How Cold War lessons help Seeker succeed in business

Lessons learned in the heat of the Cold War are helping a Poole businessman negotiate the turbulent economic climate.

Steve Cook, MD of Seeker, says being locked in a bomb shelter and maintaining a nuclear-armed bomber were the ideal preparation for running a business in a recession that has seen him photograph some of Britain's biggest music stars from jailbird Peter Doherty to Oasis and veteran rocker Roger Daltrey.

“It's like Sun Tzu says in The Art Of War – 'In peace prepare for war; in war prepare for peace.' Simple really,” says Steve, who joined the RAF in 1983 at the age of 16 and worked on Tornado bombers.

“Throughout the Cold War we constantly prepared for a war that never came, although we did for some reason practice dropping bombs on deserts – funny how things work out!”

And it's that mentality which, he says, is helping his business PR consultancy and news agency survive while others are folding.

“You have to be prepared, but there's a danger in over-planning. Some people won’t put a plan into action until every single detail has been examined, refined and re-examined. Preparation is good, but if you overdo it you may miss the opportunity.

“The work I’ve done with Peter Doherty, which lead to photographing Oasis, Kasabian and Roger Daltrey, all sprang from two very small moments. I was due to photograph a football match, but it was cancelled. Five minutes later I was asked to photograph Pete at a press conference and went on to shoot several gigs with him.

“At one of those shows I photographed Babyshambles’ drummer Adam Ficek at midnight in an alley for 60 seconds. This set of photos led to me working with Babyshambles and in turn to photographing all the other bands.

“It's about spotting a chance and having the confidence to act. One of the key factors in Alan Sugar’s success was in getting innovative, new products to market quicker than his competitors. He knew the right moment to launch – he would have made a great Cold Warrior!”

After 15 years working on Tornados, Steve found life on Civvy Street very different.

“In the RAF we were a very close knit team, we knew we could rely on each other. Everyone makes mistakes, but the key is to spot them, rectify them and be honest. It's better to lose face and fix the problem than to risk the lives of the crew by covering up the mistake.

“When you’re servicing a £20 million bomber – that's at 1980s' prices – honesty and integrity are essential. And in business I've found that if you're honest and conduct yourself with integrity you will earn the trust of others, which adds to your credibility and people will be more likely to work with you.

“I missed having a support network around me when I started my own business, but networking gave me the friends that have become my team and support.”

Steve also attributes an open mind and flexible attitude to his Cold War training.

“You soon learn the enemy is not always the enemy,” he says. “I spent years manning bombers loaded up with nuclear weapons to protect us from the Russians. Now I’ve now got a Russian for a dentist. The IRA attacked my base in Germany and now we’re at peace.

“I travelled the world with the RAF and saw many different ways of life, from indigenous Eskimos in Canada, to Romany beggars on the streets of Sardinia and the Bedouin Muslims of Saudi Arabia. It taught me to be open to the ways of others, to respect them for their differences, and I've tried to incorporate those ethical values into my business.

“I've no idea what the future holds, but I've no fear of it either. The things I learned when the world was locked in an ideological nuclear stand off still hold true.”