Lessons from John Robert Caldon

I was extremely fortunate to spend six years of my career working closely with the late, great John Robert Caldon, 1947-2021 (former Deputy MD of Macquarie).

To be around John was to be mentored. It was in his very DNA and it happened naturally, generously, round the clock.

Some of his many insights below:

• On business. “Business isn’t that hard. All you need is an awareness of what’s keeping your customers up at night, two smart people and a whiteboard.”
• On having an abundance mentality. “Is this the last time you and I are going to have a great business idea, Adam? Of course not, we’ll have heaps of them.”
• On self awareness and humility. After sharing some critical feedback with me about a work colleague, John would invariably end the discussion by saying: “Thank goodness you and I are perfect, Adam” and then he’d smile with a twinkle in his eye.
• On old age. “Being old has nothing to do with your age. You are old to the extent that you spend most of your time reminiscing about the past. And young to the extent that you spend most of your time getting excited about what you want to do next.”

He shared hundreds of such insights with me over the years and did so with a rare kindness.

I will surely miss him.