What makes a city so valuable?

On the weekend of the 25th and 26th May 2019, my close ones and I headed off to Paris, France. We have been talking about travelling to the city for over 3 years and we finally created the opportunity to go and see it in person.

Whilst the weekend was a magical experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life, it is not the focus of this article. This article is an ode to the reflections I had as I enjoyed the breathtaking views from the Montparnasse Tower standing in the French capital, over 200 meters above the ground, and what was to follow.

The Observation

Montparnasse Tower is a 59 story skyscraper located on the south side of Paris. The towers entry price ranges in between €10 and €18 per person depending on the age. I have had some mixed feelings with heights over the last few years but getting into the escalator where it almost seems like you are floating upwards, I couldn't help but feel excited.

You get to the 56th floor in no time where you are greeted by a majestic view of the Eiffel Tower and an internal cafe and gift shop. We quickly headed for a few more flights of stairs to get to the 59th level of the tower. This was an open deck, with a fresh breeze, a shocked crowd, and a small bar, that allowed you to see the whole of Paris in a sort of bird's-eye view.

I wandered around the deck in awe as I saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the canal, Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe and various other monuments from this building. As I wandered around, my brain began focusing on 1 question - what makes cities like Paris, London, or New York, so special?

I sat for what seemed like hours to analyse the question in my head and this is what I came up with:

It is all about the community.

Every part of the world was once an open terrain filled with sand, trees, fields, rivers and people. Once human beings began expanding in intelligence and resources, we began shaping the areas that we live in, adding buildings, towers, bridges, transport, sewage systems, and more. But who decided to put the Big Ben in London, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the Empire State Building in New York?

I believe that it is because of the people who lived in those particular areas that helped shape how those areas looked, how they felt, and their overall development. I believe that the communities, the cultures and the connection between the two are what attracts so much attention, both in the past and the present. Without its residents, locations would only ever be empty, lifeless places.

With people in the picture, locations light up, come to life, get built from the ground up. How else can you be lonely at a high-end party on a yacht, in Dubai, with celebrities and exclusive wine but fulfilled during a family gathering in your garden?

People bring ideas, challenges, problems, conflicts, trials and tribulations, mistakes, and miracles. As people, we seek permission that allows us to be us, to be human. At the same time, each individual member has to be given a certain level of confidence, faith, space and adversity to them to be able to thrive. How else can growth individually and collectively happen?

So, looking at how to properly grow a community with values and beliefs and the types of roles you will find in your community, I will touch upon two things:

1. The types of people in your community
2. The culture of your community

People who live in your Community

First, let me start off by addressing what I mean by the word 'community'.

For me, a community is not defined through its size, because a community can be a whole city, country, or the planet. But it can also be your family, your football team, your church group, or your Fortnite squad. To me, a community is a collection of people with shared interests, beliefs and morals who support one another.

Now, as we talk about communities, I believe every single person has a part to play within their community, whether they are doing so consciously or unconsciously.

I believe it is also worth adding what a close friend of mine has recently shared with me which was "It takes a village to raise a person". With that being said, if the village has a strong set of ideas around being and acting as a community, then that person will grow up and share their time, energy and effort in developing and maintaining that community.

Being on top of that skyscraper, I thought about what types of people do we need in a community to allow the community to thrive and how can every person contribute to the development of their community. There are 3 types of people that live in your community which are: Leaders, Builders, and Connectors.

Community Leaders - Generally, these are your Presidents, Prime Ministers, Faith Leaders, Captains, Members of Parliament, Chief Executives, Parents, Headteachers.

The Community Leaders lead through example by practising courageous acts of kindness, integrity, judgement & decision making, charisma, communication, cooperation and focus. They are the first ones to take on new challenges and allow their community to see that failing is not a bad thing, but part of the learning experience. They are there to inspire others to keep moving forward, to have difficult conversations, to make decisions that will affect their whole community and to build the culture of their community.

Community Builders - Generally, these are your Doctors, Lawyers, Policy Makers, Builders, Inventors, Innovators, Suppliers, Teachers, Parents, Scientists, Life Coaches.

The Community Builders are there to provide the time and create the resources needed to maintain and improve the standard of living and existing for their group. They are not always thanked for their selfless acts that allow the community to keep moving but their contributions to society do not go unnoticed as their efforts have created our houses, transport, medicine, laws, schools, and a whole lot more. They are the building blocks that allow our society to function properly.

Community Connectors - Generally, these are your Event Coordinators, Chefs, Musicians, Artists, Store Owners, Parents, BBQ Hosts, Comedians, Public Transport Operators.

The Community Connectors are the ones that bring the people in their community together through emotions and through accessibility. They welcome people with open arms, open homes, and open resources, sometimes despite not having much to offer themselves. Their warmth, kindness and generosity encourage their community to grow from 2 people to 20 people. They often display their love and affection in many different forms which supports the community to not only develop on a collective basis but also allows the individuals within the community to develop on an individual basis.

I wholeheartedly believe that every single person has a part to play within their community. With that thought, all it takes is for the individual to figure out their skill set and apply it within their group. This is how you can figure out a small part of the purpose you have on this planet.

If you are a great communicator and openly involve people on subjects like science, video games, sports, or politics to your group during drinks, then you are a Connector because you are bringing people together. If you are great at building houses, investment portfolios, or mending broken bones then you are a Builder because you keep the world operational. If you are comfortable in carving the way for new ideas with the understanding that you can and will fail 9 times out of 10, then you are a Leader because you give belief to others to think and act differently.

Can you be a Leader, Connector and Builder in one?

I believe you can. Some examples of the 3 in 1 type that I can highlight are:

• Bill Gates (Microsoft, Gates Foundation),
• Elon Musk (SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity),
• Tony Robbins (Life Coach, Author),
• Muhammad Yunus (Social Entrepreneur, Nobel Peace Prize Winner),
• Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook).

If you know of any individuals whom you believe are Leaders, Connectors and Builders, or are exceptional in even one of those areas, please let me know as I would love to learn more.

The Culture of your Community

So, that last part should have given you a bit of a rundown on the types of people that you can find in your community. The next time you are with your group, you can start paying attention to the types of things that each individual member adds to your group. Some of them may not be visible.

A good question to ask is, what value do you add to your group?

Now, there was even more information that I gathered during my Paris trip, through observing and interacting with the residents and venues, that really started to shape this idea of culture within the community.

After coming down from the Montparnasse Tower, I became really mindful of people, the way they behaved and communicated, the way they interacted with one another and the way they displayed the values and traditions of the city/country. I observed police officers, waiters, street salesmen, artists, crowds, residents, homeless individuals and everyone else that was in my immediate environment.

Many of the French people that I came across could have easily been described as, 'rude'. They used a ton of sarcasm, strong, expressive body language, and they were very direct with their comments. We even witnessed a fight or two during our trip. But, are French people actually rude? I don't think so. They are just connected with their culture.

We walked the streets of Paris, dined in their cafes and restaurants, toured their attractions like the Notre Dame and Louvre Museum, and engaged with the street performers. What I have witnessed all over the city is passion, strength, love, communication, character, fearlessness and freedom of expression. These things were displayed in their music, history, art, food, clothes, and relationships between each other.

What you see, feel and interact with is what shapes you to be who you are.

French people may receive comments that they are being rude. I say that French people are only being French. It is the culture in a city that has been created generations ago and still exists within the city today, that allows the people of Paris to have such strong and direct characters. That was achieved through years of building, instilling, changing, observing and adapting within their community.

From individuals such as Joan of Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Claude Monet, Coco Chanel, Zinedine Zidane, Rene Descartes, Voltaire, Victor Hugo and many more who have helped cultivate what Paris looks like and stands for today under the leadership of French president, Emmanuel Macron. Much of this built up culture may have a strong effect on the people of Paris on a subconscious basis. But, so do the other locations.

In London, we are hailed as one of the most diverse cities in the world and here is why:

• We have over 66 million residents within the UK, with over 9 million living in London.
• 41% of those residents are from a Black or Ethnic Minority background
• Up to 300 languages are spoken, including English, Mandarin, Hindustani, French, Spanish, Polish, Hokkien, Bengali, Somali, Arabic, Swahili, Sign and many more.

London has transitioned from a city dominated by white British individuals to a city that welcomes individuals from 195 different countries around the world, growing from almost 1 million residents in the 18th century to now home to over 9 million in 2019.

So, how did this happen? It is the same thing that happens everywhere else, we evolve through our trials and tribulations that are lead by our community leaders.

Specifically looking at the UK, this diversity started when Great Britain was globally known as The British Empire which started in the 16th century. The British Empire ruled over territories all across the world, including parts of North & South America, Canada, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The Empire owned over 13,700,000 sq mi (24% of Earth's total land area), which hosted an estimate of 410 million people (23% of the world population at the time).

Following on, we had two world wars that occurred in the 19th century, with Great Britain participating in both. The first war happened between 1914 and 1918 which had 32 countries involved while the second war happened between 1939 and 1945 and involved 50 countries. Great Britain was one of the most important participants in both wars, and their participation had gained them some strong allies which helped create international movements like the Commonwealth or the United Nations, that still exist today.

Just from that quick history lesson, we can tell that diversity and inclusion has been one of the UK's key focuses which have supported them to scale economically, socially, and politically over the years by being exposed to new ideas, cultures and beliefs.

Over the years, we have had some key figures who encouraged diversity through their work and contributed to the diverse culture that the UK has today.

Let me name just a few of them: William Shakespeare, Adam Smith, George Stephenson, Princess Diana, Tim Berners-Lee, Viscountess Nancy Astor, William Wilberforce, Sir Winston Churchill, Emmeline Pankhurst, Bernie Grant, John Archer, Sadiq Khan, and the recent addition to the royal family - Meghan Markle.

How to build a community culture

This is something that I will need to spend a few more years learning about to be able to fully understand the process of building a culture within a community. From the minimal knowledge that I do have which I have started to test in recent months, I can give you some starting points for what you will need to build your culture:

1. Have a vision

Any person that wants to take on the role of shaping the culture of their community has to have a basic vision for how they want that community to interact with one another. For example, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr performed the infamous 'I Have a Dream' speech to a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Washington D.C. and aired around the whole world. He spoke about his vision for a united country, where people judge each other not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

This point splits into two parts, existing communities and new communities:

1. Existing community: Many of us will join a community that has existed way before we entered it. This could be our families, networks, companies, etc. For you to shape the culture of this group, you first have to dive into how this community works and be able to analyse the challenges within the group. By understanding the dynamics of the group, you can then envision solutions and new ways for the community to engage with each other.
2. New community: It is now easier than ever to create your own community. You have hundreds of followers, friends, and observers that are interacting with you on a daily basis. To build a new community, simply figure out what you are interested in and gather individuals who may have similar interests. The culture of that community will usually take shape by the quality of characters you gather and the principles that you set in the group itself. Sometimes, these groups can outgrow you and your principles.

To build or influence a community to live and engage with your principles and vision is a difficult and long process. This is why you have to be very thoughtful of your actions and the consequences it has on your community.

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it." - Warren Buffett

This also means you have to be thoughtful with the types of characters you bring into the community as their personalities will influence the shape and structure of your community.

2. Living and breathing your culture

To be able to build a community, you first have to have a vision for it. The next step would be to become the very ideals that you want to create in the culture of the community.

If you want your community to treat each other with respect, you must first show that respect to others. If you want the community to confront their fears like heights or spiders, you must first take that step outside your comfort zone. Do not try to be someone you are not, people can smell a fake from a mile away.

This is why becoming self-aware, observant and open of your own thoughts, feelings and actions are so important when choosing to create communities. Building communities is often a long and difficult thing. If you choose to take this role and you try to build a community that is not reflective of your own character, then not only will you be miserable but you will never experience genuine loyalty from your followers.

Luckily, in the 21st century, we are hailing emotional intelligence and self-awareness as some of the foundations for success. We have access to a ton of resources that can help you uncover who you are and what you believe in, such as:

• 16 Personalities Test
• RedBull Wing Finder
• LeadershipIQ

Naturally, we also have a ton of noise in this world that can shift our focus and attention to areas that are not important or value adding to us. Having time away for yourself, believing in a higher purpose, such as God, or something else to add strength and guidance, and a healthy support network that can help you strip away that noise and pin down your focus would be ideal for culture creators.

3. Gather followers that fit your culture

Gathering followers, to me, is the same as hiring employees, you need to be able to attract followers that fit the culture that you aim to create. This is very difficult in terms of family settings so on this point, I am ignoring the family context as you cannot choose which family you are born into. However, you can choose your family, or your family can choose you.

If you are creating a culture that aims to challenge the status quo and stick it to the man, then inviting individuals who are naturally comfortable following rules may not be the best reflection of the culture you are trying to create. The individuals that you invite to join your tribe, will have a huge influence on how the community feels, engages and represents one another.

When creating your community, it is a good idea to write down the types of character traits that you are looking for in the ideal individual who should join your group. By having some pre-existing characteristics that you visualise in having in your community, you can filter through individuals with greater ease and hand pick the ones that can fit some of the requirements that you have created.

4. Gather personal influence

To be a culture creator, you have to be in a position that allows you to shape that culture, and that means having the status or the personal influence that is needed with it. The larger the community you are trying to lead, the more difficult it will be to gain that influence which will allow you to shape that culture.

For example, if you decided to start your own company (positioning yourself as the CEO), and you hire 4 employees, you now have the highest position in the company which allows you to directly shape the culture of your company.

However, if you join a company with over 200 employees as a junior analyst, for example, it could take you years to climb through the ranks and get into a position of responsibility that will allow you to shape the culture. You can start implementing your envisioned culture into your workplace as a junior analyst by yourself and being an example for others. However, if your envisioned culture is much different or not welcome in the environment you have joined, then you may get replaced.

Often times, you don't have to be the CEO to create a culture. But, you do have to have a personal influence to be able to position yourself in a role that can influence the culture. That personal influence can be broken down into 3 levels: political, social and economic.

• 1. Political influence

"Your network is your net worth." If I received ￡1 for every time I heard this quote, I would have saved up 5 figures already, and it is for a good reason. Aligning yourself with high-growth individuals like c-suite executives, politicians, decision makers, etc. who have similar interests to yourself can generally help you influence society through influencing these individuals. This is where the quality of the individual is a lot more important than the number of individuals.

• 2. Social influence

This is all about becoming the 'people's champion' and leading through example. Social influence looks at the number of people that you are able to influence and build rapport with. This is why social media stars like YouTuber Jake Paul, celebrity Selena Gomez, and the youngest Kardashian, Kylie, get treated so highly for their influence with audiences.

But social influence doesn't just mean social media. You can be a great social influencer in person like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Julius Caesar, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Marie Curie, Genghis Khan, or closer to our history like Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Jeff Bezos, Angela Markel, Bill Gates, Kim Jong-Un, and Narendra Modi.

• 3. Economical influence

Kim Stanley Robinson said, “Money equals power; power makes the law, and law makes government.” If you have ever heard the term, 'Money makes the world go round', then this point should not surprise you. Money is the single biggest influence on the whole world and it is often a measure for success.

Countries measure their GDP by using the value of their economic activity while individuals measure their success by the total net worth they have accumulated. It is said that the top 8 wealthiest individuals in 2019, with an accumulated net worth of over $690 billion, are controlling around half of the world's wealth. That gives them the opportunity to influence almost anything they want.

You do not need to be a billionaire, however, to have economic influence. Often times, you just need part of the funding that you are after and seek aid from others.

For example, if you want to create your own 11-a-side football team and enter it into a league, you may want to consider costs such as entry to participate in the league, equipment, football kits, transport, training ground, staff, etc.

Let's say that you may need ￡10,000 to get this football team up and running for the first season and you manage to recruit a team of 18 players but you can only cover ￡3,000 from your own expenses. You can ask for help. By demonstrating that you can put your money where your mouth is, you can influence others to support what you are doing and you may even raise more money then you needed.

Even better, if you gain the financial support from others for your idea, then you are not only engaging them on a financial level but also on a emotional and mental level as these supporters have not only donated their funds to your idea but also the time and energy it took them to accumulate the funds that they have now shared with you.

Summary

Every single one of us belongs to a community. Some of them were chosen for us, and some of them were chosen by us. The more conscious we can become of the role of our communities in our own lives, the impact it has on our growth, the role/s we have to play within that community and the way we are directly or indirectly shaping the culture of that community, the greater our chances to feel fulfilled by the position that we are in, which should interlink with the purpose that we have on this planet.

I have still so much to learn about the value of a community and the way I can create or shape my own communities. But from the lessons that I have had so far, from being involved with several sports teams, projects, work environments, a youth council, family and social circles, I can say that the value of the community is something that I want to spend the next few years at least, learning about and implementing into my personal and professional life.

I would also like to give a shoutout to all of my teachers, youth & family support workers, public transport drivers, faith leaders, parents & carers, food store owners, builders, and street performers & artists as your roles are hugely underappreciated and I would like to thank you for building and developing our local communities to be diverse, inclusive and expressive.

For my future self, I would like to use this article as a starting point to write a book about communities, encouraging more people to understand their individual and collective purpose in the world. It is all about uncovering the gifts that you have been given and then using them for the benefit of others in your community. I would also like to base my first Ted Talk on this article.

Warm hugs, Damian Zabielski

P.s. If you liked or disliked this article, please help me improve my future work and understanding of this topic by sharing your thoughts and feedback.

Damian Zabielski, crouching in the front, has been working with young people and in mental health since 2015. His work helped design and coordinate youth councils, steering boards, events, and programmes, offering a voice to young people and mental health & wellbeing. Damian's story of battling anxiety, panic attacks and depression at 16 has been featured in BEH Trust Matters Magazine and shared across social media platforms.

His current work focuses on opening up opportunities for young people and mental health & wellbeing through entrepreneurship, community building, education, advocacy, employment, creative arts, sports, and technology. To find out more, we encourage you to get in touch!

Instagram: @Abitofdaimzy

Twitter: @Abitofdaimzy

LinkedIn: Damian Zabielski