Purpose Inspired Newsletter - December 2024

I don't know about for you, but for me it's been a bumpy emotional rollercoaster ride over the past month. There have been personal highs - like my new appointment as the world's first professor of practice in regenerative business, innovation and technology, and my publication of a new poetry collection called "Keys to the Maze" - and collective lows, like the failure of the biodiversity COP in Colombia or the climate COP in Azerbaijan to reach satisfactory agreements, and of course the re-election of Donald Trump to the US Presidency. In this newsletter, I will share thoughts on some of these, plus some of the interviews that have been conducted with me recently, and my experience after switching from X to Blue Sky. Wishing you a good December and a restive festive season.

Trump Won. Time to Recalibrate

On the morning of 6 November I, like so many others, woke up to the shock and disappointment of Trump's re-election. Lying in bed and typing on my phone, I tried to make sense of it all, posting "Trump won. 10 reasons not to give up hope" on LinkedIn. It obviously struck a chord, as it's had more than 170,000 views since. A few days later, having had time to digest the news, I wrote a more thoughtful piece on "7 ways to recalibrate". It got far less attention, but has some important messages, so I'm including the highlights here:

1. Understanding. It’s too easy to dismiss, disparage and demonise Trump and his supporters. But they represent a growing group of people – not only in America but around the world – who feel ignored, left behind and threatened. Partly, this is an economic story. In many countries, real wages for the middle classes have not grown for decades; jobs are shifting out of traditional sectors; and globalisation has brought more competition, migration and offshoring.
2. Sensemaking. There is also a cultural story. The so-called woke agenda is a step too far, too fast and too frightening for many people. It challenges their sense of identity and values. We don’t have to agree with this for it to be true. There is a psychological story too. In times of great uncertainty or perceived danger, people instinctively “go tribal”. To feel secure, they seek out others like themselves. And they follow “strong men” – leaders who simplify the world for them, who promise, like superheroes, that they can right all the wrongs in the world.
3. Listening. The lesson for us losers is that it is time to stop ridiculing and ranting and to start listening and learning. We have to understand the fears and aspirations that are motivating the global shift to the conservative political right. And we need to come up with better answers to their questions, better solutions to their problems. This is a lesson in humility. Rather than distancing and dehumanising those who don’t agree with us, we must look for common ground and find common humanity.
4. Strategising. If this all sounds too much like giving up on the causes we believe in so passionately, or compromising the values that we hold dear, nothing could be further from the truth. The goal has not changed. We want a better future where human rights are upheld, inequalities narrow, the economy rapidly decarbonises and nature is protected and restored. But we have to be smarter in the way we pursue this mission. We have to be more strategic and less impatient, more collaborative and less righteous.
5. Storytelling. Don’t get me wrong, we are still called to be vocal and active champions for what we believe in. There is nothing inevitable about progress. But we also need to change tactics. Trying to scare or shame others into changing doesn’t work anymore, if it ever did. We need a more positive agenda. We need a more compelling narrative. The new story must be about opportunities and inclusion, not risks and exclusion; about investment and returns, not costs and losses; about innovation and progress, not compliance and penalties.
6. Connecting. Above all, for us losers, this is a time for resilience and rejuvenation. We are playing the long game, and will need our health and strength to continue. It is a time for solidarity and sharing. We are building a movement, and will need to reach out, connect and stand with each other. It is a time for healing and hope. We may be hurting now, but we know that hope is rooted in action, and that the future is all to play for. We will face setbacks and disappointments, but we will always find and create opportunities for positive change.
7. Leading. Finally, we need to take back our power. That starts with giving up the false notion that individual leaders at the top of bureaucratic hierarchies are all powerful. In any complex system—be it government or business, society or the economy—power is always distributed. We are all leaders, because no one controls the system and everyone influences it. Others may seem more influential, but when we are connected, even the smallest actions, taken together, can have outsized impacts and lead to positive tipping points. We are the hope we are hoping for.

The Sustainability Dialogue

This is a fascinating conversation I had with Anthony (Tony) Perrotta, Partner in charge of Sustainability & Regenerative Economy at PA Consulting and Nathalie Bödtker-Lund, Head of Impact and Sustainability at PulPac. We talked about the business case for sustainability, breakthrough solutions like green hydrogen, biomaterials, and PulPac’s dry moulded fibre technology, and bold strategies, scalable innovations, and supportive hashtag#policies that are paving the way for a more resilient and regenerative economy.

Regenerative Business, Innovation and Technology

Building on my work on Thriving during my time as the Chair of Sustainable Transformation at Antwerp Management School - and which resulted in my international bestselling book Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy - I have begun focusing my research and writing on the transformational role of innovation and technology to bring about a nature positive future.

That's why I was delighted to officially announce - at the "Innovation, Sustainability and Regeneration" Hub conference in Porto where I was giving a keynote on 30 October - my appointment as the new Galp Chair and world's first Professor of Practice in Regenerative Business, Innovation and Technology at Católica Porto Business School.

Besides contributing to existing programmes at the bachelors, masters, and executive education levels, I'll also be leading the development of new offerings in artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability (watch this space!), and establishing a Centre for Thriving Futures as a collaboration between the Schools of Business, Law and Biotechnology.

I'll be writing a lot more on these themes in the coming months, including on the 10 technologies that can save the Earth, which is the subject of my next book. Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to share some of these insights in a dinner keynote for ING in Brussels.

The Next Paradigm Shift in Sustainability

On my tHrIVE Mind blog on substack, I've been sharing extracts from some of the interviews that have been conducted with me. Feel free to pick and choose those that pique your interest. Each extract is quite short:

The Rise and Fall of Sustainability Commitments

Are companies backtracking on sustainability? (Portt interview - Part 1)

Is net zero too ambitious for business? (Portt interview - Part 2)

How do we deal with the AI curve ball? (Portt interview - Part 3)

Are companies off the hook on transparency? (Portt interview - Part 4)

The Challenge and Opportunity of Thriving

Does the system thrive when you thrive? (Aspen Initiative Africa interview - Part 1)

Can Africa leapfrog to more sustainable technologies? (Aspen Initiative Africa interview - Part 2)

What are the archetypes of leadership? (Aspen Initiative Africa interview - Part 3)

How can individuals make a difference? (Aspen Initiative Africa interview - Part 4)

The Motivation for and Resistance to Sustainable Transformation

How can CEOs be motivated to embrace sustainability? (Republica interview - Part 1)

What is driving resistance to sustainable transformation? (Republica interview - Part 2)

The next paradigm shift in sustainability (Republica interview - Part 3)

Learning from Our Mistakes in Communicating Sustainability

Selling sustainability as a sacrifice has failed (SAPO interview - Part 1)

Five actions individuals can take on sustainability (SAPO interview - Part 2)

Is it helpful to talk about thriving instead of sustainability? (Panorama interview - Part 1)

Why do companies overpromise and underdeliver on sustainability? (Panorama interview - Part 2)

Are we seeing the decline of green politics? (Panorama interview - Part 3)

What's All the Flutter About?

As I shared in the Special Communication I sent out mid-month, I have migrated - along with millions of others - from X to Blue Sky. You can read about my reasons here. Suffice to say that I'm finding it a much less toxic and more engaging platform. If you want to connect there, I'm @waynevisser.bsky.social. If you're making the switch, here are some Starter Packs that I created, which may help you to get going:

• Regenerative Business, Innovation & Technology
• Sustainable & Responsible Business & Leadership
• Climate & Nature Tech
• Academics for Sustainability, Climate & ESG
• Authors on Sustainability, Climate & Regeneration
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Besides sharing the latest news on regenerative business, innovation and technology, I also post an Elephant of the Day picture, and words that inspire me.

I've also just started the Blue Sky Book Challenge: share 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. My first choice was "Mister God This is Anna, by Fynn". This book, which I read in 1986, is in my opinion a work of genius—a story about the joy of living in the moment, the power of love, the school of curiosity, the importance of small things, the heartbreak of loss, and the unwitting wisdom of the child.

Hot Off the Press: Keys to the Maze

Happy to announce the publication of my new book (my 45th). It's called "Keys to the Maze: Poems for Purposeful Living". Might make a nice Christmas gift for yourself or someone else? Here's the blurb:

This unique collection brings together poems for purposeful living by poet and writer, Wayne Visser, providing inspiration for all those who are eager to discover meaning in the labyrinth of words.

The anthology includes new poems such as Into the Deep, Unwaveringly Uncertain, The Soundtrack of Our Lives and The Book of Changes, as well as older classics such as Not What You See, African Flame, Spirited Away and Memory Stones.

You can order a copy here

Staying Connected

That's all for this month. Let's keep in touch. Here are where I share my work on regenerative business, innovation & technology:

BlueSky | LinkedIn | Substack | Instagram | Website | YouTube

Copyright 2024 Wayne Visser