Linda Innes

The Apollo Principle

The Apollo Principle is the use of a big mission to unite people in purpose.

First mention

The phrase 'Apollo Principle' was first used in an article by Marc Winn.

History

On May 25, 1961, in his address to Congress, President John F. Kennedy proposed the national goal of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" by the end of the 1960s.

John F. Kennedy's speech continued: "But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon--if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there."

This goal was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, later returning back to earth.

There is an apocryphal story of a janitor seen mopping the floor at the Space Station (Cape Canaveral at the time).

When someone asked him what his role was in the organization, his answer was: ‘I’m helping to put a man on the moon'.

This highlights the Apollo Program’s 'secret sauce' - using a big mission or goal to unite people in purpose.

Use

Big goals inspire and align people to achieve a sense of purpose - and the Apollo Principle uses this motivation to help people achieve their own personal or professional aims by feeling that they are contributing to a greater purpose. Many people rise with the inspiration of a big challenge. A big challenge can align people under a common cause, to feel a sense of pride in what they are doing, however small, and a gives a sense of purpose in helping to achieve a huge collective goal.

Context

The Apollo Principle is used in personal development, business leadership and motivational psychology to inspire people and motivate individuals and teams to a purpose greater than themselves.

References

[1]/First used in an article by Marc Winn

[2]/John F Kennedy Moon Speech to Congress

Linda Innes (talk) 14:08, 17 June 2014 (UTC)