Tom Morley, Rockstar Activator & Scritti Politti Drummer
Tom Morley has developed a truly artistic way of living following his time in the music business with the 80s band Scritti Politti. It seems that every experience leads him to the humorous uncovering of some universal truth.
He turns his disasters and successes into stand-up comedy for conference audiences. Forty years on stage, first behind a drum kit, then being the multi-talented frontman for whole troupes of performers earned him the name 'The Rockstar Activator'.
Instant Teamwork is both Tom's speciality and the name of his company. Teambuilding, be it drumming, or harmony singing is all very energising on the day, but how do you make that bonded feeling sustainable.
Tom has devoted the last 20 years answering that question, and he turns up with a customised set of tools he is passionate about sharing.
Fascinated by the creative process, Tom is passionate about sharing what he's learned about art, rhythm and harmony over the past 66 years.
“Believing I could be neutral politically would mean I was simply choosing to support all the injustices of this dysfunctional world. Every day I want to stand up for my values, alongside other like-minded souls, to be part of the solution. Dream for sure, but stay grounded.”
Tom Morley
From playing kit drums with the Art School band Scritti Politti in his 20s, through songwriting in his 30s, to studying psychology and facilitation in his 40s, Tom eventually set up Instant Teamwork International in his 50s.
Equally, at home, challenging a global board of directors as he is when inspiring a local charity group, Tom has an experienced and humorous approach, which puts people at ease immediately.
His down-to-earth belief that people can achieve great things when they overcome their natural fears has empowered thousands of individuals to work together effectively.
Tom's style, developed working with teams as small as five to groups of five thousand during the last decade, ignites people's curiosity. His enjoyment of the creative process is an irresistible invitation for us to leave our comfort zones for a while and join him on his journey. And, of course, we expand our own horizons on the way.
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career or areas of focus.
Rockstar Activator. I'll repeat that. I'm a Rockstar Activator, meaning I activate the Rockstar energy I see in others.
It’s a metaphor for activating discretionary effort if you come from a business background, a state of flow if you come from a personal development background, and spirit if you grew up in the sixties, as I did.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
Rosa Parks. Jimi Hendrix. People who lived in that zone and operated from it, even when it was hard and sometimes seemingly impossible to carry on.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power", we're in with a chance. Jimi said that, quite calmly.
I saw it in a film, and I think his actually words were “We will peace, when the power of love overcomes the love of power.".
What hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Scuba diving. Roller skating. Things that require total concentration but are aesthetically arresting.
To be honest, I love meditating but I hardly ever do it because every three minutes I'm so inspired I have to stop and write something down. So, to relax my mind, I need to do something beautiful that requires me to focus on it and it only.
My wife and I take walks together in nature every day now in lockdown, and I appreciate being with her as we're often stopped in our tracks by a particular view at exactly the same time.
Also, we laugh and laugh together. Someone we met at an event recently asked if we'd just started going out with each other, dating, because we seemed so delighted to be in each other's company. We've been together for twenty years.
When it comes to your life chosen career is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
“Irreverence justified”. It means if you're going to be a rebel, be a disciplined rebel.
I return to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Nelson Mandela and Holly Golightly.
Relentless, uncompromising, and when skills were required, they were there at their fingertips. Refined and perfectly intuitive, like the movements of a martial artist.
What are you most proud of in your life?
At an early Pink Floyd gig in Brighton, where there were two hundred people at most, I remember seeing a proper elder. An older guy, slim, lined face, elegant hippy gear, kind of glowing. He wasn't leading a life of quiet desperation, preparing to go to his grave with his song unsung, he was ALIVE!.
I encountered a handful of such people as I toured the early Festivals as a teenager in the late sixties. Fit, respectful men, dancing with passion like the rest of us. They'd drive off in rusty old jeeps or BMW Z4s. I've become one of those guys.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Buy the BMW Z4 first, before my wife. Now she's got hers I'm left with the Mad Max Jeep. It has its compensations when parking though, so I'm not complaining too much.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
Jamie Wheal, author of 'Stealing Fire From The Gods', and Jay Griffiths, author of 'WILD' and 'PipPip'.
They are both completely different writers, and both savagely critical of the way the world is run by our governments.
I've worked with them both. And, come to think of it, I've danced with them both at different parties.
What companies, brands or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
LUSH cosmetics employ the unemployable as company policy. Ex-prisoners, highly tattooed teenagers. You name it and they’re on the list. And they don't have a lot of time for middle managers.
There are the Directors, and then there's the totally empowered staff, running the stores in their inimitable 'disciplined rebel' style. Result? Fierce brand loyalty and a dedication to being the best in their field. They win every award on offer, hands down.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"The greatest gift you can give anyone is the quality of your attention."
I learned that from a teacher named Richard Moss thirty-five years ago.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
Believing I could be neutral politically would mean I was simply choosing to support all the injustices of this dysfunctional world.
Every day I want to stand up for my values, alongside other like-minded souls, to be part of the solution.
I need to FEEL like I'm part of the solution. How could I sleep otherwise?
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
Like a water cannon, it can be used to disperse the street protestors, or it can be used to irrigate the fields.
I’d love to one day see the protestors, protesting in the fields and that is kind of like win-win.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Facebook. I live on Facebook.
I can tell stories there and illustrate them with photos and videos. I can watch my friends' children grow up. I can share jokes around the world and learn stuff.
Facebook is like my personal art gallery, it was in my imagination long before Mark Zuckerberg was even born.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
Yes to both sides of that question, but to be honest, that's another twenty questions right there.
Let's just say my life is enriched by being fully involved in the two areas you refer to.
How do you network? What is your preferred way to network?
I don't really differentiate between online and face-to-face.
Authenticity and humour are crucial. If they are both present, with humility and compassion rumbling along in the background, then the connection will occur.
Maintain that over time, and you're friends for life. Allies.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
My area of work is being myself. I'm not trying to be evasive here; it's the only job I've ever been able to stick with.
Advice? I don't have any advice at all. I have no idea how I got here.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Our education system in The West was designed a hundred years ago to train people to be compliant workers.
That's not politically contentious, ask Sir Ken Robinson, he outlines it in his most-watched TED Talk ever.
People aren't emotionally equipped to deal with changes within the business, or indeed, their own feelings about those changes.
Make me Education Secretary, and I'll turn it around in a decade, with measurable results in the first two years.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Success for me is being able to discern between the two voices in my head. One is my intuition, and the other is my inner critic. Well, that's half. Way to success.
The other half is acting according to the instructions from my intuition, confident that all sorts of energy will become available to me once I get started. It always is.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
I disciplined myself at art school to get up early, work hard and go to bed late. I've done that for forty-five years. I'm sixty-six now.
Anything else you would like to share with our audience?
The farmers who live at the foot of Mount Everest ask, "Why do so many people want to go up there? There's no land. You can't grow anything.".
Dream for sure, but stay grounded.
Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?
I've written a show with the full-on energy of STOMP, the challenging interactivity of The Drum Café, the harmonic splendour ABBA, the respectful, lyrical intelligence of Paul Simon, the humour of ‘I'm sorry I haven't a clue’ and A Hero's Journey storyline that will leave 99% of the audience leaving the theatre with their inner Rockstars truly activated.
It was written for the stage, but we may have to do it online. Time is running out now. We're the people we've been waiting for. I'm serious.
