High-octane leader with a lust for life
By Emma Bache
In the latest in our graphology series our resident graphologist unlocks the secrets of Digby Jones, the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry.
Life and career of Digby Jones
Digby Jones, 47, started out as a corporate lawyer in 1978 after a stint in the Royal Navy. He was active in deal-making in the West Midlands in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1998 he joined the accountancy firm KPMG as vice-chairman of corporate finance. He was appointed to a five-year term as CBI Director-General in January 2000.
Jones is the senior non-executive director of iSoft, the healthcare software specialist. He has served on the boards of companies with interests ranging from quarry aggregates to car components. He sits on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Development Trust and once raised more than £200,000 in a charity cycle ride.
Jones lives just outside Birmingham with his wife, Pat, and has a flat in London. He enjoys the theatre, skiing, rugby and military history.
“THIS handwriting is eyecatching in its exaggerated and, at times, ostentatious loops and embellishments.
Both the upper and lower zones are extended to the detriment of the middle zone, which in this case relates to the writer’s ego as well as sense of practicality.
Although ravenously ambitious and forward thinking, he/she still harbours closely hidden feelings of inferiority. The points to the top of the loops emphasise the sense of intellectual isolation that he/she is prone to. The middle zone is small and a little irregular, with an erratic baseline.
At the time of writing, nervous energy was high. He/she may march to a different drum from the majority of humanity but the physical energy and sheer enthusiasm for projects and indeed life itself is likely to be legendary.
The form of connection between the smaller letters is a real mixture of shallow garlands, angles and some threading. Impulsive and, at times, a little reckless, the writer thinks and reacts quickly and spontaneously.
Classification of the individual in any sense is tricky because of his/her ever-changing moods and capriciousness. The thread formations indicate a quick and intelligent mind but perhaps one that requires the steady plodder beside him or her to act as ballast to their tempestuousness. However, the healthy pressure and good horizontal tension mean he/she is adaptable, persistent and purposeful when under pressure.
A marked right slant and a narrow script add emotion, sensitivity and compassion to the equation. In fact, the writer cannot help but show his/her feelings despite some attempt at control.
It should be noted that occasionally there is a swing away from the right slant with an attempt to slow down and take stock. The long and mostly swollen lower loops dominate this speedy script. However, the lines often mingle with the extended strokes.
It is as though the writer is out of control in this area, or at least he/she perceives this unconscious realm of materialistic and reproductive urges as a release from the tension and banality of everyday life.
Energy on all levels is high and instinctual responses are keen. He/she finds sorting out inner feelings hard and this restlessness and need for new experiences can compensate for less well-advertised self-consciousness. In other words it is difficult to scrutinise an object or person that is constantly on the move.
However, there is so much warmth and generosity at the very core of the writer that even occasional lapses of verbal caution and argumentativeness are likely to be overshadowed by a more prevailing social intelligence. The need to communicate and relate to others is strong, but the writer is highly strung and overactivity can exhaust both others and him/herself.
The long and rightward- placed ‘t’ bars emphasise the resolute ambition and forward thinking, as do the swinging loops on the capitals. It is fascinating to note that in the words ‘triumph’ and ‘disaster’ the writer has started each word with a capital letter, and one that is exaggerated and unusual.
Energy and charm have momentarily been replaced with the flamboyant showmanship of the charismatic politician. Indeed, there is evidence of the raconteur and a natural ability for leadership.
Although he/she is not a slave to detail and needs assistance with the day-to-day practicalities of working life, here is a survivor in every sense of the word — courageous and spontaneous, with pride in his/her own achievements and an infectious joie de vivre.