Power, Wealth or Impact: What Drives You?

I had a great discussion with my friend Greg Durst the other night about what drives people.

Greg has a Harvard MBA, worked at Bain, McKinsey, Chase Manhattan and in South Africa was the MD of the joint venture between DiData and Tata Consulting. He has an incredible network of big cheeses worldwide and is one of the most energetic and passionate businessmen I know. He could work anywhere in the world and demand enormous pay packages.

Currently Greg heads up Endeavor, a Non-Profit Entrepreneur network that provides support to high-impact entrepreneurs identified through a rigorous selection process.

So I asked Greg during candle-lit dinner (it wasn't romantic, the power was out again) why he chose to stay in South Africa, with it's crime, a corrupt government and constant blackouts?

Greg told me that there are 3 'primal drive' factors (once you have a roof over your head and food in your stomach): Power, Wealth and (often unacknowledged) Impact.

I live my life by a simple (& selfish) philosophy of "Change The World, So That I Have a Better Place to Live In". However, I never realised that the motto by which I lived my life was perhaps a more primal instinct, rather than an intellectually motivated altruistic philosophy!

The fact is, Greg said, in South Africa he can have a much higher Impact! There is so much that could be fixed and improved if we set our minds to it. In many ways, South Africa is a frontier country. It is possible for individuals like you and me to have a significant and lasting impact if we simply decide to do so! Our actions today can make a big difference to the future of this country!

And of course, just like on any frontier, it doesn't hurt if we become Wealthy while we're at it...

Here's to Sheldon Cohen

It was with great sadness that I read about Sheldon's murder this week. The Times quite rightly had an article titled "Sheldon was a Legend"

My wife and I met Sheldon at last year's Endeavor panels, where he's been helping high impact entrepreneurs to make an even bigger impact on the South African landscape. On the first night we sat at a table with Sheldon, and spoke about appliances, sports, children and all sorts. Over the next few days we had a few drinks together and he regaled me with wisdom learned from both good and bad experiences.

It struck me how incredibly down to earth he was and the respectful way he treated me, even though I'm just a small upstart entrepreneur and he's been running a listed business with a R500 million market cap!

Since then every time I saw one of AMAP's products on a store shelf, I remembered Sheldon and the amazing impression he made on me within a few short days.

Sheldon, I will never forget you. You have achieved immortality in my mind. And I'm sure you'd have a good chuckle about the fact that I'll be reminded of you every time I switch on our Russell Hobbes kettle for a cup of tea.