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...
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4 comments:
Hi Henk
Very good post.. really stuck with me over the last day or two.
Great post Henk. It really clicked for me after so many people have been asking the question about the future of SA.
I think you've really hit the nail on the head there. I know a few people who I think are in South Africa for that very reason. But only in reading your post did I realise it. Thanks Henk.
So true, if we don't work towards changing our own environment inevitably we will suffer along with everyone else, whether we are well off or not, but helping to correct problems benefits both ourselves and everyone else, it would be wonderful if this could be a fundamental of all businesses.
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