Protect & Build Better

We've been dealt a crisis and an opportunity. The crisis is something we tragically see all around us, with its clear impact on health, lives and livelihoods.

But we also have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink business, and figure out how we can create successful commercial models that serve a bigger, more human and more conscious purpose.

"Protect and Build Better" is a framework for maximising the probability of survival through the crisis and recession, while at the same time building a forward-looking, profitable and purpose-led organisation. Here are its high level principles and the story that shaped it. The story where we nearly lost our company coming out of the crisis.

Bite size reflections on leading through this crisis

What if you focussed your company’s work on improving lives rather than maximising profit?

How would your company look if you made an explicit decision to be guided in your strategy, your operations and your decision-making by a principle to improve lives rather than maximise profit? What if you decided what level of profit is necessary to achieve that goal, settled for that, and ... Read More

Recession if you have a conscience AND run a business

"Do you think we're about to go into recession? How's that going to impact?" I've been getting asked this a lot by the owners and CEOs of companies I work and interact with. And honestly, if the professionals in the FT can't consistently call it, I'm pretty confident I can't ... Read More

Switch your problem perspective to what you can learn

Mother nature ripped a hole in your strategy. Government flip flops hacked it bigger. Then the wonderful variety of individual human responses, alongside an uncertain but hoped for recovery made that hole a shape-shifter. What if we actively welcomed problems as a way to grow rather that fearing and avoiding ... Read More

You can’t have it all. But you can have what’s important

I get somewhat fed up seeing and hearing advice about how you can "have it all". Sure, at some level, usually a transactional one, you can go from either/or to both/and. But at a life level? At a company level? Or at a country level (the main reason I don't ... Read More

Give them a chance even though they might fail

I've often given young(ish!) people in my team positions of relatively large responsibility. Almost every time I've done it, they've succeeded. Almost. Every. Time. I'm not suggesting that the responsibility should be given lightly, or given to anyone who asks for it. You still need to choose carefully - both ... Read More

5301 trees and 7 women entrepreneurs

Beyond the Quarter's mission is to create a world where business serves humanity. We help leaders build companies that are human, profitable and sustainable. So our very reason for existing is to positively contribute.In addition, in 2021 we undertook 2 initiatives which align with our core purpose and work of ... Read More

Are you a mini-Boris? Am I? Are we all?

On climate, on social issues, on using business for good - are we all mini-Borises? Boris's climate policies and plans (inasmuch as they exist) fall a long way short of Boris's climate promises. If you're generous, you may flatter him with a "road to hell paved with good intentions". If ... Read More

Guaranteed business failure

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 ... Read More

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