July 2018 - Beyond the Crucible by Warwick Fairfax

A Vision Becomes a 150 Year Reality

John Fairfax is a great example of a man whose vision became reality. John Fairfax was my great great grandfather, who started the family media company. The newspaper John Fairfax bought in 1841, the Sydney Morning Herald, was to grow into a media company that had newspapers, television stations, radio stations, magazines and newsprint mills. The company he founded was to stay in family control for close to 150 years and become one of the dominant influential media companies in Australia.

What were the keys to John Fairfax’s vision booming reality? John Fairfax’s vision had its start back in England in 1836 when a local lawyer sued the newspaper, the Leamington Chronicle that John Fairfax had started, for an article the paper had written about the lawyer. Twice the lawyer sued. Each time the court ruled in favor of the paper. But the court costs bankrupted John Fairfax. Out of this crucible experience, John Fairfax decided to leave England and take his family to Australia, a voyage at the time that could last from four to nine months.

John Fairfax’s vision was clear. His paper, which would be the Sydney Morning Herald, “would be without fear to express opinion, it would be without the reproach of self-interest, sworn to no master and free from the narrow channels of sectarianism.” It would not be a partisan newspaper, in an age when many newspapers were partisan. The Sydney Morning Herald’s motto, even before John Fairfax bought it, fit John Fairfax’s philosophy, “In moderation placing all my glory, while Tories call me Whig – and Whigs a Tory.” In modern parlance, this means while Conservatives call me Liberal and Liberals call me Conservative.

“You Will Win and I Will Win”

While John Fairfax’s vision for his newspaper was clear, and seemed to be influenced by his crucible experience, John critically had a strong support team. John’s wife Sarah was a woman of great faith. On their way to Australia, the ship that they were on passed the west coast of Australia, which to John looked like a barren forbidding land. John’s heart sank. He had brought his young family all the way to Australia to this. Somehow Sarah from below deck sensed the despondency in John’s heart and came up on deck. Sarah told him not to worry about her and the children. Sarah told him, “I do not worry about you; I know what you can do, and it is much. I know your strength of purpose, your sound, vigorous brain and your sense of honour. You are well armed, John, for any fray, and you will win and I will win, not only success, but content and great happiness.” What amazing encouragement!

John also had a partner that co-labored with him in the newspaper, Charles Kemp. While John Fairfax handled the business side, Charles Kemp would handle the reporting side, and they would together decide on the newspaper’s editorials. In the years to come, Charles Kemp retired and sold his share to John Fairfax. John had his sons working with him at the newspaper. John Fairfax also had the support of his church, where he was a deacon, the equivalent of an elder in other churches. The elders of his church actually helped raise some money to help buy the Sydney Morning Herald.

Refine, Define, Vision, Reality

John Fairfax faced a number of challenges in making his vision become reality. In a sense John’s vision was borne out of the crucible of losing his paper in England. John knew he was a good newspaperman. He was passionate about the kind of hard charging but impartial newspaper he would create. He had a great support team in his wife and family, as well as with the fellow elders at his church, and he had great co-laborers in Charles Kemp and later in his sons. A combination of great passion for the vision he had for his newspaper, being wired for the role he would play, great family support and capable colleagues, and his strong faith, helped John persevere and make his vision become reality.

Reflection

How does John Fairfax illustrate someone with a clear vision?

Do you have a support team like John Fairfax?

To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com.

Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel and be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us.

Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

—

Don’t forget to subscribe for more leadership and personal growth insights: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondthecrucible

Follow Beyond the Crucible on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthecrucible

Follow Warwick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwickfairfax/

Follow Beyond the Crucible on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthecrucible

Take the free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment to discover where you are on your journey of moving beyond your crucible and how to chart your personal course to a life of significance: https://beyondthecrucible.com/assessment/

Vision is Good, Reality is better.

There are few things sadder than a vision unfulfilled, a vision lost, especially a vision that you believe in, that you are passionate about.

Making your vision become reality is how you can lead a life of significance; a life that fulfills a higher purpose, a life that is beyond your own interests. This is a life that you are passionate about and are excited to make happen. You truly believe it was your calling. You were made to do this.

So how do you make this compelling vision you have become reality? It often starts with taking stock of your crucible experience. This may be the loss of a business, being fired, a health challenge or some other crisis that has a searing effect on you.

This crucible experience forces you to examine yourself. Who am I? What is my purpose? What was I designed to do?

You reflect on how you were designed, how you were wired, your passions and beliefs.

A Vision Emerges

Out of a clearer idea of how you were designed, and what your passions and beliefs are, as well as reflecting on your crucible experience, a vision emerges. This is a vision that you are white hot passionate about, that often comes out of the pain you endured in your crucible experience. Because you know how you are wired, you know what role you will play in making that vision happen.

In short, making your vision become reality is following the steps above; reflecting on the refining from your crucible experience, understanding how you were designed, pursuing a vision that is often borne out of that crucible experience and is based on who you are.

If you have a vision that you are passionate about, often springing from the pain of your crucible experience, and it is something that you were designed to do, that vision will have a far greater chance of becoming reality.

Can it really be that simple? Yes, in the sense that following these steps will significantly increase the chances of your vision becoming reality. No in the sense that making a vision become reality is not easy. There will be obstacles, some may seem insurmountable. There may be people who feel you are crazy, who don’t believe in your vision.

How do you keep going on this often difficult journey to seeing your vision become reality? It starts from within. Remember this is a vision that is often borne out of the pain of your crucible experience, that you feel white hot passionate about. This is a vision that you feel you were designed for, that you feel is your calling in life.

A Shared Vision

But there is another crucial factor. You have to have a core support team surrounding you that believes in you and your vision. In times of challenge, despondency or even despair, these are the people who will encourage you.

But you often need a team that will encourage you in practical ways; a team that will give advice specific to your vision. They may be knowledgable experts in relevant fields related to your vision. They may indeed be co-laborers with you in making the vision become reality.

One key point to remember. No man or woman is an island. We need people who will support us and encourage us. We need people to come beside us to help us make the vision come to life.