Our story

Back in 2012–2013, organisations were grappling with digital transformation, innovation and growth. Today, the challenges might be AI, globalisation and new ways of working, but one thing hasn't changed: organisations have always needed people who can challenge conventional thinking, adapt and make an impact.

At the time, senior leaders were increasingly questioning whether their existing talent frameworks were identifying the people they needed to drive change.

They knew these individuals existed. They could recognise them when they saw them. They had that elusive X-factor, that je ne sais quoi. But nobody could quite describe what made them different.

So, we set out to find an answer.

Discovering the DNA of a Game Changer

Dr John Mervyn-Smith and Nathan Ott embarked on a research journey, commissioned by a London-based talent consultancy, to answer two fundamental questions:

Do Game Changers really exist, and what makes them different from traditional leaders and high potentials?

The research, undertaken in collaboration with Dialogue, the journal associated with Duke Corporate Education, led to the publication of The DNA of a Game Changer in 2015.

The findings were fascinating. Game Changers did exist, across all levels of organisations, and two distinct characteristics differentiated them: Imagination, the capacity to generate original ideas and see possibilities others don't, and Obsession, the drive to turn those ideas into reality.

But this was only the beginning.

The question that changed everything

As we shared our findings with business leaders, a pivotal moment came during a discussion with a group of technology and telecommunications CIOs and CTOs.

They challenged us with a simple but powerful question:

"What about everyone else? If you're not a Game Changer, how do you make an impact?"

It was a defining moment.

Further research revealed something far more significant. We weren't measuring personality or competence. We were identifying people's natural proclivities, their Energy for Impact.

And we challenged the myth of the heroic Game Changer.

Not everyone is a Game Changer. But everyone can make a game-changing impact.

This thinking led to our next publication, The DNA of a Game-Changing Team in 2016, and ultimately the launch of The GC Index in late 2016 and early 2017.

From individual insight to organisational impact

What began as a way to identify a particular type of talent has evolved into something much bigger.

Today, The GC Index is the world's first Organimetric, a system of impact that helps individuals, teams and organisations understand and harness their collective Energy for Impact.

Working alongside our clients, GC Partners and accredited GCologists, we have continued to develop the science, technology and practical applications of The GC Index.

Now experienced by organisations across more than 52 countries, The GC Index supports everything from individual development, recruitment and leadership to team performance, organisational transformation and strategic decision-making.

And through The Young People Index, we're helping young people aged thirteen to eighteen understand the impact they can make in their own world.

Our story is still being written

From a global CEO leading a multinational organisation to a young person discovering their place in the world, we believe everyone has a contribution to make.

Our journey began with a question about a small group of extraordinary individuals. Today, it's about recognising the extraordinary contribution that everyone can make.

Because not everyone is a Game Changer, but everyone can make a game-changing impact.