How much vision can you take?

I've just finished reading Manifesto, by Dale Vince. He's a pretty controversial figure and, before anyone points it out, he's my (very, very distant) boss.

Really interesting. So easy to dismiss until you realise how much of what he talks about he has already achieved.

Putting aside any party politics (which I think could be his next, hopefully not mainstream, step) and actually listening to what he says, is fascinating, and to me, at least, often convincing.

I'm not really attracted to people who are contrary for its own sake, but I think if you actually are a visionary, you probably develop it as a way of questioning the accepted status quo to effect change.

Anyway, I read it in one day, so it's not a massive investment of time. I think I like him more than the other "maverick" entrepreneurs you hear about.

Got to be honest, Jim, that the name doesn’t mean anything to me. I will need to look him up. Short of reading the book, what’s your best suggestion for finding out about him?

Never heard of him, but the snippets of info picked up online are sufficient to arouse my curiosity. I note he left school at 15, from which one can attempt to draw conclusions, and which brings someone such as Jamie Oliver to mind.

If he indeed is a visionary then all the more important we have those involved in education who are broad enough minded to spot these talents at school age - in particular when pupils appear to be struggling to follow traditional learning routes and failing to "keep up". Their non-academic skills must be discovered and nurtured, not pushed to one side.

Have a read of "Let me people go surfing" - Yvon Chouinard. Appreciate that there is always some form of re-writing o history and embellishment but it's a really good read / insight into doing things differently.

MRS - I deliberately didn't want to put too much detail in my post, because I think it's easy to jump to conclusions based on one's own point of view. You could look at his Wikipedia page. Interestingly, I think your boss and Dale are diametrically opposed in many ways yet they also have a lot in common.

Also worth having a look at Forest Green Rovers FC and the way they are aiming to open people's minds through... football!

He does describe himself in the book as "a petrolhead and an environmentalist", which reveals something of what makes him different. His "Nemesis" project was one of the first serious attempts to really move electric cars away from milk floats.

There's also a revealing business-based clash with Elon Musk that some may view as a missed opportunity and others dodging a bullet!

Edinburgh - I have a soap box that is wearing out due to overuse about the education system. When we were at school, teachers and "the system" had the knowledge and we had to be organised in a fashion that enabled us to receive what was broadcast to us. Now, all the knowledge in the world is available to everyone with an internet connection. Those with a penchant for auto-didactism(?!) are no longer held back. If you don't get on at school, it is no longer a safe assumption that you are uneducated.

I hadn't heard of Yvon Chouinard, but he sounds like a similarly unusual businessman.

One of Dale's quotes is "Profit is what happens when you do everything else right"

I don't really do Twitter, but Dale's feed today is talking about Nemesis again...

I think I'm trying to say that the assumption still exists, self-learning/group learning or not, that those who don't see eye-to-eye with traditional methods find themselves leaving school early sometimes with precious few avenues to explore.

I am totally in favour of expanding these people's skills through other means such as vocational training or community service through which they should earn and deserve respect.

Granted, it takes effort from them too.

He pinched that from General Johnson of J&J fame and his “Credo”.

I think he’s right though - if you get everything else right, you’ll make (and deserve) a profit.

I put that book as one of the top, and probably the top, business related books I have ever read, it is inspiring.

That will be my fault for the misattribution; it wasn't claimed to be an original quote but as I hadn't heard it before, I leapt to the wrong conclusion!

In my day it was Schumacher, Semler and Senge, no end of ways of saying much the same thing depending on the zeitgeist of the day.