‘The Journey Beyond Fear’ by John Hagel
In general, there seems to be a tendency among people, institutions and even places to perpetuate threat-based narratives rather than more positive opportunity-based narratives. But there are exceptions too. A threat-based narrative instils fear and anxiety at home and work and starts drifting away from our goals and passions. Institutions with such narratives tend to have a similar message for both employees and users of their products and services.
With many personal anecdotes, John Hagel provides the framework and tools to overcome our fears and move ahead to the next level in life by achieving more of our true potential.
He mentions a very straightforward and easy to grasp approach using three tools: Narratives, Passion, and Platforms – “the three pillars of positive emotion.“
Narratives are the motivation that propels you to reach your goal. It acts as a catalyst that draws out the dormant passion within us, converts fears to the excitement and makes seemingly impossible things possible. John makes a clear distinction between a narrative and a story. He also explains how a narrative is much broader than a purpose. Narratives provide us with the North Star and help to –
- Look ahead & motivate us
- Focus on actions & learn through them
- Come out of isolation and build a connection & trust with the outer world.
- Catalyze passion
Having worked in the IT industry for more than 15 years, I have sometimes struggled to align the personal narrative with the narratives of the institution and seen many in a similar boat. Hence the content on different types and the different levels of Narratives such as Personal, Institutional, Geographical & Movement-based narratives was very relatable.
The second pillar, Passion (of the explorer), provides the fuel to sustain us on our journey towards the goal and cannot be fully leveraged without reason. It is very different from the darker side of it – Obsession and the self-centred – Ambition.
(Learning) Platforms help in connecting and learning with each other. I liked this part of the book primarily because of the unlimited potential platforms and ecosystems possess. It also leaves you curious to know what John has in mind with the learning platform inside or outside the Center for the Edge.
I highly recommend The Journey Beyond Fear to everyone dealing with fear in his personal or professional life, procrastinating to embark on a journey to follow his/her passion or holding back to make a difference.
Some of my favourite quotes from the books –
“Emotions have an interesting network effect: Once a critical mass of people feel a certain emotion, it tends to spread exponentially, both in terms of the number of people who feel it and in terms of the intensity with which it is felt. As the emotional cascade takes hold, it becomes harder and harder to resist.”
“….It’s not about risk and reward, it’s about fear and hope. That’s ultimately what motivates people to act.”
Dee Hock, Founder of Visa Inc.
” (In Business Strategy) what really matters is psychology, not strategy. If you don’t understand the psychology of the individuals involved, if you don’t understand their emotions (their hopes and fears and what excites them), and if you don’t understand what motivates them, your strategic plans will just be documents on a shelf.”