Notorious: Karl Lokko’s Rise from Brixton’s Gangs to Becoming the Most Influential Man in Britain

Even in a world filled with plenty of people with an interesting story to tell, some are worth listening to a little longer.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with the infamous orator, Karl Lokko, for an episode of Better with Paul, and he graciously shared a taste of what it takes to reinvent yourself, not once but twice; first to survive, then to thrive.

Once upon a time, the name ‘Karl Lokko’ rang through homes for reasons much different from today. Going from being a feared gang leader known for throwing fists with a smile to being good friends with a member of the royal family wasn’t an easy feat. Rebranding his image and expanding his territory pushed Karl to see himself as more than the son of Brixton, he had to learn to envision himself in the position he wanted to be in. He had to speak it and believe it, then he had to put some serious work in.

This week, I want to highlight a few key qualities I believe can be directly traced to Karl’s success. Even if your goals aren’t as grand, taking a page out of Karl’s book (shoot, a sentence off the page would do) is bound to change your life forever.

1) Curiosity is King

As a child, Karl’s genius was watered often. People can hear “gang member” and mistake the term to mean “a person with lacking intelligence” but, in most cases, a person’s violent association speaks more to their social or economic woes than their IQ. Karl’s mother was a teacher in Ghana, and she made sure to position him to learn as much as he could. He would curiously devour volume after volume of encyclopedias, tutoring his older brother on what he learned. His curiosity nourished his intellect, which resulted in an insatiable mental capacity. From reading a new book each week for two years straight to studying the habits and behaviors of people he wanted to emulate, be it on the block or at a banquet, his aptitude for studying the world pushed Karl to achieve more — probably because his curiosity allowed him to accept the idea that more exists.

2) Plant Your Seed in Fertile Ground

Karl is very candid about the fact that he never consciously chose to leave behind his notorious lifestyle. The name he built for himself protected his family and provided a way of living that kept him comfortable. Even still, that first superpower skill seems to serve as a gateway that encourages personal growth. With his eyes and ears open, the bullied child that was getting robbed every day before school, always looked for ways to improve himself. Personal development was never something he needed to be coached or persuaded to do. All he needed was to find someone to plant the seed that would one day inspire him to use his influence for good. Little did he know, he’d soon become that person for someone who needed the same inspiration.

The best seeds grow into trees that feed generations. No matter how much information you consume or how many amazing people you come in contact with, you must be mentally, physically, and emotionally ready to give that seed room to grow. So many people want to change without releasing parts of themselves that have been holding them back. Many more want to change without embracing the newness of the unknown. If we follow Karl Lokko’s example, we’d see how focused and forceful, and fluid change can be.

3) Contacts Are Contracts

Karl Lokko described himself as a “billionaire by association” and now I can’t ignore just how powerful that statement is. After running on empty, trying to keep up with up to 40 one on one meetings per week, Karl’s career reached a point that allows him to coast on cruise control. As the Most Influential Man in Britain, Karl’s relational power is unmatched. When that influence came from underground sources, his operation never saw drought and he had a small army willing to go to war for him. His rebranding allowed him to use that same influential ability to find common ground with royals, philanthropists, and some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Karl understands how valuable his network is, which helps him easily adapt to new, unfamiliar situations.

4) Realize The Power in Your Individuality

Some people walk into a room, take a look around, realize that no one looks like them, and turn to walk out. Karl tends to see those situations as an opportunity to get recognized. He calls himself trilingual, even though English is the only language he speaks. Through recognizing and appreciating his individuality, Karl saw an opportunity to study his surroundings to better capitalize on those differences. (I told you, the man is a genius.)

“Darkness is the best time for light.” — Karl Lokko

I questioned if Karl felt people considered the way he adapted to the social etiquette of the world’s greatest as a sign of selling out. He told me he once felt that way. He knew his upper echelon contacts weren’t studying Brixton slang to better understand him. Still, to him, the conversations he could have in those circles made the social shift worth it. Whether he was standing in line for chicken and chips or eating crepes at a brunch banquet, he knew that Karl Lokko the man, the person, never changed. The people he knows, the things he’s experienced, none of those things defined him. He chose to break away from the need to live up to other people’s expectations and define himself by his own morals and core values.

5) Recognize There is Always a Time to Change

Stagnant energy doesn’t produce results. As much as I respect Karl’s intellect, I’m also intrigued by his drive. Actions speak louder, as they say. With his vision clear and his expectations set, his mission was to create an outward example of Karl Lokko that was palatable to the groups he wanted to rub shoulders with. He became a conversationalist, subscribing to their magazines, learning their interests, and finding common ground that bonded them together. He didn’t mind shaving his beard if it meant bringing solutions to the community. Change, to him, didn’t mean losing some aspect of himself, it meant discovering parts of himself that he never knew, covering ground he never covered, and proving to himself that nothing is impossible.

The people we want to impress the most breathe air and bleed blood, just like we do. We have more in common than differences and fluidly responding to change helps us recognize those commonalities even easier. Change happens at the intersection of focus and action. Karl Lokko put those two things together by using affirmations as one of the many tools that helped him create change in his life. He recited powerful statements every hour on the hour, screaming them from the rooftops until he believed they were true. One by one, everything he asked for, every statement he created, it all came true.

There was nothing passive about Karl’s approach to change. That’s why I believe he’s living the life of his dreams.

Watch the full interview here.