dispatches from the new world of work

Driven By "Fury"!

Writer-editor-historian-man of the world Harold Evans has problems with Aviator. He thinks the Main Man in the airline revolution was not Howard Hughes, but PanAm boss Juan Trippe, and he makes a good case:

"What drove Trippe? A fury that the future was always being hijacked by people with smaller ideas—by his first partners who did not want to expand airmail routes; by nations that protected flag carriers with subsidies; by the elitists who regarded flight, like luxury liners, as a privilege that could be enjoyed only by the few; by the cartel operators who rigged prices. The democratization he effected was as real as Henry Ford's."—Harold Evans on Juan Trippe, the PanAm boss who brought the B747 to life (WSJ/02.24.2005)

I believe, in general, that the Mother of Innovation is ... FURY. Anger at the way things are coupled with a Vision of the way things might be. Find me someone with equanimity about life's turmoil ... and I'll find you a loser! (Harsh words, I know. And hardly fair. Oh well.)

Tom Peters posted this on 02/28/05.

Comments

I agree. I recommend you a great book, "Fury on earth". ItÂ´s the biography of Wilhelm Reich, a unique soul.

Posted by felix gerena at February 28, 2005 11:27 AM

In doing some research lately on my favorite subject, rock & roll, I've been reminded that most of the GREAT R&R artists whose work has stood the test of time were the most PO'd! John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Peter Townsend, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix - to name a small sample - were ENRAGED at the world they found themselves in and responded accordingly. Nowadays that wrathful worldview seems to be a PRECONDITION for playing rock & roll (including punk, grunge, heavy metal, alternative, etc.), though not everyone combines the fury with sufficient artistry to make it really interesting.

Posted by John O'Leary at February 28, 2005 3:23 PM

I prefer "ENERGIZED" in that anger tends to be a negative emotion that plays too much DEVIL'S ADVOCATE with details.

Whereas ENERGIZED gets right to the elegant and graceful activity that it takes to get the absolute most out of the least effort - thereby being harmonious with nature and the environment.

Posted by John at February 28, 2005 6:54 PM

Hey John, good comment worthy of debate. I spoke to 5,000 people today and then fought the Weather Gods trying (unsuccessfully) to get home. Am in Philly (within Amtrak reach of home) and too tired to respond; but tired as I am it makes my day to get to a hotel, stop by tp.com, and reflect on thoughtful comments like yours. If I've not said it before, thanks!

Posted by tom peters at February 28, 2005 9:58 PM

I am furious about the cube. Its design is perfect for privacy, and makes it good for focus. However the dictates that one remains in the cube or they are not creating work when they are out of the cube is absurd and infuriating.

Posted by gary fox at March 1, 2005 1:24 PM

A person of equinimity...a loser? Tom, Tom, Tom...now you've really gone too far. Maybe a loser in business...but probably a winner in a much larger sense ....dare I say the words "spiritual winner" as in a winner from an inner peace perspective? .... Naw...better not!

Posted by steve gettler at March 1, 2005 2:41 PM

Evans is right on. Juan Trippe did more for airline travel than Howard Hughes ever even dreamed about. Behind him was Walter Folger Brown - the U.S. Postmaster that really birthed the industry through his direct control of airmail subsidies that allowed the airlines to grow and become financial viable while passenger travel was still financially impractical.

Regarding the need for "fury" - I think you have mislabeled "passion". I would submit that fury may start a fire but a fire out of control quickly consumes even beneficial things as well. I would agree that vision is an important element and it brings to mind an old Japanese proverb that goes something like:

"Vision without action is but a daydream; Action without vision is a nightmare."

The point is not to overlook those whose passion burns at a lower intensity. I would agree that passion without action is wasted. But much gets done by "gentle pressure - relentlessly applied." The key, I think, is to know what issues require what level of fury/passion in order to effect the required change. In the end, its all about energy management - expend only the required amount to get the job done and save the rest to apply to the next job. Less waste/more benefits overall - pretty much in line with Einstein's "Elegant Simplicity Theory" - but thats a conversation for another thread....

Posted by walter white at March 1, 2005 4:34 PM

walter: I like quote- who is the source ??

Posted by /pd at March 1, 2005 7:17 PM

Peter - I've never seen the quote attributed to an individual. The source, as I recall, was simply listed as "Japanese Proverb"

Posted by walter white at March 2, 2005 2:01 PM

one can get to the basis when one understands men belong to different types,one can't lump all together.There are it seems the physical- man,the vital-man,the mental-man namely the worker in the factory,the warrior and the thinker.It is the warrior who needs fury to progress which a thinker can do with calm and harmony.

Posted by rahul datta at March 8, 2005 5:08 AM