The road from Tackers to Thinkers50
Every two years, the Thinkers50 team announces the shortlists for the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Awards. The shortlists identify eight thinkers in each award category who have made an exceptional contribution over the last two years. I learnt recently that Alex, Yves, Alan and myself had been shortlisted for the 2021 Strategy Award for our work on The Invincible Company.
I wish I could say that I had never hoped for such recognition… but that would not be entirely true!
In this blogpost I want to tell the story of my 5-year journey from Tackers 2016 to Thinkers50 and express gratitude to the exceptional people in my life who helped me along the way.
Tackers program
In the Australian summer 2016, every morning for a whole week, I would drive my kids to a Tackers program run by the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron in the Port Phillip Bay. Tackers is a fun introductory, games-based sailing program designed for kids aged 7-12 years.
After helping the three of them with sunscreen, bathers, and life jackets, I would set up camp in a local coffee place, eat a Spanish omelette with lots of coffee and boot up my laptop. I was about to turn 40 and wanted to reflect on my consulting practice, and how to get the kind of impact I wanted to have in the future. I wrote and wrote in long exploratory stretches, and a path forward emerged. I pledged to help courageous global executives navigate complex business challenges, create sustainable innovation ecosystems and organisations people want to belong to. And then a question popped up in my mind: What would be a clear sign in the future that I had been on the right track? The answer came loud and clear: a Thinkers50 recognition for my work.
It was not an ego trip, but an honest realisation that if my work really had the kind of transformative impact I hoped for, then it should find its way to that list, right?
Back then this sounded like a super stretch goal, one that would require me to be bold in my future choices.
In early 2017 I wrote a blogpost to express my gratitude for the four people who shifted my trajectory towards innovation: Pete Cohen, Greg Bernarda, Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. Let me complete the picture with other exceptional people in my life who inspired, supported and fed me in those incredible last five years.
The Melbournians
Let me start at the beginning, here in Melbourne, with Josie.
Josie Gibson is the catalyst for everything that happened to me in the last five years. She supported me as I was setting up my consulting practice, she edited my first blogposts back in 2016 and connected me to the ideas and people I needed to meet with surreal intuition. Her coaching helped me step into centre court.
Now Mykel Dixon. Mykel is the creative genius that helped me get back my creative mojo. He pushed me far out of my comfort zone, making me publish those blogposts “that no one would read”, putting me on camera before I could even say “I’m not ready”. He made me face the awkwardness, and ridicule of the path to become more creative. And in the end, he showed me the way to be more courageous in my practice. In his own words from his last book, Everyday Creative
"And here's the brutal, beautiful truth. You were never invited to play. You don't belong on that stage. And you are nowhere near ready. You never will be. No-one is." Mykel Dixon
The advisors
Michael Wilkens – a.k.a. M. Chairman -, Christian Doll, Paris Thomas, Tendayi Viki and Greg Bernarda are my tribe and closest collaborators. Since early 2018 we have been meeting for offsites every quarter to share insights, reflect together on new questions raised in our practice, and continuously learn from each other. With their wealth of knowledge and experience, they have helped me so much in my professional explorations to develop new ways to help clients innovate and transform.
The book team
In June 2018 I joined forces with Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur and Alan Smith to work on the fourth book in the Strategyzer series, The Invincible Company. I will be forever grateful for the sometimes rocky but incredible human and creative adventure to produce this book. And as we have been shortlisted for the 2021 Strategy Award for our work on The Invincible Company they created the opportunity for me to achieve that far-fetched dream I had back in 2016.
The home team
Eglantine Etiemble – a.k.a. the boss – is my invincible wife. She is so strong and wise that I would not be surprised if we learn some day that she is the latest reincarnation of the Buddha.
As I followed her in different parts of the world at each step of her executive career, I often felt that my professional life was “A mountainous life, curves, peaks. Falls and mirages!” to quote Parisian musical artist Oxmo Puccino.
“Une vie montagneuse, des virages, des pics
Des chutes et des mirages”
Oxmo Puccino, tirer des traits
But with her understanding, wisdom and strength, she supported me in my explorations, even when they lead to some pretty spectacular falls and mirages in those last 5 years. That’s why I realise I am the luckiest guy in the world.
It really took a village to help me along this journey from Tackers to Thinkers50 and the journey was great because you were there with me… so THANK YOU all!
Next chapter
Let’s face it, the competition for this Strategy Awards is impressive.
But whatever the outcome is on November 16 during the Thinkers50 Awards Gala 2021, I am lucky to have exceptional people in my life who continue to inspire and challenge me.
And I have to say I have met some interesting new characters lately, so who knows what the next chapter will be for me?
My kids are way too old for Tackers now but as Melbourne gets out of the longest lockdown in the world I will for sure find other ways to take stock, and dream of this new chapter.
And it may or may not involve a Spanish omelette…
