Cast your minds back almost nine months to a heat wave similar to the one we’re experiencing now and these areas, as well as many others across the UK, were burning battle grounds rather than streets built for communities to grow and ultimately thrive in.

I was cycling through Tottenham last night and it’s apparent that the impact of the ‘troubles’ of those “5 days in August” is still being felt. While other areas of the UK were also hit, some of the most startling scenes took place on the streets of the capital both in terms of the destruction levels and in the heartfelt reactions from residents. And the impact continues to reverberate – communities, their residents and local businesses are still attempting to rebuild after last year’s outbreak of violence.

So what are the answers to the unrest? And what sort of guarantees do communities have that these scenes will not be visible on our streets again?

The results of a report by an independent panel set up by the government to study the causes of the riots suggested that people need to be given “a stake in society” in order to prevent any future trouble.

Darra Singh, Chair of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, said:  “We must give everyone a stake in society. There are people ‘bumping along the bottom’, unable to change their lives.

“When people don’t feel they have a reason to stay out of trouble, the consequences for communities can be devastating – as we saw last August.”

The report by the Riots Communities and Victims Panel revealed that a group of approximately 500,000 “forgotten families” are struggling in these lean times. The document said that the key to avoiding future riots is to have communities:

• where everyone feels they have a stake in society;
• where individuals respect each other and the place they live in;
• where public services work together and with the voluntary sector to spot those who are struggling at an early stage and help them;
• where opportunities are available to all, especially young people.

Winning or losing is neither right nor wrong. It just is. Sometimes winning is due to luck; other times it is a function of skill; talent often plays a role; then there are times when winning is a combination of these things and much more. Most people prefer to win because losing can be a painful, humiliating and lonely experience.

We know that losing is hard. When you have invested time and energy in something, losing feels very personal. When luck seems to be the biggest factor, losing can feel like having salt rubbed in a wound. However, being a winner can be just as difficult. You want to celebrate and believe you and your abilities are the reasons behind your victory. You want to be happy and for others to congratulate you. But when the stakes are high and there is much to lose, winning can feel like a curse.

In a democracy there are winners and losers too. Understanding what it is to be a winner and a loser is extremely important if the democracy is to work. If a winner forgets what it is like to be a loser, then the democracy can suffer.

This weekend I worked at the Attawasul Youth Conference in Benghazi. For decades, Libya has been a country where the majority of its citizens were the losers. At the conference I watched as multiple generations came together to discuss how to ensure they do not lose again.

These individuals are just a few of the millions of Libyans talking about a new Libya. This is their time to be winners and I wonder what kind of winners they will be? Will they be like the winners that humiliated them? Or will they learn lessons from the past? Will they create a strong democracy where the losers can still walk away with their dignity and a chance to run again?

Can the winners in Libya do so gracefully? I think this is one of the biggest questions for their future – and only time will tell.

Written by Ethan Ohs, Frontrunner Director

Ethan recently spent five days in Libya working at the Attawasul Youth Conference. Over three days he worked with a group from across the Arab world to explore leadership, governance and democracy. Most of his group were from Libya though he also worked with participants from the UK, US and Yemen.

At the last moment the Chair leaned over and whispered in my ear: “Would you mind terribly if I made a slightly sexist remark when I introduce you?”

I turned to the guy on my right due to follow me and said: “Our chair would like to know if you would mind terribly if he made a slightly racist joke when he introduces you?”

That shut the Chair up.

I know the world is changing. I can see it in my daughters and even more in my sons. But sadly it is not changing that fast.

Today is International Women’s Day, an event set up in the US in 1909 to both inspire women and celebrate their achievements. Do you think that perspectives surrounding females and their abilities to lead are changing? Or are some old-fashioned attitudes so ingrained that they will never change?

This post is written by Julia Middleton, Founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose. This post is also available on her blog: http://juliamiddleton.net

It is amid these harsh financial realities that the perception of learning and development (L&D) has changed. A recent survey by the Henley Business School suggested that L&D has become increasingly focused as organisations look to get more from their budgets in these lean times.

In the Corporate Learning study*, almost three-quarters of leaders and HR professionals highlighted L&D as a way of boosting growth. One respondent talked of ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’ when using learning to develop leaders. Researchers claimed that these sort of comments indicated a renewed sense of urgency and determination surrounding the subject.

The report presented a range of findings emphasising the increasing importance of L&D to businesses when looking to achieve growth.

70% of participants saw L&D as a way of building and maintaining employee engagement. 63% said L&D is an effective tool to manage change while 46% and 50% of respondents viewed it as part of the recruitment process – L&D can attract talent to a business and inform succession planning. More than half said that collaborative learning is a focus for many survey participants while nearly two-thirds stated that they were looking to undertake more ‘peer-to-peer’ learning.

Previous research from ICAM and People 1st Training Company, which was published in November 2011, highlighted how L&D is attractive to employees as well as leaders – it is the number one alternative to a pay rise for many younger staff. A third of 18-24 year-olds and 35% of 25-34 year-olds saw further training and career development as the most appealing substitute in lieu of a raise.

The importance of L&D is also seen in a shift of focus from middle managers to senior staff. In the Henley Business School’s report, 47% of respondents said this was either their top or second priority compared with 35% last year.

So why has the perception of L&D changed? Or has it always been a provider of growth opportunities which organisations failed to connect to their business objectives?

Hugh Evans, Head of Executive Education at Henley, told Common Purpose that the current economic realities are a contributing factor behind the shift.

“If you have a specific budget and a small population, then it makes sense to invest in senior staff. This will provide you with more impact and more leverage.”

Evans was keen to emphasise that despite these tough economic times, L&D has always been on the agenda for organisations looking to be best in the marketplace.

“Leadership is about capacity and capability – most clients never seem to have enough leaders so it is a continual strategic focus. Organisations are constantly asking whether they have the leaders to be competitive, stand out from the crowd and attract the most customers. So investing in L&D is a constant priority.”

Tom Brind, Senior Director for Common Purpose London, echoed these sentiments. He said that for many organisations, developing leadership capacity is a way of saving money in other areas of a business.

“In London many of our courses are used by organisations to unlock the leadership potential which already exists within their workforce. Realising this untapped potential can have a huge impact making financial savings for organisations in the long-term as well as ensuring staff are happy in their roles and not looking for opportunities elsewhere.”

Louise Teboul, Operations Director at Common Purpose, gave a national perspective on the survey – she stated that L&D can help organisations solve complex challenges by encouraging greater collaboration among a workforce.

“Organisations need leaders and organisations to come together to discuss, learn from each other and to find new ways of working. I think there’s also a growing drive towards values-based leadership, so L&D needs to take that in account -there’s nothing better than real-life, experiential learning which can make a difference to your city or region.  This means individuals are better equipped to lead not only in their own organisations but also in their area.”

So how do you currently perceive L&D? Have perspectives changed since the financial crisis? Is it an effective way for organisations to retain or attract new talent? Do you agree with the points made in Henley’s survey that it can be a viable way for an organisation to grow in these difficult times?

No matter how tight belts are becoming, growth needs to be sourced from somewhere and perhaps L&D is an answer. Or is it just one of many?

This post was written by Jim Ottewill, Web Editor at Common Purpose.

*The survey received 136 responses – 73% were from directors; VP’s or heads of department. 61% were from non-HR functions. 55% of the respondents were from the UK. 30% were from other European countries. 8% were from Asia Pacific and 7% from the rest of world.

Someone asked me what kind of skills you need to work at Common Purpose. I think you need an ability to juggle priorities or keep the plates spinning, whichever metaphor you prefer. When recruiting new staff it was one of the key skills I looked for. Moving into an internal service providing role (from delivering our courses in London to supporting course delivery teams across the world as Curriculum Director) has highlighted this for me. We have to walk a fine balance between providing a swift and prompt service and working on long-term projects. I recently got married and had to juggle all the ‘wedmin’ with having a life which included non-related, wedding activities such as trying to get fit and work. Everything is a constant juggle.

I’m wondering what impact all this juggling has on our ability to concentrate and be at our best for everything we do. Is it an innate human condition? Or is it a symptom of the modern age? What say you?

Business coach Dave Crenshaw in his book, ‘The Myth of Multitasking’, argues that when we think we are being productive and multitasking, we aren’t. This is because on average we get interrupted every three minutes either by email, phones, texts, people, other thoughts etc. It then takes us a minute or two to get back to where we were, before a minute later getting interrupted again.

Crenshaw believes multitasking slows you down, because as you switch between tasks you spend your time retracing your steps rather than being productive. So in fact we just refresh our memory on each task and where we are with it before moving on, making multitasking a myth (or so the argument goes). Technology doesn’t help as we now have to deal with such a mountain of information and stimulus – our brains simply haven’t evolved to deal with this at the same rate at which technology has evolved!

I find this fascinating, although I don’t buy into it 100 per cent. We clearly do more than refresh our memory on tasks – we complete things, work on multiple projects and so on – but I also know when I’m bouncing from one thing to the next, that I am not at my most effective (as just proved by getting a text which stopped me – I read it, lost my train of thought and had to refocus!). So this leads me to ask – how effective are you at juggling, what conditions do you need to be effective at it, and when do you struggle with it?

This post was written by Andy Coxall, Curriculum Director, Common Purpose.

I left the accountancy firm in the summer of 1989 to pursue my interest in art, ultimately graduating with a degree in Fine Art from Northumbria University in 1993. In my twenties I became self-employed working on commissions and community projects, I founded an artist-led collective, and I worked part-time for social services in a day centre for adults with learning disabilities.

In 1999 I joined Helix Arts as Development Director, working three days a week. And in 2000 I became a father with the arrival of the first of our two sons, Harvey.

For the past eleven years I have combined part-time work at Helix Arts with my arts practice and fatherhood.

At Helix Arts I worked three days a week becoming Director in 2006 and Chief Executive in 2010. During this time I was instrumental in growing the charity, in scale and reputation, into a national leader in its field, providing a platform for the company to reach more people, drive up quality standards, build new partnerships, sustain growth and improve efficiency. Between 2001/02 & 2009/10 Helix Arts achieved growth in turnover of 272%, total value of projects 1225%, earned income 562%, whilst increasing core costs by only 103%. 2009/10 was Helix Arts fifth consecutive record year enabling the charity to grow from six to nine permanent staff. Today the charity has a turnover of around £500k and currently employs nine part-time staff working between 22.5 and 30 hours per week.

My arts practice has continued to develop, with over fifteen performances, screenings and events over the last decade, increasingly outside of the UK.

And at home I have enjoyed being with my sons and enabling my wife to also work part-time as a midwife.

In 2007 I also joined the board of directors of North Tyneside Art Studio, becoming chair in 2009, and this year I have joined the governing body at Harvey’s new high school.

However, I am now forty-one, I am more passionate than ever about art and culture and the role of the third sector in society, I believe I have a lot to offer, and I am looking for a new challenge; but if I fancied a leadership role in a larger charitable institution, working part-time, could I secure one?

Unfortunately I don’t think so, and I think that’s a missed opportunity, not just for me and the organisation I might work for, but for anyone who chooses to lead part-time, for whatever reasons, and for all the organisations that could benefit.

So, in order to encourage organisations, large and small, to consider applications from part-time workers for key leadership positions, I will briefly outline how we made part-time working a key strength at Helix Arts, I’ll cite some current research and thinking on this topic and finally I’ll suggest some ways in which organisations might better capitalise on part-time leaders.

Work-life balance as core strength

The key to leading effectively part-time is fully understanding the role, and prioritising time and resources effectively to deliver the role. It’s a combination of flexibility and discipline.

Since 2007 all staff at Helix Arts have recorded their time to 15 minutes in order to achieve a Full Cost Recovery costing profile for the work of the charity. In 2009/10 I worked 1002 hours and 15 minutes at Helix Arts (134 days). The breakdown of my time during the year was as follows: 28% internal relations – managing the performance of the team; 26% external relations – developing relationships with partners, funders, collaborators and advocates; 29% organisation development – developing the organisation to meet current and future needs; 6% governance – working in partnership with the Board to lead the organisation effectively; and 11% personal administration.

This personal time recording discipline (which I started in 2002 whilst doing management training), coupled with a clear understanding of my leadership role, enabled me to both lead effectively without unnecessary overworking, and to develop and refine the future role of the new Chief Executive, also a part-time position, in line with the business plan. Helix Arts successfully transitioned to its new Chief Executive earlier this year.

The following is extracted from an external evaluation of Helix Arts organisational development programme, 2007/08 to 2010/11:

Work in balance – all of the staff at Helix Arts work part-time “at least 75% wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case” says Toby Lowe (then Head of Programme) “that is what attracted me to coming here.” It is really unusual for a whole company to work in this way, and particularly to offer senior management positions on such a basis. When Andrew McIntyre (Fundraising & Business Support Manager) joined the organisation the whole work culture surprised him “It is just so healthy, people come in on time and leave on time, they never seemed really stressed – that isn’t typical of an arts organisation!”

A Story of Change: Helix Arts’ implementation of Arts Council of England Thrive! Funding – An Organisation Development Programme, 2007 – 2010, Gayle Sutherland

As a result of this embedded culture of placing work-life balance at the heart of the organisation – and valuing diversity, in the broadest sense – Helix Arts continues to attract exceptional candidates for positions at all levels in the organisation, and benefits from extremely low levels of sickness and high levels of employee retention.

More broadly, the evidence base for the benefits of working part-time is extensive. Perhaps most radically, the new economics foundation (nef) makes a compelling case for a new standard 21 hour working week in their publication 21 hours – Why a shorter working week can help us all flourish in the 21^st century (2010).

Whilst I want to focus specifically on the dynamics of leading part-time, I think it is worth pausing to consider some of nef’s broader thinking in this area.

Generally: ‘By sharing working hours and tasks more equally, everyone would be able to undertake more meaningful work and, by shortening the working week to four days we could create a better balance between paid work and the vital “core economy” of family, friends and community life.’ Page 16, 21 hours

On citizenship: (a much shorter working week would free up time to…) ‘…participate, enriching civil society, strengthening democratic processes and making it easier for voters to hold politicians to account.’ Page 22, 21 hours

On benefits for business: ‘Women’s talents can be more fully realised if they find it easier to combine paid work with other responsibilities. Men will have the chance to become more rounded and emotionally intelligent individuals as their daily routines, identities, and values are more closely connected with home and family. Integrating paid employment with the rhythms and interests of domestic life will make managing or ‘juggling’ the two spheres less stressful and divisive. Emotional intelligence and better balanced lives are both known to produce better outcomes in the workplace. There is evidence, too, that people who work shorter hours are more productive, hour for hour.’ Page 24, 21 hours

nef go on to provide detailed arguments building a powerful case for a much shorter working week focusing on three key drivers: ‘Safeguarding the natural resources of the planet’, ‘Social justice and well-being for all’, and ‘A robust and prosperous economy’.

‘A much shorter working week would change the tempo of our lives; it would re-shape habits and conventions and profoundly alter the dominant cultures of western society. It would help to promote sustainable social justice, well-being, and the good life, to safeguard the natural resources of the planet, and to build a robust and prosperous economy.’ Page 25, 21 hours

The Work Foundation is a little blunter in their key messages for employers summarised in About time for change (The Work Foundation, in association with Employers for Work-life Balance, 2003), stating ‘The smartest and most forward-looking organisations will see that by putting work-life balance at the heart of their cultures and their strategic plans they will not only be satisfying employees and creating more equitable workplaces, but increasing their productivity and responding competitively to significant changes…’ Page 3

About time for change presents a number of case studies of organisations reaping the considerable benefits of placing work-life balance at the centre of their organisational culture: ‘At PricewaterhouseCoopers we firmly believe that promoting work-life balance is a “business critical” issue and not simply the “right thing to do”.’ Page 14

In terms of making my argument, perhaps the most useful quote is from Lloyds TSB who state that they view ‘…their worklife balance policies as not just being about ‘helping the bank to meet its core strategic aims’ but also: ‘about moving from a “long hours culture”, where attendance matters more than achievement, to an environment where people are valued for the results they deliver and the competencies they demonstrate…’ Page 15

So what might be the critical success factors to leading effectively part-time? I can think of six:

1. Having a clear (shared, agreed and understood) strategic direction – knowing the priorities, understanding the key drivers, having a strategy in place with clear performance indicators and robust reporting mechanisms. Here, the relationship with the board is key.
2. Having a strong and empowered senior management team in place – having the right people around you. This creates great opportunities to develop the performance of other team members by sharing responsibility through effective delegation.
3. Having a clear focus on the strategic rather than the operational/programme role/function – always ask, is this a truly strategic task?
4. Highly structured and effective team working and communication – through good annual appraisal processes, one-to-one supervision, team meetings, away days and internal communications systems.
5. Rigorous time management – planning forward (best time estimating), capturing (recording), reflecting and adapting (analysis) – and ruthless prioritisation – knowing what’s important, and what can wait or be delegated.
6. The willingness of non-executive boards to think differently. Perhaps this is one of the main barriers to leading part-time. So there is a job to do here too – to make the case by evidencing, to board members in particular, that leading part-time can be effective and value adding.

And what might the rewards be?

• A wealth of new perspectives and approaches from individuals who not only see the bigger picture, but are part of it.
• The opportunity to attract and develop talented individuals through offering flexible working patterns to increasing numbers of potential employees who demand them.
• A happy, motivated, hard-working, fulfilled leader!
• And don’t forget, a part-time leader takes a part-time wage – do you really need, and can you really afford a full time leader?

This post was written by Robert Laycock, a visual artist and consultant specialising in organisation development, leadership development and business planning – with a particular focus on the arts, cultural and third sectors http://www.peoplepurposeplanning.co.uk/

He is a Common Purpose Tyne & Wear Matrix Graduate 2005/06, and readily cites Common Purpose as a key influence on his leadership and life choices.

Twitter: @robertlaycock

That’s why we launched the Young Million campaign – not necessarily to find employment for these young people (there are many excellent initiatives that exist to do this), but to provide them with the development opportunities they might have had were they in work so that if, or hopefully when, they find a job they are not behind the game. I can’t help but go back to those days when I was desperately trying to get a foot on the employment ladder but struggled, despite an Oxbridge degree; and that was at a time when the economy was buoyant and had record low rates of unemployment. I wish there had been a Young Million course then to give me a leg up!

I am truly delighted to see how fantastic the response has been from our alumni to the Young Million idea. From all across the UK, time, space and money have been donated to get these workshops off the ground. Against the backdrop of these statistics it is so inspiring to see how much the ‘more established’ leaders care about helping these young people to enter the labour market. As one Common Purpose graduate (an ex-investment banker) said to me the other day, “we have to do our bit to ensure that the talent of the next generation isn’t lost entirely”.

It is heartening to see that the workshops are working on so many levels. As well as developing their leadership skills and having the opportunity to meet and get CV and interview tips from local employers, participants tell us they are getting a huge boost in self-confidence and gaining a peer support group, both of which keeps them motivated through difficult times. One participant in the North East, a university graduate, told me yesterday that the course was the most motivating and useful thing she had ever done!

So we will continue to offer workshops across the UK and hope that people and organisations will continue to be as involved as they have been. But I worry about this dangerous skills and development gap that is continuing to grow. It was great to see our Young Million campaign highlighted on the BBC News yesterday, on TV, the BBC website and radio – I hope this will encourage other organisations to find their own ways to bring such issues to the fore and bridge that gap.

This post was written by Adirupa Sengupta, Chief Executive, Common Purpose UK.

Here’s what happened when Chris Mathias, Founder, Arbor Ventures and Common Purpose Trustee, took action on the 360 Day 2011.

My action for the 360 Day was to put myself in a position to find, and then carry out, a random act of kindness. Sunday the 9th in the afternoon – I was feeling a bubbling excitement and a little bit nervous. What would happen if I could not find an opportunity for a random act of kindness (preferably to a stranger)? What a shame that would be.

Monday the 10th dawned. Today was the day – the 360 Day. Started off going to the gym with my wife – not too many opportunities there for random acts of kindness – I did not think anyone would thank me for gratuitously lifting their weights! Then a morning of taking and receiving calls – a whole bunch of them – a very low opportunity environment. Lunch, bunch of meetings in the afternoon.

It is 4.45pm and I am no nearer my random act of kindness (which I have now taken to referring to as RAK). I decide to go for a walk and find someone. I go to Starbucks and buy a coffee – think that leaving a super large tip is not really a RAK of the sort I was looking for, but do it anyhow and am thanked with a huge grin! I take a seat by the window so I can look out for anyone who might be a RAK recipient. I spend 25 minutes and watch London walk past. Everyone looks busy, purposeful and self-contained. I am not sure I know what a RAK recipient looks like, but I am sure that it is none of the people who stride past my window in the next while.

Give up – I am hosting a business dinner, so get back for that. Drinks, small talk, speeches, food and coffee. It is now 10.30pm and I am headed home.

I lie awake and think “what a disaster”. I could not find a single opportunity for a RAK. Either the opportunities are much more limited than I thought, or I am rubbish at finding them. BUT – something has changed. I spent the day much more aware of others, and that was good. More than that though, I am committed to keep on looking – I am not going to give up until my RAK is complete

I give a pressing example from my own home city, Bristol; just one such impossible task requiring brave and tenacious leadership.  It addresses the long existing need in defined communities for a comprehensive and credible strategic plan for economic and social development.

Human beings have always been interested in arranging their communities in order to make the most of available resources. That has meant, over thousands of years, devising living spaces in which people could congregate safely for shelter, commercial exchange and the general conduct of everyday life.

Those spaces have usually been merely utilitarian in design. However, the greatest societies in history have had exceptional aspirations, seeking to develop aesthetically pleasing spatial conceptions underpinned by an ambition to produce an ideal built environment where form and function were perfectly combined. And that sense of ambition also spread beyond the creation of buildings and public spaces into the provision of other elements such as educational and health services as well as high class cultural activity.

Our task is to match the best that has gone before in all those respects, to reject the bland and the mediocre and instead to create a wonderful place for our children and grandchildren to inhabit.

When looking for inspiration for the basis of a plan for the future of the City Region around Bristol I was drawn to the impressive work of Daniel Burnham who developed in 1909 his outstanding One Hundred Year Vision for Chicago which completely changed the city and allowed the development of a new order of opportunity.

In particular I believe we should take notice of the challenging vision statement which he borrowed from Goethe when he exhorted his fellow activists to:

“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood.

Make big plans, aim high in hope and work, remembering

that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die.”

This post was written by John Savage, Executive Chairman of Business West.

For starters, I’d say I don’t always practice what I preach.  What I have noticed is that as a leader in a crisis situation, if you get exasperated, manifested in many ways such as speaking louder and faster, this can be interpreted as you not being in control. This is the case even if in your intensity you are 100% in control and are thinking as sharp as a razor…

My experiences as a leader has been in Iraq as a US Army Reserves officer with small tactical nation-building team circa 2003-2004. In the private sector I’ve been a line manager and later co-founder of a cleantech venture capital partnership. In crisis situations although the inclination is to act immediate, try to stop, take a breath, and say to yourself remember you and your team’s training. Falling back on stipulated processes even if never before practiced in real provides provide immediate structure and focus to the team.

But sometimes the crisis is unanticipated and there has been no contingency training. Personal experiences include a group of people quickly morphing into an angry mob.  Or it’s December 2008, the global economic system is melting around you and your portfolio company calls notifying you that they cannot make payroll next week.  Say to yourself ‘this is part of the job description’ and try and de-link/ disconnect the rising stress level. Nation building as an American soldier in a foreign land means unanticipated stressful situations with the locals and at times it is a matter of life and death. Tell yourself it is part of the job and actually the situation isn’t a surprise.  A private sector example is that realising that making investments in young start-up companies is by definition is high risk. That is means macro environment inputs can throw the best laid proforma plans out of whack. It is the nature of the beast so do not take it personally. Managing through the situation is part of the job description.  Further, remember that as a leader this usually means privileges in rank, pay or social status but with that means that you are expected to be a leader providing structure and direction when necessary particularly in a crisis.

Finally, I’d comment that one misconception particularly for new leaders is that you are expected to have all the answers and that you are expected to be able to functionally perform all of your teams jobs. This is not the case. What being a leader can mean is taking the deep breath, calmly ask for input from select team members and if necessary even be vocal as you work out the logic of an action plan. It is ok to seek input and it is ok to acknowledge you may not have the functional team members expertise and even experience (it is not atypical for a leader to be younger than other team members). Doing this does not have to signal your confusion or inability to lead since you never forget that in the end you are still the responsible one. Being a leader means that you are expected to make a decision. The buck stops with you since when it is all over you will be the first to be held accountable. If you are using a consensus model of crisis leadership remembering this will help cut through the noise and fog of processing multiple inputs and coming up with your clear action plan.

Written by Mark Huang, co-founder of Novus Energy.