Episode #77: Paul Dunn on Connection, Meaning, And Purpose

The Discomfort Practice

In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, I sit are with someone who has truly ‘walked his talk’ - and is still walking it in a very impactful way. Paul Dunnis a four times TEDx speaker and was one of the first 10 People in Hewlett Packard Australia. After starting at HP - one of Australia's first computer companies - he founded the Results Corporation, where he’s worked with more than23,000 businesses. He's been honoured as a Social Innovation Fellow in his current home of Singapore, featured in Forbes magazine with Sir Richard Branson as a ‘disrupter in business’ and written several books, including one called The Firm Of The Future, which is widely regarded as one of the most important of its type ever written.

His unique business development programs are nowused by an estimated 226,000 companies in the world. Paul is not one to let the grass grow under his feet, so he’sspending his “retirement years” enabling other leaders, business owners, and enterprises to define their purpose. Paul now serves as the Chairman of the consultancy firm, B1G1, enabling businesses to connect and give back in new ways, and creating over 289 million giving impacts globally.

We talk about the role of leaders and employees infacilitating transformational change, creating positive impact on the world and helping to put purpose at the heart of the companies that they lead and work for. Paul also explained what a “Giving Impact” is and how it works, so listen in for that.

This is a jam-packed episode, full of beautiful ideas about how people like us can transform the world and the world of business, so tune in now and enjoy.

Key Points Discussed:

• Paul’s shaping moments with Jim Rohn where he made a transition from his job leading to what he’s doing now (05:44)
• Connection, meaning, and purpose (17:09)
• Purpose higher than ourselves leads us to thrive (23:11)
• It’s how we show up (27:25)
• Learning takes place at the edge of chaos (31:12)
• What is a Giving Impact (32:23)
• The storyteller is the most powerful person in the world (40:46)
• More about giving impacts and the people involved (45:29)
• Democratizing the whole giving process (49:08)
• Filtering the people you work with (51:27)
• Being an “actionist” (55:59)
• Having a more emphatic, intuitive, and creative leadership (1:02:18)
• Rewilding yourself (1:05:25)
• What excited Paul about the future (1:07:46)
• What makes your future become more powerful than your past (1:10:10)

Resources Mentioned:

• Paul Dunn in B1G1
• B1G1: Business For Good
• The Firm Of The Future by Paul Dunn
• Teeming by Tamsin Wooley-Barker
• Nicola Sturgeon

Connect with Paul:

• Paul on LinkedIn

Connect with Betsy:

• Betsy on Instagram
• Betsy on Twitter
• Betsy on Linkedin

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