A note from me

Whew! The last couple of weeks have been pretty full on. There’s been plenty of activity on the “professional” front – advising international organisations, meeting with a company I’m likely to work with more extensively in future, and preparing a foundation course for The Dodo Club (watch this space soon)! But there’s also been lots of attention to other interests.  

I’ve been to an Everton game with my grandson (the team lost, unfortunately, but we had a good time together and I was able to have dinner with my longest-standing friend and his wife).  On the artistic front, I’ve been edified by a couple of Art History lectures (on Frans Hals and Titian) and visited The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF – where I was particularly taken with a painting from Artemisia Gentileschi and prints by Miro and Chagall). At the cinema, Mary and I have seen the National Theatre Live production of “Vanya”, and the film “Dune: Part Two” adapted from the novel by Frank Herbert.

I could go on for hours about all these experiences, but I’ll limit myself to just giving a couple of thoughts about the films as these may also be seen by yourselves.  

“Vanya” was excellent and, of course, a modern translation of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya”. The conceit of having one actor (Andrew Scott) playing all the parts could have been a vain gimmick, but instead helped sustain emotional engagement as a tremendous actor was performing even the smaller roles, which you don’t get in most productions. It also added extra moments of comedy which can be helpful in a Chekhov drama. All the themes you associate with Chekhov were present and clear, indeed probably more clear than is often the case as you became attuned to the approach. Some of the characterisation started out a little crude to help the audience distinguish the different characters, but this became subtler and more nuanced in the course of the play as you learned to recognise the personalities. It was also a great example of the emerging art form of filming plays in their entirety so you can get the impact of both screen-filling close-up performance at times, along with the edge and risk of live performance.  

If you get a chance to watch it, you should. I’ll be interested to know if you like it or not. 

“Dune” is a blockbuster directed by Canadian Denis Villeneuve, also known for the brilliant “Blade Runner 2049” and “Arrival”.  Blockbusters aren’t my favourite genre - I prefer character-driven pieces like “All of Us Strangers” and “Vanya”. But I still give it 8/10. It’s a top action-movie with depth. Visually stunning like “Blade Runner 2049”, with both colour-saturated landscapes and colour-drained ones, it had a powerful soundscape as well. Its intriguing narrative, well-handled characters, and maintained a degree of ambiguity will, presumably, carry over into the next film. 

“Dune: Part Two” demands some patience as it is a long film, but it is rewarding.  This actually links it to the subjects of this Newsletter - “Patience and Persistence”.

My Bi-Weekly Guide

The Importance of Strategic Character and How to Build It

Cultivating Patience and Persistence:

In the last Newsletter, we focused on the topics of Courage and Commitment. We now turn to somewhat linked characteristics which introduce a time-related dimension – Patience and Persistence. In many circumstances, particularly those involving social change, very little can happen overnight but there can be much impact over the course of a year or two if you remain patient and persist in your efforts.

The following five considerations should be helpful as you strengthen your patience and persistence “muscles”:

1. Keep an eye on the “Prize”:
   It is valuable to keep a significant “end” in mind, and it is important to consider this every time you are faced with frustrations or setbacks. Remember that you are seeking a bigger goal and not immediate affirmation or gratification. As noted by Friedrich Nietzsche - “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”. This is strongly linked to the subject of our next Newsletter – “Purpose”.

2. Develop a realistic “Theory of Change”:
   The Austrian philosopher Schopenhauer noted that new insights are first ignored or ridiculed, then vehemently opposed, and ultimately taken to be self-evident. There is always a journey involved in realising significant changes, and time-consuming resistance should be expected. Being mentally ready for this makes it easier to handle patiently when it comes. Having some intermediate milestones or developing some “early wins” can also encourage us on a long journey.

3. Foster an attitude of “Positive Realism”:
   Unthinking optimism can easily fade when encountering setbacks, and pessimism loses hope. Instead a more robust attitude can be cultivated through the advice of James Stockdale, a US pilot who survived 7 years as a prisoner of war in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” camp. He saw the decline and demise of both initially optimistic and pessimistic fellow prisoners. He attributes his own survival to confronting the brutal facts of his reality while maintaining unwavering faith that he would prevail in the end, no matter how distant that would be. “Positive Realism”.
   

4. Recognise “Subconscious Processing”:
   Our brains are strange and wonderful things. Much mental processing takes place without us being aware of it, particularly in those areas where we ultimately make sense of big or new ideas. So, when introducing new ideas to others, it can be helpful to sow seeds early, and then regularly water them while leaving enough time for them to germinate and grow subconsciously. I call this the “drip, drip” approach. While nothing may seem to be happening, actually much understanding may be developing internally. Patience and persistence can be paying off for some time before we realise it.

5. Reflect on Previous “Positive Examples”:
   In the face of a “hard slog”, we can be encouraged by examples from our own lives and the experiences of others when patience and persistence have eventually brought something to fruition. The dismantling of apartheid in South Africa and the ending of slavery in the British Empire are amazing achievements that all took patience and persistence over a considerable period to accomplish, as did the development of the U.S. Constitution. In my own life, I like to point out that I’ve been happily married for over thirty years, although I’ve actually been married for over forty! It took much patience and persistence, mainly from my wife, for us to navigate the storms and rocks of our early marriage. I’m sure you also have examples you can draw on to encourage you when the going seems tough.

Question of The Fortnight

Every fortnight I’ll be asking a thought-provoking question in hopes of sparking interesting and enlightening discussion.

I’d love to hear your response! You can do so by simply responding to this email.

Today’s question is:

What are your own positive examples of patience and persistence that can encourage you when facing frustrations or resistance when reaching for a goal?

Join The Dodo Club

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We all want to avoid the fate of that unfortunate bird, the dodo. By sharing some of the insights I’ve picked up over my four decade long career and my time as Head of the Shell Scenarios team, I aim to help us do exactly that.

We’ve built a space for interesting and enlightening discussions on topics that can have genuine impact.

Dodo Club Members will have access to live interactive seminars, forums on a variety of related topics, and a bank of materials that can be drawn from in times of uncertainty.

I look forward to seeing you there!