Meet The Members: Chris Blackwell, Founder of Purpose Lead Performance

Chris Blackwell is the founder of Purpose Lead Performance - a consultancy that helps businesses to become more efficient and effective by leading with clarity. PLP strategise for profitability sustainably, developing leaders that enhance performance by aligning people, planet and purpose.

{{divider}}

What is the PLP mission statement?

{{divider}}

My business is about purpose and performance - so we build better, more effective businesses that lead with purpose. We do this by consulting on performance, growth, leadership, and sustainability.

{{divider}}

Tell us a little more about you and how you came to be so passionate about this space?

{{divider}}

I picked up a phrase in 1996 which was “the meaning of life is to be happy and useful”.

{{divider}}

I came across it in India when I went to ‘find myself’ in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery at 18. I made friends with an Australian nurse who shared a story with me. He told me about a time when he met the Dalai Lama at an event - a journalist asked him a question and said, “you’ve been re-born 14 times, and to the Tibetan people you’re a god and a living buddha – what is the meaning of life?” The Dalai Lama laughed and answered – to be happy and useful.

{{divider}}

When I came back to the UK, I took the phrase with me and started off as an employment advisor, helping the unemployed find work. I didn’t really have ambitions to become senior but after enough time there I ended up becoming deputy CEO. I then grew into managing director for a UK subsidiary of a US firm and was earning a salary of around 380k a year. But I realised I was no longer happy, and I’d come off my original path.

{{divider}}

I had the realisation that I wanted to lead with more purpose and that I’d always seen it as the common-sense default but that this was still very much the exception. So that was my motivation to bring an alternative model that fostered more purpose and as a strategic by-product - better performance and engagement.

{{divider}}

What does sustainability mean to you?

{{divider}}

I think it means multiple things. There’s an environmental focus which is about lowering our negative impact on the environment, but there’s also a business focus which is about performing and growing responsibly.

{{divider}}

On the business side we support organisations with their ESG strategies – we want it to be real and not just a tick box exercise. The corporate attitude is very short-term, winner takes all, zero sum game – it’s not a sustainable approach to business, and it needs to be approached in a way where things can continue positively.

{{divider}}

What are some of the projects that Purpose has fostered?

{{divider}}

We’ve done quite a bit in the leadership development space and during COVID we also set up a group which we ran for free. It had 60 business leaders and we created a forum for them to come together during lockdown to share and connect with each-other.

{{divider}}

The consultancy arm has supported projects like the Palladium Group who work in International Development in 91 countries around the world. One of their projects offers nature-based solutions restoring peat lands, national parks, and turning carbon emitters into carbon sinks. We support them from a strategy perspective and bring together funders who want to invest in things like carbon and biodiversity credits.

{{divider}}

How is an aligned purpose and trust fostered in an organisation?

{{divider}}

By walking the walk – living your purpose authentically and acting accordingly brings clarity, alignment and engages people. You have to genuinely believe in your vision.

{{divider}}

What is PLP revenue model and what advice would you give to social impact businesses looking to be run more sustainably?

{{divider}}

People pay us for direct consultancy or training, but we also put in an element of performance related pay. It’s important that we have a positive impact so when we do something it should show in the performance, engagement or client-wins results. Therefore, our pay is also contingent on client satisfaction. My advice for other businesses is to focus on value. It doesn’t matter if it’s a social impact business or not.

{{divider}}

Can you tell us a little more about the rise of sustainability in Birmingham?

{{divider}}

I also volunteer as Director of Birmingham Tech which runs Tech Week and a Scaler programme in the midlands. In the last cohort we had 4 great projects with a positive environmental focus including: Wondr which brings communities together to work on social impact projects, Energym which is a peloton competitor and has designed a super-efficient battery for workouts that can power your gadgets, You Smart Thing which is a niche competitor to google maps and helps you find the most sustainable route, and an autonomous vehicle brand called Conigital

{{divider}}

What are some of the causes you are most passionate about today?

{{divider}}

People doing work that they enjoy – purpose should be positive and productive. We all spend so much time at work that I think it would be a waste for this not to be the case.

{{divider}}

That means there’s an onus on employers to do better, and it’s clear to see the business case for this as well as the moral imperative. But there’s also an onus on individuals not to settle for jobs they dislike and to do something about it if they’re not happy.

{{divider}}

I’m also passionate about bringing an alternative and better approach to business, which I do with PLP and Purpose Collective – a non-commercial venture.

{{divider}}

Purpose Collective is a small movement but it holds two international group sessions a month on business and purpose, we’ve had live sessions and lectures from figures such as David Hieatt and we ignite inspiration and create change by connecting leaders from different industries and continents.

{{divider}}

What are your hopes and goals for the future?

{{divider}}

To be happy and useful. I’m generally an optimist and I do think that business can be a strongly positive force in society.

{{divider}}

What are your sources of inspiration?

{{divider}}

Mainly from a lot of the inspirational people I meet through work

{{divider}}

What was most valuable to you about your educational background in philosophy?

{{divider}}

Learning how to argue well

{{divider}}

How can more communities be encouraged to share your mission and vision?

{{divider}}

I’m passionate about collaboration and a big fan of the power of conversation. The world is increasingly becoming a bit of an echo chamber because of social media etc and I think people are losing the ability to have constructive arguments and debates with each-other. So I think people need to be encouraged to have more collaborative conversations and be able to explore alternative views.

{{divider}}

‍