

Here's the blurb about the book:

Everything we know about solving the world's problems is wrong. Out: Plans, experts and above all, leaders. In: Adapting - improvise rather than plan; fail, learn, and try again In this groundbreaking new book, Tim Harford shows how the world's most complex and important problems - including terrorism, climate change, poverty, innovation, and the financial crisis - can only be solved from the bottom up by rapid experimenting and adapting. From a spaceport in the Mojave Desert to the street battles of Iraq, from a blazing offshore drilling rig to everyday decisions in our business and personal lives, this is a handbook for surviving - and prospering - in our complex and ever-shifting world.

Unlike the January event, we won't be having any formal event signup page. People are free to simply turn up on the night. As before though, there will be a £3 charge that will - in its entirety - be donated to the work of Oasis South Africa.

See you in a few weeks!

Sam.