CAPTAINS of Kent industry were today urged to take risks and set themselves the highest goals if they wish to achieve outstanding results.

The uncompromising message came from Sir Brian Pitman, former chairman of Lloyds TSB and now a senior adviser to Morgan Stanley.

He was addressing an audience of 120 at a summer business luncheon organised by Business Link Kent and held at the Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells.

Taking as his theme, Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty, Sir Brian said:"I believe there are two reasons why businesses fail -- lack of ideas and lack of courage to put ideas into effect."

And he emphasised the need for bosses to carry their workforces with them as they strove to adapt to increasingly difficult markets.

"The biggest obstacle to change is how to convince people we cannot go on as we are," he said.

"Here in the UK we've got to get to the 'can-do' attitude they have in the USA. That's absolutely vital."

Sir Brian said it was difficult because most people wanted an easier life than that, but he added: "If you don't set yourselves extremely high goals you are not going to achieve outstanding results."

Sir Brian, who was knighted in 1994 for services to banking, was welcomed by the event's chairman, David Lewis, chief executive of the Kent Messenger Group.

Claire Coday, chief executive of Business Link Kent, was delighted by the success of the luncheon.

She said:"People come to these events with all sorts of ideas and spark off ideas in others. They do seem to find them very valuable."

Further information about the organisation's activities to promote business interests in the county can be found on the internet at: http://www.businesslinkkent.com