Never Mind The Bollox! Why a Punk Attitude Makes Business Worthwhile

What happened to all the anarchists?

Keep hold of that Punk attitude!
“All punk is attitude. That’s what makes it. The attitude.” Joey Ramone

I’m of that age where 70’s Punk was an important part of my teen years. I always loved a wide variety of music, but Punk really did it for me.

It fired me up – while I was still at school, the non-conformist, deliberately shocking, disruptive and anarchic aspects of Punk were hugely attractive.

Here I am now, in my mid-fifties and they still are. I’m nothing special, loads of us loved our Punk. So what happened next?

Well, let’s face it, most of the Punks from my era sold out.

Not only did we mostly end up working for ‘the man’, lots of us who started businesses became ‘the man’.

Despite causing a stir in the 70s, many who had that Punk attitude went on to be part of the mainstream — running shockingly, conformist and soulless businesses.

So what is a soulless business?

Here are 10 pointers to help you identify them (and I’m sure each of us could easily think of real-life examples for each):

  • The sole purpose of the business is profit
  • The business is all about the owner
  • The business, a large corporate, is run predominantly for the execs
  • The business scams its customers
  • The business puts profit before people
  • The business exploits people’s weaknesses or frailties
  • The business exploits natural resources
  • The business sells stuff no one needs
  • The business product or service makes people worse off
  • The business crushes the souls of its staff and or its owner

It didn’t have to be that way then, and it doesn’t have to be that way now.

Punks in suits?

I’ve been in business for 30 years, and love it. I’m far from anti-business. But I am anti-soulless businesses.

I like to think I’ve kept the Punk attitude with me in business and in life, always looking to take a different path — but too many others have played it safe.

Collectively we could have, and still can, run truly outstanding businesses that feed our souls, add huge value to society and make a profit. Punk was a reaction against terrible music and we can bring that attitude to business.

Reject it, disrupt it, challenge it, set the agenda and stop conforming. Bring joy to business and do great work.

Want some pointers to the type of business we can own or lead? Here are a few:

  • Purpose — A great business has a purpose beyond profit. The purpose is bigger than the owners or exec’s and adds real value to society as a whole. And the evidence is growing that purpose-driven companies are more profitable, so it even makes business sense.
  • People — People come first, full stop. Stop bleating about your CSR, your Talent Programme, Customer Retention Programme and all the other nonsense. Just simply, put people first; your staff, your customers and anyone else that is impacted in any way by your business.
  • Process — Keep it simple. Seriously, our love of technology can make us over complicate matters. Ever been caught in an automated telephone cycle? Been on a website with no physical address or telephone number? Followed an endless sequence of hyper-links that go nowhere? Feels terrible doesn’t it? Think of what it is like to be a customer and make your processes as simple as possible.
  • Profit — You have to make a profit, otherwise you have a hobby not a business. Profit, however, is an outcome, a measure. Get the first three right and profit flows, it’s inevitable. A great purpose, people aligned to your purpose, providing great service to your customers, with simple and efficient processes and profit flows!
The path to a happy company
  • Posterity — Great businesses create and leave a legacy. They impact the world in a positive way and make the world a better place. As owners and leaders, we want to create and leave a positive business, financial and personal legacy, as stewards of the businesses we create.

So, to all you ageing Punks and also you younger, aspiring Punks it’s time to reconnect with that Punk spirit.

Sean O’Leary is founder and Chief Wonderer of Fit To Lead, a community that seeks to be their best in life, physically, mentally and emotionally and a member of The Happy Startup community

Image Credit — Pexels