You can absolutely do things guaranteed to make your business fail. But unfortunately, there aren’t things you can do which are guaranteed to make your business succeed. It is the same asymmetry at play in Seneca’s sage quote that _”an age builds up cities: an hour destroys them. In a moment the ashes are made, […]
Execution
Moving from what my job is to what my contribution is
In the best leadership teams, Sales Directors evolve from “My job is sales” to “My job is to meet our company’s goals through my contribution in sales”. As it is for Sales Directors, so it is for Finance Directors or Product Directors or Delivery or Marketing or Technology or …. This is a key part […]
From the Dalai Lama to Experian – Isabel Kelly’s road from campaigner to business change
What human impact does your business have? Isabel Kelly watched first hand how business influence was used to secure the release of political prisoners. That left her with a lasting impression of the power of business to positively impact human rights which she’s taken with her in her business engagements with Profit with Purpose Ltd […]
Is your sustainability certificate greenwash, limited, or expansive?
Is your sustainability certificate really making a difference? How deep does it go? Has it helped shape your commercial strategy? I see a lot of companies now brandishing their sustainability credentials. And that’s a good thing. In my view sometimes even when it’s greenwash (see earlier post). But your sustainability can come from so many […]
It’s not about empowerment
Leaders should not empower their teams. We should not empower women. We should not empower under-represented minorities. As far back as I can recall, I’ve struggled with this word. Empower, for me, carries deep connotations of giving someone power. Of patronising people with power. But I don’t believe you can give someone power. What you can […]