The Punk Rock of Business

Applying a Punk Rock Attitude in the Modern Business Era

Jeremy Dale

• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781626344532
• eBook ISBN: 9781626344549
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Personal Success

Author Jeremy Dale believes that too many businesses create an environment that encourages mediocrity and corporate norms that deliver lukewarm results at best. In The Punk Rock of Business, Dale offers a road map away from average and towards innovation through a mindset rooted in punk rock principles. In this fast-paced, actionable guidebook, readers will find: -Eight punk rock principles to help you redefine your place in the corporate world–for the better -A set of characteristics to strive for that will liberate you and accelerate your success -Countless examples—drawing on both the classic stories from the music genre's industry-changing legacy and Dale's years of business success—to illustrate these principles and characteristics in action -Straightforward lessons and actions to start taking today—right now—to break through corporate norms and build something greater ?Punk rockers had a cause. They aimed for authenticity and refused to conform. In doing so, they created a dramatic change that shook society to its core. It was a much needed wake-up call for the conservative part of the music industry. Jeremy Dale wants you to do the same in the business world, and in The Punk Rock of Business, he gives you the tools you need to accomplish that goal.

HAVE A CAUSE

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

STEVE JOBS

“For me, punk is about real feelings. It’s not about, ‘Yeah, I am a punk and I’m angry.’ That’s a lot of crap. It’s about loving the things that really matter: Passion, heart and soul.”

JOEY RAMONE

Punk rock is rebellious, and the rebellious element is critically important. Punk rebelled against several things. Their first target was the soulless, overproduced music of the early ’70s with its endless guitar riffs. Bands such as The Ramones were sick of the happy-clappy hippy music, the repetitive rock of that time, and the sugar-coated disco tracks. Punk set out to drive all of these into oblivion and replace them with authentic rock music—and they did that by playing loud and fast.

The second target for punks’ rebellion was the politics of that day. The youth of the day saw nothing but hopelessness and a deadend future. The Clash used their music to make political statements, and Joe Strummer’s songwriting at the time of their London Calling album was particularly politically motivated.

Other bands just rebelled for the sake of it. They rebelled against everything and nothing; they liked the anarchy of it all. But real punk rock was focused on rebelling against the sterile music of the time and the bleakness the youth saw in their future.

Those two were the real mission or cause of punk rock: to restore rock music that had heart and to revive the hopes for the future of the young.

Punk has always been anarchic and has always had an anger associated with it, but at its soul, punk is optimistic. It is about seeing what’s wrong, having a passion to change it, and then having the guts to stand up and do something to make a difference. The Ramones wanted rock music back, so they created it. Strummer wanted political change, so he screamed about it through his lyrics.

Punk attitude in business is exactly the same, and the starting point has always been the same. Have a cause that you care passionately about. Finding your cause may be the hard part—but start with your passions. Choose to work for companies who are doing something you care deeply about. Look at the instances where you are outraged by the status quo that we have all come to accept as normal, but we know is wrong. Then be prepared to be the voice that says, “This isn’t how it should be, I am going to stand up and drive the change we so desperately need.” That’s the only way you will make things better for yourself and those around you.

So you have to start by asking yourself: Do you care about what your organization does? Again. Consider this question very carefully. Do you care about what your organization does? Do you really care? If you don’t, then let me suggest that you are never going to have the passion within yourself to dare greatly, deliver some amazing work, and reach your full potential. Instead, you will be destined to do a mundane job that you don’t really care about. If you allow that to happen, you will be settling, and the inevitable consequence is that you will be allowing a level of apathy to creep into your life, and if apathy is present, then I fear you will only ever deliver what you know to be mediocrity. That surely cannot be an alternative you can live with. What a waste that would be! If you are going to be the best you can be, you have to align yourself with an organization whose cause you care greatly about.

APATHY = CONFORMITY

Wikihow’s article on “How to Become a Punk Rocker” calls out one key criteria of being punk: “Care about something. Apathy is conformity. Find something you’re passionate about and take back your desire to change the world. Get head over heels into veganism, feeding the homeless, or whatever else.”

I haven’t always worked in an organization where I truly believed in the cause; I can admit this now. It took me nearly twenty years of my career to work out what I really wanted to do. It took me that amount of time because I never thought about it. It took me far too long to be able to articulate what I was passionate about. The worst thing about this sad state of affairs is that I never really worked it out for myself—I just got lucky, stumbling upon it by chance, rather than by any clear, well-thought-out process.

I used to think I was passionate about ready mixed concrete and overnight parcel distribution (the first two industries I worked in)— and I was, really, I was! The reason was because I didn’t know any better. What excited me then was the fun and competition of business, and when I was young that was enough motivation. Let me say there is nothing wrong with those two industries if they are your passion, but I now know they weren’t mine. Having now stumbled into world-changing technological products and services, I found my passion, my eyes were opened, my horizons were broadened, and—most importantly—my purpose was defined.

If you don’t want to rely on luck like I did, then build a plan and be intentional about what role, what company, and what industry you want to be in. This is one of the biggest things I wish I had been told when I was embarking on my working life. Reread that Jobs quote from the start of this section: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Finding it will probably not come instantly, but I certainly hope it will come far more quickly for you than it did for me. It took me twenty years, not because I was settling, but rather because I wasn’t looking. Let me spell this out very clearly: If you are not genuinely excited about your job, do something about it, and realize that your number one job is to start to search for a new one immediately, today! You have an honor-bound obligation to yourself to do so. Get on with it. If you are supposed to go to work tomorrow, don’t—call in sick and start working out what you want to do and get on with it, NOW!

In this section, “Have a Cause,” I share some of the stories that helped me get to the point of knowing that the things I work on are worth my energy and enable me to energize my teams behind the organization’s mission.

HAVING A CAUSE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF PUNK ROCK BUSINESS

You should understand very early on that adopting a punk rock attitude isn’t easy. It will require at times blood, sweat, and tears; it’s the challenging, difficult, and energy-sapping path. Recognize that it isn’t easy to rebel against the accepted norms. It’s challenging to always say it as it is, because doing so doesn’t always make you popular. It takes guts to put yourself out there when others will snipe. It takes real conviction to make the key calls, knowing that sometimes you will get them wrong and receive criticism from life’s bystanders and spectators. It requires great energy to move at speed, and it is tiring to constantly be driving people along. IT IS NOT EASY! Believe me it isn’t, but to me, there is no alternative. The antidote to all these challenges and difficulties is an unwavering commitment to the cause, combined with a belief in the value you are contributing. To become the best that you can be, you need to be a passionate person of conviction—someone who believes in what they are doing and who is energized by the cause, whatever that may be.

There are two aspects to this element, and finding an organization whose cause aligns with your passion is one part. Once you have done that, then the second part is for you as a leader to use that cause to inspire your teams to pursue the organization’s purpose and deliver it.

Together we will investigate how certain organizations (big and small) make the world a better place and how they state their causes through great mission statements and manifestos that set the right direction. Then we will move on to how your group needs to deliver on your cause through substantive plans that excite your customers. Then we will conclude with examples that prove that you must tirelessly communicate your cause, passionately articulate it, deliver on it, and never deviate from it. It starts and finishes with the cause. Everything is about the cause, and so it should be.

The Cause Is Vitally Important for Four Key Reasons

1.It inspires effort and fortitude. If the cause is compelling and is passionately communicated, it will inspire great effort and grit from those who chose to participate in driving it forward. Now, Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet and lecturer) wasn’t exactly punk, but I have always bought into his belief that, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

2.It guides action. A clearly articulated cause, goal, or vision defines where we are going. Without that, we are just thrashing around in the dark.

3.It unites a team. A cause inspires a movement; a movement requires followers who share a group mentality, and the subsequent togetherness provides the support and reassurance that remove both doubt and uncertainty when they raise their ugly heads.

4.It attracts talent and builds loyalty. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. A mission attracts people, and a great mission attracts great people. Then, once on board, a commitment to the cause means there is something fundamental to give up, if there was ever the thought of switching jobs.

So, the key questions to ask are: Does your organization or group have a cause? Do you believe in it? Does it justify fifty percent of your waking hours? Now, there are only three answers . . .

1.Yes, it does. One of the hardest parts of Punk Rock Business is finding something you are passionate about, so if this is you, stand up and shout “Hell yeah!” You are one of the lucky ones.

2.I think it could. Clearly there is something that you are doing that is great, inspirational, or excites you. So take some time to work out what it really is. Why does this world really need what you are doing? Create the why for your organization, and get it solidified and articulated fast. Ensure it is inspiring, worthy, has clarity, and that it is passionately communicated. Get your team to discuss it, ensure people believe in it, and then start to use it to define your decisionmaking together. Then you get to #1.

3.No, I will never have any passion for what my organization does. If your company or organization is incapable of having a cause that you are passionate about, then quit. Find a job you really believe in. Or if you need to be a little more circumspect, reverse the order. But if you want your working life to be truly fulfilling, then you have no option other than to accept that you need to find a new job—end of debate. I don’t know what that job is for you, only you can answer that. But start by looking at your passions and explore from there.

So either celebrate that your work is something you truly believe in or get looking.

Are you pursuing your cause? Are you taking on the challenges that really matter to you? Ask yourself that challenging question and remember, as Marianne Williamson said, “There is no passion to be found playing life small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Are you doing something that will inspire you to live your life big and allow you to have the fullest life you are capable of? Jobs and Williamson both said not to settle, and that is a great question to ask yourself: Are you settling? Stop reading for at least a minute and really think about it. If you’re settling, you’ll know. This next minute is very important . . . so, THINK HARD!

Make the World a Better Place . . . In a Big Way

The best place to start when trying to understand if your company can fulfill your desire for a cause is its mission statement. Look at your company’s mission statement and consider the impact your company is having in the world; does it make you proud? I have worked for (and with) some great companies whose inspiring mission statements changed the world.

Microsoft: “Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

When I worked at Motorola, we always said ours was: “To connect people through communications.”

When I worked on Product (RED), its purpose was “To help eliminate AIDS in Africa.”

I wish I could tell you I had handpicked these brands with care and attention and a careful review of their mission statements, but that would be an absolute lie. I didn’t. I wanted or sometimes needed these jobs. But, wow, was I lucky to end up at companies with great mission statements who were changing the world. However, you don’t have to be a huge, super company to have a great mission statement and a higher purpose—and you don’t have to make hightech, never-seen-before products that change the world, either. A t-shirt manufacturing company can do the same. Here are some of my other favorite companies with a cause:

• Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Isn’t that beautiful! Isn’t it daring! The entire world’s information. Universally accessible and useful. Isn’t it worthy!
• Life is Good: A t-shirt company whose mission is “To spread the power of optimism.” WOW! T-shirts can have that power? Hell, yeah!!
• Starbucks: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” I love this statement “one cup at a time.” Starbucks isn’t about selling coffee. It isn’t about becoming the world’s most prominent coffee shop. It is to nurture and inspire the human spirit. WOW! If you are a coff...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• The Eight Elements of Punk Rock Business
• Element 1: Have a Cause
• Element 2: Build a Movement
• Element 3: Create New and Radically Different Ideas
• Element 4: Drive Speed and Action
• Element 5: Say It as It Is
• Element 6: Be Authentic
• Element 7: Put Yourself Out There
• Element 8: Reject Conformity
• The Key Requirements to Implementing a Punk Rock Attitude in Business
• The Final Word
• Index
• About The Author