Conscious Capitalism – The Future of Business

“He says, for business – especially sectors that rely on the earth’s resources – it’s actually more cost effective in the long run to participate in some sort of sustainability program.  Companies are realizing that too.”

     -  Megan McIver, President of Verona Communications

The traditional tick list of salary, career development and employer reputation still matters. But of equal importance are the employer's core values, the degree to which those are lived on a daily basis, and the level of commitment to, and investment in, the relevant communities and other stakeholders.

     -  Rob Wilson, The Guardian

In the days of yore, people envied and sought to imitate those with land.  Owning property was seen as the social status symbol.  Having land meant possessing resources, which allowed the owner to attract mates and support large numbers of offspring.  As more people lived closer together (either on their own property, or someone else’s) the opportunity for individual gain through owning a specialized skill set or the means to employ it became the driver of social status.  Wealth became less immutable stuff and more liquid capital.  Personal legacy – the Horatio Alger myth of rags to riches – became the desired brand. 

Now, people live in a complex, multi-level web of social engagements both in person and online.  Everything we do has the potential to be scrutinized.  As the Kings of 20^th Century Capitalism adjust to the reality that might doesn’t make right and there are troubles you simply can't ignore or buy your way out of, they are turning to a new generation of entrepreneurs, weaned on a Facebook culture of connectivity and accountability, to navigate this new social reality.  How do we leverage opportunity in a hyper-integrated global economy?  How do we tread the path between personal success and a growing social accountability?

What these entrepreneurs – people like Megan McIver, people like the Centre for Social Innovation’s Tonya Surman and everyone engaged in CSI – get is that this social accountability works both ways.  You will get caught, period, when you do something wrong, but you will be equally recognized when you do something right.  That recognition builds legacy, builds your brand and also leaves you with a stronger, personal sense of fulfillment.

Anyone whose business it is to make money should pay attention.  The social entrepreneur movement isn’t a passing phase - it’s the future of industry. 

Anyone in the business of making policy should equally pay attention – the solutions for today’s myriad of networked challenges won’t come from those pursuing narrow, partisan interests, but from those Conscious Capitalists looking to leave behind a legacy of a better tomorrow.

Welcome to the 21^st Century; welcome to the Conscious Society.

Don't Get Smug: Competition and Success

The self-serving noise coming from Silicon Valley fuels the lottery mentality, because the investors have learned how to buy tickets in bulk.

Hence, the brogrammer phenomena.  This is not a new thing, though - success has always bred overconfidence, a shift in focus from work to trappings and, eventually, collapse.  Look at the world banking industry (or troll through @GSElevator for a short sugar-dose of testosterone).  Look at politics; any Party over time, or a whole host of candidates. 

Smart people tell me there is all kinds of in-depth strategy in the antics of, say, a Tim Hudak.  I think that the reality is, there's a strong element of walking circles in the woods to this; the longer you keep at it with a righteous attitude, the more you're "strategy" becomes a reflection of your personal inclinations.  Planks become so much confabulation, justifying smug positions.  The kind of positions that, if you're very lucky, might work out for you, but are by no means a recipe for success.

Standard business logic tells us you have to exude confidence to win.  Practical experience tells us that overconfidence leads to failures.

My solution is easy - your only competitor should be yourself.  If you constantly push yourself to do better, to reach further, to strain for the next level, it doesn't matter whether the other players are competitive or not - you will never cease to excel. 

Reach higher - and deliver.


UPDATED: I never do this intentionally, but it happens none-the-less.  Here is an article I read after this post which also builds on the risk of personality impeding success.  Tonya Surman, the visionary behind the Centre for Social Innovation, said essentially the same thing I believe during a recent chat: never make it about yourself - everything you do should be about the vision.

In the words of Lao tzu:

“When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!”