NEEDED: A New “Global Purpose System” — Leading to a More Vibrant, Sustainable and Prosperous Way to Live, Work and Play

Dan Pink, New York Times best selling author of DRIVE wrote:

“Work The Future! Today is an ebullient paean to the power of story. What we need is a new story based on purpose, not on profit. With a mind toward sustaining the planet rather than just amassing money, this book guides you to create that new life-embracing story for yourself, your organization, and the world.”

Introducing “WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY” + new “WTF! 2019 POCKET PAL”

A leadership void now threatens the lives and livelihood of millions of people and their employers, on a global scale. Co-authors Whitney Vosburgh and Charlie Grantham have risen to the occasion and offer a new “GPS” (Global Purpose System) that responds to this challenge. They share their strategic vision for creating sustainable change in their two new “WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY” books.

In response to the growing realization that the “Profit First” model of doing business (our old “GPS”) is rapidly becoming obsolete, the authors provide readers with a systemic approach to work and the art of doing business in the 21st century. “WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY: Finding your path to purpose, passion and profit” and the accompanying workbook, “WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY 2019 POCKET PAL: A faster path to purpose, passion and profit” (WTF! Press — January 2019) are now available as guides for this journey forward. The books’ co-authors draw on their decades of leadership experience in consulting, academia, and research in the fields of marketing, organizational design, and R&D. Vosburgh and Grantham argue that the people, organizations and systems that are “the ablest” — capable of changing in this ever-changing world — are the ones that will survive and thrive. In addition, the co-authors emphasize, they must lead with purpose and value.

New Global OS Needed

In these new WTF! books, Vosburgh and Grantham offer a new approach to business, one that responds to the need of millions looking for greater meaning in their work as well as employers’ call for a strong Human Resources brand that will attract and retain key employees in a tight labor market. Based on their vast experience, which ranges from Fortune 20 companies to think tanks to Silicon Valley startups, the co-authors assert that the world needs a new Operating System — and a new approach to the definition of work itself — because the old one is obsolete … crashing more and more. What’s needed now, they say, is a new Global Purpose System to raise us from the old bottom line to the new — and in these two transformational books, they share this uplifting vision in great detail.

In a radical shift of the way we look at the very nature of work, Vosburgh and Grantham show readers the only way across the chasm that separates the Old Story — the “Profit First” model that has led to excessive exploitation of natural resources, and of our fellow human beings — to a new, empowering future is to embrace the New Story. It recognizes that we are all looking for Purpose and meaning in our work and in our lives. They note that, after hundreds of years of approaching business in the same way — putting an emphasis on materialism and maximizing returns for shareholders — there is now an evolutionary shift underway as millions of stakeholders seek to make a lasting and positive impact in our communities and in the world.

A North Star for Our Times

We are waking up to the disturbing truth that, as the co-authors put it, “we live in an increasingly purposeless world filled with purposeless work.” Now, those yearning for a new approach to doing business have this inspiring roadmap for the journey to personal, organizational and planetary sustainability. In these two “WTF!” (WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY) books, Vosburgh and Grantham believe that readers will find just the right compass to navigate these chaotic times, the knowledge and practices they need to create greater purpose and profit in our lives, work and communities.

In their two books, they focus on three important interlocking concepts — Purpose, Place and Practice — that must be embraced in a new way if we are to lead a fulfilling life and harness the power of our organizations to serve others and bring prosperity to the world. Readers are encouraged to “dig deep,” and reflect on the meaning they are seeking in their work and in life itself. This era of Transformation will not be easy, they are warned — as no “birthing” process ever is — but the freedom and agency that will result is worth the struggle.

The Path to Purpose, Passion and Prosperity

The WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY series of books guides readers through the 3-step system leading to purpose, passion and prosperity.

1. PURPOSE: Your why. Everyone has a compelling need and desire for a sense of Purpose, and when a company’s purpose aligns with this, the result is a shared purpose. “Shared purpose is the social-psychological glue that binds humans together,” the authors write. “Purpose is important because humankind has reached a point in evolution where it can consciously choose its guiding principle: creation or destruction.”

“Purpose is important because humankind has reached a point in evolution where it can consciously choose its guiding principle: creation or destruction.”

2. PLACE: Your who and where. As we commit ourselves to creating a community where everyone benefits — not to mention taking a more active role in caring for the planet — it’s appropriate to give more thought to the importance of Place in this conversation. Vosburgh and Grantham emphasize the importance of a sense of community. “Just as no person is an island,” they write, “purpose — the sharing of one’s gift, and being of service to others — can only happen with and by the grace of others.”

3. PRACTICE: Your what, how and when. The third cornerstone concept that the authors emphasize is Practice, the way a company or community implements its Shared Purpose on a daily basis. In this section of the book, three new roles are identified — leaders, organizers and creative catalysts. The individuals in this third role — the creative catalysts — are those who span disciplines and seek out the answers to new challenges. “Creative catalysts offer hope of a new better tomorrow in today’s world,” they write.

It’s time to change: after all, no planet, no people. And no people, no profits.

The authors’ excitement about a new future — and a New Story — is palpable, and they remind readers that we need new strategies, stories and symbols for this journey. Equipped with the new “WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY 2019 POCKET PAL” companion workbook, those eager to break with the chaos of the present and embrace an empowering new future will have a roadmap for that exciting journey.

Vosburgh and Grantham encourage us all to be leaders in this quest. “A core action for future leaders,” they write, “will be leading the process of transformation, which is applied creativity that makes a long term positive and irreversible difference guided by the vision of shared purpose.” All people will be called upon to be their own leaders by finding and following their own lead. In keeping with the playfully arresting style of the books’ title, “WTF!” is sure to excite readers about these new possibilities, as this transformation gets underway.

Book Information

“WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY: Finding your path to purpose, passion and profit” ISBN-13: 978–0–9996346–0–8 8” x 8” 200 Pages — $25 Click for Amazon.

“WORK THE FUTURE! TODAY 2019 Pocket Pal: A faster path to purpose, passion and profit” ISBN-13: 978–0–9996346–5–3 5” x 8” 64 Pages — $12.99 Click for Amazon.

Available from Amazon.com (retail) and Ingram (wholesale).