Show of confidence from Harrods staff

Three members of staff from the London-based luxury department store attended the annual conference of The Confident Club, an organisation that helps business people improve their public speaking and networking skills.

Around 50 people participated in the annual conference which was held at the Holiday Inn in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

The seminars encouraged participants to become more resilient and innovative, at a time when the UK economy is struggling to grow.

Steve McDermott, the Leeds-based motivational speaker and author, who is one of the founding members of the Confident Club, said: “The whole day was about challenging the idea that success is a matter of luck and chance, that’s why we held it on Friday the 13th.

“In difficult times you can choose to be a victim of circumstances or you can show a bit of Yorkshire grit, re-invent yourself and start to climb the ladder of success.

“It was pleasing that everyone went away with a clear plan and the confidence to succeed in 2012 and beyond.”

He added: “Now is the best time to be doing business, if you get it right.

“You’re never going to have a bigger pool of experienced people. If you’re an employer, you’ve got real choice.

“If you’ve been made redundant, you’ll probably find the thing you wanted to do, but were scared to do. You should take it as an opportunity.

“You have got to take some sensible risks because you can’t develop a new product or new service.

“Tough times call for tough actions. I see my role as a catalyst. My job is to create the environment where you take a breather and say, ‘Hang on, I’ve got a second wind now’.”