PROVOKE: HOW TO LEAD WITH PURPOSE

Abstract

AbstractThe authors contend that “the best leaders have the conviction to act. To just do something.” As they elaborate, “Action creates potential energy. Action allows you to position yourself to see the unfolding future sooner and more clearly than others. Action gives you the power to identify important trends and know if the key question is ‘if’ they will materialize or ‘when’ they will materialize to determine the right response.” Their work with CEOs led to a new book, Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future By Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws, in which they “identify five moves to enable leaders to recognize patterns and broaden their peripheral vision to move forward with not just progress, but also purpose.” Those moves are Envision, Position, Drive, Adapt, and Activate. They describe three “Provocateurs,” who have used these principles at a high level: Deborah Bial, of the Posse Foundation, Ryan Gravel, creator of the BeltLine in Atlanta, and Valerie Irick Rainford, of Elloree Talent Strategies. The latter and Bial are examples of using the Activate principle, and Gravel used the principle of Envision. The authors conclude that “we genuinely believe that we will all live in a better world if you just go out and do something!”