Dr Brennan
Jacoby
Dr. Brennan Jacoby is a philosopher and the founder of Philosophy at Work, an organisation helping businesses think their best. Brennan holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D in philosophy, and his doctoral work analysed trust in the context of interpersonal relationships and corporate character. With Philosophy at Work, he helps businesses and their people develop the psychological safety and cognitive confidence they need to think their best as they navigate an everchanging professional landscape. Recent projects include helping Deloitte UK cultivate a growth mindset, supporting The Wellcome Trust to explore trust in healthcare, and enhancing curiosity across Sony Music’s global community.
A Macquarie Research Excellence Award recipient, Brennan is the author of: Trust and Betrayal: A Conceptual Analysis (Macquarie Univ. 2011). His other publications include; The Vices and Virtues of Collaboration (commissioned by Dropbox, 2016), “The Doolittle Effect” in Four-Legged Therapy (Octopus, 2018), “Who Can You Trust in a Post-Truth World” (commissioned by Nesta); and “Innovative Enquiry” (Communication Director, 2018).
Brennan works across industries and sectors (examples include groups from Herbert Smith Freehills, Sky, Sony Music, Slaughter and May, Hogan Lovells, Capital One Bank, Deloitte, Media Arts Lab, Ropes and Gray, The Guardian, Nike, and The Financial Times), and with global teams, having delivered sessions in the UK, Ireland, USA, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Australia and Taiwan.
In addition to his role with Philosophy at Work, Brennan is a fellow at the Royal Society of the Arts. Originally from Detroit Michigan, he studied in Sydney, Australia and is now based in the UK.
Three good questions with Brennan Jacoby
1. Why Philosophy?
Philosophy literally means ‘the love of wisdom’. Throughout history, in their pursuit of wisdom, philosophers have turned thinking into an art form. Along the way, those thinkers developed particular mindsets, thinking skills and approaches to enquiry that are a rich source of value in everyday life. Philosophy is not primarily an academic discipline or collection of historical figures. It is a living and breathing cultivation of life that anyone can do and, I believe, everyone benefits from.
2. Why work?
When I finished my PhD, I began working with companies on how they could reduce siloed ways of working and build better trust. Through that experience I discovered just how much a philosophical approach was needed in the world of work. Specifically, there are two reasons that philosophy is essential for corporate success. First, the world is highly changeable, and it is clear that the world of work is no different. Met with uncertainty and complexity, the cultivation of mindset is critical. Philosophy delivers the tools and perspectives needed for that cultivation. Second, business has largely exchanged top-down corporate hierarchy for flat structures inspired by democratic ideals. But you don’t get a healthy democracy just by giving everyone a vote. The populace must also be well-informed and supported to think for themselves. Philosophy helps professionals (aka corporate citizens) expand their thinking and challenge the status quo in positive and constructive ways.
3. What’s your secret?
My secret to cultivating a curious and open mindset goes back to one of my favourite professors. Dr. Charles Campbell was a brilliant scholar, but at the end of unpacking complex ideas would often shrug as if to say, ‘Anyway, that’s what some people think’. Dr. Campbell showed me that the pursuit of wisdom was not a competition and that all voices (and minds) were welcome. His inclusive and curious approach has stuck with me ever since.
To speak with Brennan Jacoby about Philosophy at Work, please start a conversation here.
“Dr. Brennan Jacoby is one of the most gifted facilitators I have worked with, with a talent for turning abstract scholarship into concrete, accessible and practical ideas that he communicates brilliantly.”
Vas Christodoulou, The School of Life