And it’s a great key to leadership and social enterprise.
We’ve become a two Vee-Dub family. Partly that’s because they really are fun to drive, and economical. Small, but lots of room, and great gas mileage. And did I mention zippy? Remember Fahrvergnügen? (Then you’re older than I thought).
German car manufacturer Volkwagen used the term in a 1990 advertising campaign, with the slogan “Fahrvergnügen: It’s what makes a car a Volkswagen.” I “got it” immediately probably because my first car during high school in the ’70’s was my brother’s hand-me-down 1961 VW Karmann Ghia. It looked pretty much like this one, except that it was originally really close to that cool ‘British racing green’ color like the old MG’s. Anyway, it’s a word that in German means “driving enjoyment.”
I guess I’m taken by all that because joy is one of my values. And it’s clear that it’s a value this company has embodied. Since the original Ghia, I’ve driven two VW buses (actually one that my father and I repurposed from the best parts of two into one, as one of my summer home vocational training programs – can you say “Bondo”?), a couple different Beetles, a Rabbit, two GTI’s and now the new (1997) Jetta my sweet husband just bought in VW solidarity.
Remember Turbonium? I’ve had that, too, do now and wouldn’t be without it: a ‘whole new element’ of extra fun.
But back to leadership and social enterprise.
One element of leadership is knowing your mission, built on some solid underlying value – one you can really get behind and that motivates others. While the VW company has many we could identify, I’ll just focus on fun, because it’s one that is fundamental to their mission. To which has been added social responsibility in a much more visible way. VW has now created a program of positive social change devoted to the notion that fun may just be the best way to change people’s behavior for the better. It’s called The Fun Theory – check out the site devoted to it to see how the company has incorporated a social enterprise element into its business operations. Now that’s what I call positive leadership to power sustainable change.
As for why my husband just bought a new-to-us 1997 VW Jetta just about to roll over 100,000 miles, that’s a whole different story for another time. But for me, while I am devoted to the notion that transportation should be economical and likewise am committed to keeping a low carbon footprint (a hint to that “other story”), I still value driving fun. Here’s my current ride:
Dolly's Vee-Dub
Dolly's Tunnel Permit