The tragic, unfathomable and premature death of Wales national Manager, Gary Speed is still very much in the public consciousness. Last night, football supporters across the country showed what affection he was held in. Everyone with the same question “why, why, why…”

The overwhelming reaction to his tragic death has sadly, tragically, answered one question. “What makes a Man?”

From the outside, it appears that Gary Speed really did have ‘it all’. Career-wise, financially, he had a beautiful family, beautiful life, he was a beautiful man, inside and out. He had ‘it all’. In abundance. Yet, the tributes paid to him in the short time since the devastating news broke tells you what makes a man. For those of us peddling our wares in business, as consultants, or as leaders in companies, we now know what this struggle called ‘Life’ and ‘Career’ is all about.

The tributes say he was a nice man, Gary Speed was popular. Some say that within football, he was ‘normal’, an ‘ordinary guy’, one that took time to talk to anyone, everyone, regardless. Gary Speed was ‘honest’, ‘hardworking’, he was a true ‘gent’. That’s what the tributes say, loud and clear.

So many people we know think life is about ‘winning’. Being better than someone else. Having more than the next person. Some believe it is about having huge piles of money, let’s be blunt, some really do. Some believe the more cash you have, the more ‘beautiful’ you become, the more attractive you are to others, you are somehow ‘nicer’ to be around. At work, some care about ‘important’ job titles, status, being the Jones’ that all the neighbours try to keep up with. We personally know owners of companies, millionaires, with egos that would fill any of the football stadia Gary Speed adorned.

But what makes a man (and of course, we refer to this in the abstract, as this includes women and children too…), what really makes a man is not what he gains or what he has, but what he gives away. What he leaves behind in his wake. Gary Speed gave his time. His interest. His word.

And in return, what he may never have witnessed, sadly, is that in return, what he gave away made him a far ‘richer’ man than any of the self-centered CEOs, 50p Millionaires, bankers, self-serving, sometimes corrupt politicians and generally unpleasant individuals who fail to understand what makes a man. Gary Speed knew. And that is why he will be so missed.

Nos da cariad.