By Ivan Meakins with Tony Mallett
This blog has been taken from Episode 2 of the CLIMB podcast, a show that took place over the CLIMB23 event, hosted by Gordon Bateman and Investor Ladder.
Find the full conversation with Tony Mallett here.
The next generation of entrepreneurs
Tony Mallett is on a mission to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
As a former teacher and founder of Inspirational Leads, Tony has spent over 25 years developing his understanding of the problems facing young people today: a lack of confidence, technological drain from an ever-connected world, and feelings of unfulfillment.
Using his LEAD formula (Liberate Emotions Achieve Desires), Tony is on a mission to encourage young people to dream big, develop their self awareness, and find their unique “why”.
Tony: “If you look at the word ‘fulfilment’ and you read it backwards, you get three words: meant, full, and fill. We’re meant to be filled. We already are fulfilled. Do what you do – as opposed to trying to copy or imitate somebody else.”
And Tony’s teachings aren’t unique to young people: we are all on a quest for fulfilment. But how exactly do we find it?
Know thyself
Motivational intelligence is the latest buzzword in the business world, and it refers to an individual’s ability to identify and overcome self-limiting beliefs. Business leaders, unsurprisingly, want their staff to be motivated in the workplace. But, Tony argues that there’s something even more important than that:
Tony: “I argue that there’s a layer under that, that I think is everything. And that’s ‘meaning intelligence’. If you have ‘meaning intelligence’ and you know ‘why am I here?’ ‘who am I?’ ‘what am I capable of?’, you’re more likely to access those other intelligences.”
To Tony, this ‘meaning intelligence’ can be further distilled into one idea: peace of mind. When we are at peace, everything seems to fall into place – and if it doesn’t, we have the composure and confidence necessary to creatively problem-solve.
Unfortunately, self-reflection and mindfulness – the ability to know why we’re here, who we are, and what we’re capable of – isn’t a practice commonly taught in schools. On top of this, our modern world is creating more barriers to self-reflection and mindfulness with the increase in social media consumption, a disconnect from the Self, and comparison being the thief of confidence.
How can we encourage young people – and indeed people of any age – to turn their gaze inwards where, Tony argues, all the answers already are?
Tony: “There is only one way to access that answer and that is by studying yourself. Rather than looking out there to try and find all the answers, go within – and then out.”
Entrepreneurship is an exercise in creativity
Traditional education systems create a misconception that some people are creative and some aren’t.
This is not true.
Tony tells me that human beings are inherently creative. In fact, there are six mental faculties that we all have, and all of them rely to some degree on our ability to be creative:
- Intuition
- Imagination
- Perception
- Reason
- Will
- Memory
Tony truly believes that the most powerful on this list is our imagination. It’s how we innovate new technologies, build collaborative communities, and use the power of storytelling and belief to advance to where we are today.
Traditional outdated education systems often fail to teach or encourage the imagination of their students. Students are taught to exercise memory for exams, or reason for debates; but imagination is restricted to the boundaries of the curriculum.
So, how can we build imagination in young people and in ourselves? Tony provides three simple steps for us to follow:
- Practice! Imagination is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised
- We are who we surround ourselves with: surround yourself with creative people
- Consume creative literature. Tony recommends Edward De Bono and his Six Thinking Hats
Tony: “All throughout school we’re told ‘don’t do that, do as I say, follow this route, why are you daydreaming?’ Well daydreaming is one of the first things you do as an entrepreneur. I see a problem, I dream of the solution, and I go out there and make it happen.”
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Tony’s book, Inspirational Leads: Your Holistic Guidebook For Navigating The Jungle Of Worklife, is launching before the end of this year. If you’re interested in more of Tony’s work, head over to his LinkedIn or check out Inspirational Leads.
To hear Tony’s full insight, find him on Episode 2 of the CLIMB podcast, sponsored by Investor Ladder. To find out more about Investor Ladder and upcoming events, click here.
If you enjoyed this blog or listened to the Climb podcast and wanted some advice on how to create regular thought leadership content for your business, get in touch with Write Business Results today.