On Purpose: Why great leaders start with the PLOT

AFTERWORD

The pace at which we can reach our destination of economic bliss will be governed by four things — our power to control population, our determination to avoid wars and civil dissensions, our willingness to entrust to science the direction of those matters which are properly the concern of science, and the rate of accumulation as fixed by the margin between our production and our consumption; of which the last will easily look after itself, given the first three.

Meanwhile there will be no harm in making mild preparations for our destiny, in encouraging, and experimenting in, the arts of life as well as the activities of purpose.

— John Maynard Keynes, ‘Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren' (1930).

With all due respect to Keynes, we live in different times. The margin between our production and our consumption has not looked after itself. I believe it is time to flip this quote upside down. The activities of purpose must now come first.

We need to make sure we are stewards and not disruptors of our planet. We should be, as the Iroquois people believe, considering the seven generations ahead of us. We need to be future-focused and address the biases that are stopping us from solving the intractable issues looming in our future. I believe we can do this. I am an optimist.

• I believe in the difference our ‘teachers' make.
• I believe we should all declare our manifesto.
• I believe in purpose.
• I believe that you must connect your head and heart and bring your humanity ...