Life lessons: Peter Kindersley

The owner and chairman of Neal's Yard Remedies offers his philosophies on life.

1. Engage with and listen to those around you.
I love working as part of a team - the united atmosphere helps to build friendships. Teamwork teaches us how to listen and collaborate with one another to work towards shared goals.

2. Be yourself.
There is no point in being someone else. Realise your own strengths and then pursue them relentlessly.

3. Always try to do the right thing.
I am an environmentalist on the basis of the precautionary principle - if you are not sure about something, it is better to err on the side of caution. This theory can be applied to the formulations of our skincare line or even the use of chemicals on our organic farm. We say: "If in doubt leave it out." One of my biggest worries is global warming - the risk of standing back and doing nothing is so enormous that I believe we should all try to do our bit.

4. Inspire people to do better and go the extra mile.
Always try to instil in people the need to go that bit further even if the odds look difficult. I often think of Margaret Mead's quotation: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

5. Persistence brings you all you need.
ever doubt that hard work makes it much more likely that you will succeed.

As told to Jemma Nicholls