My Jerry Maguire Moment?
Spoiler alert: Jerry Maguire in the film, (played by Tom Cruise) pens a heartfelt 'mission' statement, after experiencing a crisis of conscience.
In the film Maguire pens a thought piece, a paper with a new sense of purpose and distributes it to the entire company thinking it will have a similar impact on those around him. You probably know it didn't, but here I am sharing an equally long, purposeful letter.....so here goes....and I appreciate it is a long article…but I am writing for those who are thoughtful enough to consider such a read either in one go, or in parts…
I hope you feel you have a life of purpose, because that is what being an Anthropist is all about. That purpose is to help maximise our potential for good. It is exemplified by the Anthropy ethos, born out of the most extraordinary of times and stands witness to a belief that in this Anthropocene era, greater humanity and an appreciation of what that means, is the only way we can navigate the complexities of the world we have created and then, live, lead and build a legacy successfully.
Let me start by establishing the background to Anthropy as a way of thinking and doing. We can all acknowledge that throughout human existence, life has always been a series of collisions and near misses between the lives of individuals and catastrophic events. Such as they are, they shape both individual lives and our societies collectively and have been created by human activity, such as wars as well as that of natural disasters. They have resulted in everything from the fall of empires to extraordinary personal loss by individuals and they mark our continual human history and struggle for progress. However, when such collisions occur, we are forever marked by what might otherwise have been unimaginable. The 2020 pandemic was such a year.
This was the year the world was pushed into unparalleled stagnation and uncertainty. A year where we were confined to our homes, lost access to loved ones, saw collective experiences such as sport and theatre suspended, had travel banned and on a wider societal basis, faced real fear and uncertainty of how and when we would safely re-emerge. Our economy was pushed to the limit, with global supply chains found wanting and consumers who were accustomed to on demand and ‘click of a button’ supply, suddenly fearful of home basics running out and their own jobs stopping. The social distanced reality, our creaking healthcare systems, schools failing to be open to educate and university students locked down, was in effect the pressing of a ‘pause’ button not just on individual lives, but one could say the march of human progress and certainly human happiness, as well.
In such extraordinary times what had been thought normal is often turned upside down. What was once common can become fearful and the marginal become mainstream. At such times what we also have previously valued, is often re-evaluated, whilst we find ourselves responding to such uncertainty with a desire to seek greater understanding and knowledge to better adapt ourselves and explore what is happening and or what might happen in the future. Throughout this period, I found the like-minded I connected with, looking to the future, with a confidence that there was good to be found out of such circumstances, illustrated by the collective efforts we saw in maintaining vital services, fundraising for the NHS and more. It was in my view an illustration that there was fundamental belief in hope, as the writer GK Chesterton put it:
‘Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances we know to be desperate’
Like so many others, my circumstances and concerns for my family, my businesses and the causes which I had supported, forced me to re-assess the general economic and societal situation. As I witnessed several friends and business contacts of a similar age die of covid, I also reviewed my life more generally and started to think about future priorities and a way through the immediate dilemma for our society. I considered how these dire circumstances might lead towards something better than had been before. Thankfully I was not alone in my hopefulness which meant we could acknowledge that ultimately such challenging times can offer opportunities as well.
With my existing concerns ranging from global climate change to localised environmental challenges and economic and social disparity in the UK, it created a belief in me that this was a unique moment in time for us all to consider as an opportunity not only for personal change, but for systemic change on things which had been challenging us previously. My thinking was that there was an opportunity for those of us who had been fortunate in life and have found themselves in leadership positions, to initiate change in how society could re-emerge to do things in a different way to that which had gone before. The term ‘build back better’ was often used by politicians and others, but in my mind, it should have been ‘build back different’. Better can suggest simply improving what had gone before, yet many of us acknowledge that something more radical is required on many agendas rather than simply building on 20th Century and even 19th Century systems and models which are no longer fit for purpose. Different is a new start, an alternative, a creative solution not yet built.
To do different, we need to look into ourselves, review our prejudices, our long-held views, our personal characteristics and beliefs. I also observe that in today’s world, we are inundated with people shouting for change, yet I cannot help wondering to what extent such impassioned advocacy is based on inner knowledge to compliment that of external factors in order to have a reasoned and knowledgeable debate. As humans we need to acknowledge that personal motivation for change, should originate with personal understanding first. As is attributed to the philosopher Aristotle: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Self-knowledge is, in my mind, the key to turning motivation to do different, into specific action, when given an identified opportunity. In my own case it resulted in the creation of Anthropy, as a major national gathering, which was successful because of the very human characteristics which it was based upon. As a business leader but also as a long term social orientated philanthropist and campaigner, the thinking around Anthropy was inevitably a fusion of my life and cross sector experiences.
Since the pandemic period my specific concerns around the economy as well as the long-term social inequalities we face, have not gone away. Here is my country, my world, my time, still living with the after effects in a way unlike anything I or others have ever experienced. Those enlightened leaders around Anthropy, are clear that we cannot just wait for government to improve matters, not only do we know they alone cannot solve the issues, but that would be a dereliction of the responsibility which comes with leadership.
Being Human
We as humans are naturally inquisitive and this is just as much about how our world works and how we live effectively as individuals within the world. It is about using the power of our intellect, our abilities to communicate and inspire, to build and to share, which is critical to human and individual progress.
I make no apology in being specific in stating the leading of a good life, because my personal purpose; ‘to help people maximise their potential for good’, is what for years, I have tried to help people with. Through my commercial work advising on ethical and sustainable business and via my charitable activities, often focused on young people, social entrepreneurs and cohesion in society generally, this was what success meant. It harks back to my days as a young officer cadet at The Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst in the 1980s. There of course, success at gaining the (then) Queen’s commission, as an infantry officer, would be a personal achievement but actually was more about becoming the best one could be, not just for oneself but for one’s soldiers, one’s unit and one’s country. Anthropy builds on that ethos and the inherent link between service and leadership. By its definition, to lead is to serve something greater than oneself and in understanding that, you become a better leader and person. Anthropy is about encouraging each of us to use our inherent human instincts to be better able at finding the answers to the questions we have and together those bigger questions which we face as the dominant species on Earth.
Like everyone, I have personal constraints, which mean I know I cannot achieve all I hope for if I act alone. I have an unknown but limited time to exist on this earth; I also have limited intellectual capacity, money, knowledge and skills to be capable of individually creating huge change in the world personally. However, if I can use what little I have and pool it with other like-minded individuals, to serve and help others, then I myself can perhaps take some satisfaction of having led a good life and, you guessed it, achieve my personal purpose by helping others maximise their own. At the core of Anthropy therefore is a simple equation which links being a leader, with service and achieving success through being good at it. I don’t of course mean being good at the technical aspects of a job, although that is a prerequisite in terms of efficient and competent functioning, but rather as a wider life mantra so that success in your personal relationships and in your working or voluntary roles, can be found through good being a core to your character and motivation.
The Constraints On Our Thinking
We live in a world which however forward looking, is constrained by 20th Century and in some cases 19th Century systems, structures, processes and thinking. These are often based on deeply set vested interests, centralised power and often aggressive and protectionist activities. For example, the way in which many markets shape corporate behaviours is often to incentivise poor human character traits. The way our political and media cycles are run makes for short-termism and the highlighting of what is bad, rather than good, what people disagree on rather than agree.
As people in all walks of life consider so much of our society is no longer fit for purpose, Anthropy and its thinking offers a re-learning of the deep human characteristics which have in the first case made us what we are today. An undeniable truth however, is that what those traits allowed us to create in the first instance, as solutions to our previous basic needs such as energy, food, housing, transport, are the very things which now cause us challenge in the 21st Century. If the building block of Anthropy thinking is the individual and how we all can, through thinking and feeling differently, influence change, then it is about doing so across the three aspects of an Anthropy focused life are: to Live, to Lead & to Leave:
How you live…
has a profound effect not just upon your own welfare, but those around you, the community and organisations you influence, the country, and the world you live in. How you live potentially as an Anthropist, is about choosing your best attitude and then applying your energy to express that attitude towards a collective good. That is in essence about living a purposeful life, to the fullest potential. That is best achieved by a good attitude personally and the belief that most other people are essentially good. It requires belief that we as a collective of individuals and as a society, can build on that goodness and that we can behave and benefit together when we think the best of people and people think the best of us.
Anthropy is based on the key human traits of kindness, belonging, curiosity, imagination and our voice. In reading seeing such words, I know some will see softness, perhaps even weakness, ambiguity and being in marked contrast to what one sees for example, in the very many business leadership books available. There are shelves upon shelves of leadership titles which concentrate on smashing, speeding, forcing, winning, selling and other such terms. Not surprisingly Anthropy goes in an opposite direction, a more human, thoughtful direction.
Anthropy does not call upon the code of the warrior or re-interpret battle tactics for the board room. It does not promote political playbooks as a solution to leadership or cite billionaire short-cuts as the path to success. Instead, it draws on a thoughtful analysis and application of these specific human characteristics which have since pre-history, propelled us as a species to continually progress and solve our basic human needs. Now these characteristics need to be channelled away from how they were used in the last century to solve economic needs via growth and consumption, towards finding solutions to the immense 21st Century challenges which are entirely more complex. If our human instincts and skills can’t be utilised to look forward, rather than simply applied to retrospective and ongoing mechanics of our existing models, then we will be doomed.
How you lead..
Is a fundamental component to living an Anthropy life because, regardless of role, Anthropists are by definition leaders. They take responsibility for their actions, what and who they care about, be that a family, a community, an organisation, a movement or a social following. In saying this next point however, I will potentially appear to contradict myself because a strange thing about many of us who think ourselves leaders, is that we are happy to be followers. What I mean when I say this, is that we are generally very happy to follow others who take away a challenging sense of responsibility from ourselves. It is why for many, we are very happy to put a cross on a voting slip every four or so years and then just get back with our own lives whilst politicians have the burden of ‘leading’ our country. We are equally happy to concentrate on our own lives and career paths and leave the leadership required to address poverty in our cities, or something like homelessness, to those who have chosen that career path, occasionally happy to donate or attend a fundraising event, if our busy schedule allows. We are happy to allow others to lead the activities required to address climate change, or animal conservation, because it’s less easy to go out of our way or understand how what we do as individuals can make a difference. Of course, we consider ourselves leaders, but we are leaders on our own terms, in our own silos, in our own minds, to our own rules. That isn’t taking responsibility, it isn’t leadership. Thinking of leadership as something which defines a particular role and has boundaries of responsibility is a falsehood. As I said at the Anthropy22:
‘Leadership is not stepping around issues, it is about stepping up to them, it is not turning on people in need but turning towards them.’
This is where leadership in the Anthropist model is not about one’s self but is about one’s service. It is also important to just address possibly the most uncomfortable aspect of the three aspects of Anthropy’s focus, namely legacy.
How you leave….
is to consider your legacy as an individual. This can of course be the legacy as you leave one organisation to another, but at the pinnacle of Anthropy thinking, this is about when you die. This may seem blunt, and it is a topic seldom if ever mentioned when people talk about leadership, but such an omission is neglectful of a most significant and inevitable aspect of all our lives. If life and a leadership role in it, is to stand for anything, then it must be to consider what you personally would wish your legacy to be, to perhaps be remembered for (if remembered at all, which is not necessarily required to have a life of meaning of course). What, together with others who care similarly about things, will you pass on to those who follow?
We ourselves have in many ways been passed an extraordinary inheritance in the world, with centuries of human endeavour and development in everything from rich artistic and creative achievement, to advances in technology, medicine and agriculture. These have inspired generations and lifted millions out of centuries of dire life circumstances. But with that inheritance, some of which is now having unexpected negative impacts, comes a responsibility to use our own time to consider what we pass to future generations. To consider how we leave this world, better through our actions, is about leading a life which has had meaning and consequence.
Given these three areas of focus, readers should understand that Anthropy stands for a willingness to embrace the battle against various and often seemingly prevailing foes, namely, negativity, cynicism, and the status quo. As Anthropists we need to deny the oxygen to these energy sapping influences (and individuals) alongside distrust and aggression, so rampant in social and other media and sadly in the public discourse. Anthropy requires a belief in the best of humanity and that of one’s own ability to influence far beyond that which might initially seem possible. It is to believe in something before one has seen it and believe that life, leadership and legacy success, is not a job title, a certain salary, a social media following or ever more acquiring of ever more ‘stuff’. Living, leading and leaving successfully, is based on what you do, the way you do it and what people think you have done for others. That is the Anthropy way. Anthropy demands we are open to change our own attitudes, reject negative manipulation and build a human approach based on the very best of what we are. That starts with empathy.
Empathy
Empathy sounds very akin to Anthropy and is critical to our world view in order to understand problems in others and can enhance our ability to lead well. Empathy is of course the ability to share the feelings of another and we know its power, because when we are prompted, perhaps by a tragic news story, or a serious natural disaster which ravages people’s homes, we are capable of going beyond our own experience, because of an empathetic imagination that makes us consider how we would feel if so affected. This is a human characteristic which drives us to behave charitably and gives us the enhanced ability to consider others. If we appreciate it more fully it can create a significant advantage to freeing us from constraints in our own lives and roles.
This is because given we know we can behave in this way in the likes of a natural disaster on the other side of the world, Anthropy simply requires equally thoughtful, enlightened and empathetic attitudes to those closer to home. We need to show such empathy and consideration not just to those who we feel some sympathy for but importantly, those who we disagree with. I and many already calling themselves ‘Anthropists’ believe we grasped just such an opportunity to think differently and re-emerge from the Covid period with a new attitude, specifically to reduce our rush to judgement, listen more and be considered in the opinions of others. We actively don’t engage in overtly dismissive or aggressive social posts but attempt to become the reason that someone can be encouraged to change their own behaviours, through the example of our own. Leadership and life are about behaviours and as we can all become the reason someone feels the desire to bring out their own goodness and encourage it in others. This is where true influence lies.
Every day we can choose our attitude…
We can either look at the world as a place of aggression, volatility, suspicion and anger, or we can choose to recognise the good in people, the joy in new experiences, the wonder in our built and natural places, and of course the richness in the diversity of the people all around us. How much brighter, more colourful and enriching our days will seem if we simply have the empathy and understanding to agree on a good attitude to others and a positive perspective on the world as we step out of our door or switch on our laptop.
As you will have gathered, if Anthropy were a person, it would be an optimist. It is not blind to the challenges of the world but is optimistic because it is continually enthralled by the energy of others and what we can all see as the infinite opportunities in such people. Such optimism, the type I have witnessed at both Anthropy22 and Anthropy 23, is infectious. It leaves one feeling energised, hopeful and encouraged and we all know that like attracts like. If one chooses to be a pessimist, then one will gravitate to those who feel equally negative, you will read pessimistic content, join social media circles of negativity and destruction. This breeds within you the counter to Anthropy’s sentiment, that there is hope for as long as humans have the ability to do what they have always done. To be an Anthropist is to look on the bright side of things, to look for the good in people and for the good we can collaborate on.
Anthropists like to think that such a bright future for others is the means through which we ourselves will feel better and that ultimately this is what all people want. If you embrace an Anthropist mind-set, then you must also understand that as individual or unique as you may feel, we are all in this together, as one. We are all on one planet where the cleanliness of our rivers, beaches, oceans and air, are critical to our collective well-being. We live in a society which requires decent, ethical businesses to provide opportunities for employment and products and services which are safe, sustainable and equitable. We all hope our children have access to good food and exercise opportunities, can be educated to develop healthy enriched minds and play a full and positive role in society where they will be safe, respected and fulfilled. The more we look at these and other shared needs, we realise they are all dependent on good people, people who can be ambitious but not at the expense of others, who can become prosperous but share their wealth through fair taxes, offering good employment and supporting society through philanthropy.
Personal Reflection
Anthropy has emerged from a significant amount of personal reflection. I have tried to consider what is human nature and how I believe, contrary to much in the public domain, we don’t have an over-riding propensity to aggression and cruelness and tribalism. I was moved to create Anthropy because ultimately, I believe we are better than that. I believe most people are good and want good for others and in over forty years in leadership roles in the Army, local government, charities, start-ups and in global businesses, has done nothing to dissuade me of this belief. But what I also know is that our positive attitudes are often denied the opportunities to be expressed to good effect, either because of our circumstances, or often because we have become prone to accept the labels of others and use the language designed to divide. This cannot go on if we are to fulfil our own destinies, by our own design.
Actually of course, many people for much of time, find it hard to know what to do with their lives, they don’t have a sense of destiny or even a destination. Yes, they choose career paths, think through what type of home and lifestyle they want and then work to get a salary to achieve that lifestyle. Sadly, it is often only far later than one would ideally hope that they often realise that these things, these often-material things, do not alone create a fulfilling life. We know that we have limited time on this planet yet waste it in trivial pursuits. Whilst not withstanding a perfectly acceptable human desire for enjoyment, fulfilment comes from seeking something which goes beyond simply feeding yourself. As Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the Russian novelist, essayist, journalist and philosopher said: ‘The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for’.
Anthropy is not just an event, it is a leadership philosophy based on the fact that we now stand at a point of human progress and national need, where we cannot any longer rely upon others to be the leaders capable of solving all that affect us. As a leader in your own right, you must assume to lead in a way that goes well beyond the job you might have and aspire to be a leader in society and in the service of society. In this way, we can all embrace a life that is purposeful, by being better and bigger together, and as a result be happy when we leave, having achieved meaning in our lives. To consider that even one person’s lot has been improved through your actions, or that the part of your planet you happen to live on, is more beautiful and more sustainable than when you were born, or simply that your interactions with people leave them more hopeful, is to bring the best of your humanity to the fore and the best of yourselves to everything you do.
Finding your personal sense of Anthropy, will enhance your enthusiasm, energy, resilience and positive thinking. You will be better able to discern what is a distraction, what is contrary to your purpose and this in turn will make decisions easier and better. The more decisions you then make based on such thinking, the more satisfied you will feel and generally you will become happier in how your efforts result in real impact on the things you care about. A perhaps unlikely fact is that I live in a small village in Shropshire, a not particularly well know part of the UK, where the famous American novelist Mark Twain visited twice in 1873 and 1879. He wrote:
‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”.
His statement encourages us all to understand that we are the makers of our own destiny in the sense that we have the ability to make choices, to determine how we use our abilities and influence and for what reason. To build on Mark Twain’s analogy, throw those bowlines off, catch the 21st Century winds and explore, dream and discover how to embrace the opportunity to live, lead and then be prepared to leave having lived a life of meaning. I think Jerry Maguire would agree and then you will truly be able to say, ‘I am an Anthropist'.
If you got this far - thank you & if think it’s worth sharing and growing the Anthropy movement then please do with your own sense of the Jerry Maguire !
Looking to join in Anthropy25 ? Now is the time to get your early bird tickets: www.Anthropy.uk To make change happen, we need many more thoughtful leaders yet to join in and join together at Anthropy.
Personal Website: www.johnobrien.world - Anthropy Website: www.Anthropy.uk