In a recent visit to Australia, Jennifer Dulski, the 2023 Menzies Orator, lead the UNSW Founders event, ‘Unleashing Our Entrepreneurial Potential.’ During her presentation, she delved into the 3 essential elements of becoming a successful movement starter or founder.
With unwavering dedication, she explored the fundamental tenets of successful transformation and entrepreneurship. Her first focal point was on the virtue of Courage. She emphasised the necessity of putting oneself out there, even in the face of discomfort, without the assurance of whether anyone will believe in your vision or the endeavour you’re launching. As an illustrative example, she cited Hint water, a creation of Kara Goldin, to underscore the role of courage in such pursuits.
The second critical element: ‘Community,’ Dulski underscores the fact that you cannot embark on a triumphant journey in movement-building or company creation alone; a thriving community of supporters is imperative. She stresses the importance of actively inviting individuals to join your vision, illustrating this point with the inspiring example of Jennifer Cardenas, who established a resilient community during the tumultuous times of Hurricane Harvey.
The third pivotal element; ‘Commitment’ She eloquently emphasised that commitment isn’t always a smooth journey, but it’s an essential ingredient in any project’s success. Dulski quoted, “Forward is a pace,” and underscored the significance of inhabiting the space between fear and joy. To drive this point home, she candidly shared her own experiences of setbacks and drew upon the metaphor of scaling a mountain.
In a surprising twist, she unveiled a fourth ‘C’ that holds immense importance – ‘Connection.’ She emphasised that connection goes beyond merely forming a community, as it’s insufficient to assign people roles within a team; the key is to make them feel like integral parts of the team to ensure their lasting engagement.
This approach is about nurturing teams and transcending the exclusive focus on results and KPIs, ultimately facilitating meaningful connections. To illustrate this concept, she drew upon a poignant clip from the movie Maverick.
Take a look at the recording of Essential elements of becoming a successful movement starter or founder here.
