Mike Rowe, creator and presenter of the show ‘Dirty Jobs,’ champions an unusual cause. In a world that often holds varsity degrees as the definitive measure of career success, his MikeRoweWorks Foundation points out that many thousands of manual labour jobs are going begging, many of which are actually extremely well paying. His group attempts to organise bursaries for people, but requires something of them in return. They are to sign the ‘Sweat Pledge,’ which is ideological in nature, and essentially boils down to: ‘I promise to have an excellent work ethic.’
It’s a good idea for experts to give away value for free. But often, it’s an even stronger idea to require something of your tribes of followers. Behavioural economics teaches us that when people are required to do something proactive, they often become more passionately involved in a cause.
What challenge could you extend to your followers? What could you require of them? Something noble, something challenging, something with emotional appeal? Something that you could roll out over a period of time, with positive long-term results for those who sign up? Naturally, it must be something directly related to your career, industry and positioning goals.
This week, I challenge you to challenge them. Create an initiative that stirs something in the soul. You might launch it on social media, or you might go bigger, using radio or TV.
Launch an initiative that requires something of your people, and you will position yourself as a thought leader.
Douglas Kruger, CSP, is a global speaker, who focuses on brand, culture and innovation. He is the author of five business books with Penguin and has won the national championships for Public Speaking, through Toastmasters International, a record 5 times.
In 2016, in honour of excellence in his craft, Douglas was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame by the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa. In 2018, the National Speakers Association granted him the accreditation of Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by only 12 per cent of speakers globally.
See him in action, or sign up for his free newsletter, ‘From Amateur to Expert’ at www.douglaskruger.co.za. Email info@douglaskrugerspeaker.com