peopleanalyst

library / lib51e4beb28c069e8b

Force for Good How to Thrive

In a sentence

A practical guide for purpose-driven leaders on how to thrive—not just survive—by mastering the UP, IN and OUT dimensions of leadership in a post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile world.

As the profit-driven age gives way to a purpose-driven era—symbolized by the rise of the B Corp movement and Maslow's rediscovered sixth level of intrinsic values—leaders who commit to being 'a force for good' face unique demands that traditional leadership models never anticipated. Drawing on over 20 years coaching 130+ CEOs across 22 countries, executive coach John Blakey offers a memorable three-dimensional framework: the UP (discovering, connecting with, serving and feeling the joy of your higher calling), the IN (managing your motivation, resilience and spiritual well-being), and the OUT (forgiving individuals, protecting the team and purpose, and becoming a beacon of hope). Packed with a practical 'thrival kit' of daily, weekly and monthly exercises, a self-assessment to identify whether you are a zealot, martyr or Pied Piper, and a vision for becoming a 'force multiplier', the book equips leaders to navigate a changed leadership landscape marked by lost respect, lost security and lost hope. Interwoven with a coaching fable and candid personal reflection, it is essential reading for anyone who has already decided to stand for purpose and now needs a map and compass for the journey.

The four lenses

  • Science
  • Statistics
  • Systems
  • Strategy

The model

A framework in which a changed leadership landscape and the leader's practice of three dimensions (UP: connecting with higher calling; IN: sustaining self; OUT: leading others) drive psychological states such as joy, resilience and hope, which in turn produce the outcome of thriving as a purpose-driven leader and, ultimately, multiplying one's impact as a force for good.

Changed Leadership Landscape (post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile)contextual condition

The contextual condition describing the shifting reality in which leaders operate, characterized by post-modern scepticism, post-pandemic disconnection and future-fragile anxiety, altering what is possible and expected of leaders.

Purpose Connection (the UP)design lever

The design lever of discovering, articulating, staying connected to and serving one's higher calling and intrinsic values (Maslow's sixth level), keeping purpose alive as a living entity in daily leadership practice.

Self-Sustenance Practice (the IN)design lever

The design lever of managing one's own motivation, resilience and spiritual well-being (including community engagement) so as to grow holistically and lead sustainably without self-sacrifice or burnout.

Leading Others (the OUT)design lever

The design lever of building committed followership by forgiving individuals for imperfections, protecting the team and purpose through firm boundaries, and becoming a beacon of hope through celebration, humour and kindness.

Joy of Purposepsychological state

The psychological state, distinct from circumstantial happiness, of a deep reservoir of well-being accessed by honouring one's values and serving a higher purpose, which can be chosen even amid suffering and difficult circumstances.

Resilience and Motivationpsychological state

The psychological state of sustained drive and capacity to bounce back from disappointment and setbacks without giving up on impulse, enabling the leader to keep going on bad days and give up only on a good day.

Hope (Beacon of Hope)behavioral pattern

The behavioural pattern and relational state of generating credible, believable hope in followers by celebrating the past, and practising humour and kindness in the present, countering hopelessness in a future-fragile world.

Leadership Balance (three-legged stool)behavioral pattern

The behavioural pattern of balancing the UP, IN and OUT dimensions rather than over-relying on strengths, avoiding the imbalanced personas of zealot, martyr or Pied Piper that create an Achilles heel.

Thriving as a Purpose-Driven Leaderoutcome metric

The primary outcome of sustaining energy, joy, authenticity and effectiveness in the leadership role over time—being a force for good rather than merely surviving or becoming irrelevant.

Force Multiplicationoutcome metric

The distal outcome of leveraging one's purpose-driven leadership to inspire and enable other leaders to become a force for good, through paths such as B Corp accreditation, coaching, community leadership, speaking, writing or philanthropy.

How they connect

  • purpose connection up → predicts leader joy
  • leader joy → predicts thriving as leader
  • self sustenance in → predicts leader resilience
  • leader resilience → predicts thriving as leader
  • leading others out → predicts beacon of hope
  • beacon of hope → predicts thriving as leader
  • changed leadership landscape − moderates thriving as leader
  • leadership balance → moderates thriving as leader
  • thriving as leader → predicts force multiplication
  • purpose connection up → influences leader resilience
  • self sustenance in → influences leading others out

The story

The reader A committed leader—CEO, entrepreneur, public or third-sector executive, or their advisor—who has already decided to stand for purpose and wants to lead a business that is a force for good achieving the triple bottom line of profit, people and planet.

External problem

The leadership landscape has changed (post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile), and the old profit-driven playbook no longer works, leaving leaders subject to scepticism, disconnection and hopelessness among their people.

Internal problem

They feel exhausted, lonely, angry, futile and at risk of burnout, questioning 'Why am I doing this?' and whether they can be one of this new breed of leader.

Philosophical problem

Measuring success by economic progress alone is over; leaders operating at the moral high ground of purpose deserve a map and compass for a journey that demands more than IQ—it demands heart and spirit.

The plan

  1. Understand the changed leadership landscape (post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile) so you can adapt rather than become a 'bridge to nowhere'.
  2. Work the UP: define your purpose via values elicitation, stay connected to it, serve it and feel its joy.
  3. Work the IN: build Olympic-level motivation, resilience (12 tips for bouncing back) and spiritual well-being through community.
  4. Work the OUT: forgive individuals, protect the team and purpose by saying no, and become a beacon of hope.
  5. Build a 'thrival kit' of daily, weekly and monthly habits.
  6. Diagnose your persona (zealot, martyr or Pied Piper) and develop your weakest dimension.
  7. Set a five- and ten-year vision to become a force multiplier.

Success

  • You thrive rather than merely survive, sustaining energy and joy in your role for far longer.
  • You lead a purpose-driven organization that balances profit, people and planet and inspires committed followers.
  • You feel resilient, authentic, motivated and connected to a nourishing community.
  • You become a beacon of hope and eventually a force multiplier who inspires other leaders to become a force for good.

At stake

  • You burn out or lose enthusiasm and give up on a bad day.
  • You create an authenticity gap and are toppled from the pedestal by a sceptical public.
  • You become a lonely, cynical 'leader to nowhere', irrelevant to a changed world.
  • Your purpose slowly dies from neglect and you default to your opposing vices.

Questions this book answers

How can I thrive rather than merely survive as a purpose-driven leader in a post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile world?
How do I discover, connect with, serve and feel the joy of my higher calling?
How do I manage my own motivation, resilience and spiritual well-being while pursuing my purpose?
How do I lead followers by forgiving individuals, protecting the team and purpose, and becoming a beacon of hope?
What kind of purpose-driven leader am I, and how do I balance my strengths?

Glossary

Changed Leadership Landscape (post-modern, post-pandemic, future-fragile)
The prevailing societal and workplace context that shapes what is possible and expected of leaders, defined by post-modern scepticism (loss of respect), post-pandemic disconnection (loss of security) and future-fragile anxiety (loss of hope).
Purpose Connection (the UP)
The degree to which a leader discovers, articulates, stays connected to, serves and treats as a living entity their higher calling and intrinsic values at Maslow's sixth level.
Self-Sustenance Practice (the IN)
The extent to which a leader deliberately manages their own motivation, resilience and spiritual well-being (including community engagement) to grow holistically and lead sustainably without burnout.
Leading Others (the OUT)
The extent to which a leader builds committed followership by forgiving individuals for imperfections, protecting the team and purpose through firm boundaries, and inspiring hope.
Joy of Purpose
A deep, chosen reservoir of well-being—distinct from circumstantial happiness—experienced when a leader honours their values and serves a higher purpose, accessible even amid suffering.
Resilience and Motivation
The leader's sustained drive and capacity to recover from setbacks without giving up on impulse, enabling perseverance on bad days and disciplined exit only on a good day.
Hope (Beacon of Hope)
The leader's capacity to generate credible, believable hope in followers—reassurance that 'everything will be alright in the end'—by celebrating the past and practising humour and kindness in the present.
Leadership Balance (three-legged stool)
The degree to which a leader balances the UP, IN and OUT dimensions rather than over-relying on strengths, thereby avoiding the imbalanced personas of zealot, martyr or Pied Piper.