Krysan Blog: TRAILBLAZING (1) I Dreamed a Dream - Archives
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- Written by Marian Moore
KRYSAN
THE WELLBEING CONSULTANCY
(Other blogs are stored in the ARCHIVES)
TRAILBLAZING FOR GOOD
PRAYER FOR PEACE
Lord, make a channel of Thy peace that, where there is hatred, I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that, where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that, where there is error, I may bring truth; that, where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that, where there is despair, I may bring hope; that, where there are shadows, I may bring light; that, where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, to understand than to be understood; to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds self; it is in forgiving that one is forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
--- St. Francis of Assisi
BLOG NO. 1
Wednesday 13 January 2010
I DREAMED A DREAM
"Doing good by making money, making money by doing good"
MARTIN CLARK
For the next few weeks, I'm going to follow in the lovely Susan Boyle's footsteps and dream a dream. It's a good time for me in that I have now reached the end of my first year as a businesswoman and this series of blogs gives me the opportunity to reflect; to spend a little time thinking about (1) the what, (2) the why, and (3) the how of my adventure into social entrepreneurship. I start by sharing with you my two main business objectives. They are:
(1) to empower as many individuals as possible to make the world a better place, and
(2) to prove that running a business, with integrity, can be a powerful force for good.
I think you'll agree that these two objectives have huge implications. Change is coming from unexpected quarters. And, I'm not alone in treading this path or in dreaming a dream. This statement of fact is as good a place as any to begin.
Two well-known British entrepreneurs are Jamie Oliver (TV chef and restauranteur) and the late Anita Roddick (Body Shop). It was only yesterday that I discovered that they were both socialentrepreneurs, two people in two very different lines of business but both running enterprises underpinned by motives other than profit. And, how heartening is this. It's not a new philosophy, but it is undoubtedly one little known and little understood. First off, both Jamie and Anita would ascribe to the statement at the beginning of the blog, one which I repeat again,
"Doing good by making money, making money by doing good"
With regard to changing for good, businesses everywhere are urgently looking for sustainable and socially responsible ways to operate. It will not have escaped your notice that governments, too, are looking at how public services can be delivered more economically at a community level. And, of course, wealthy business people are looking for more creative ways to be philanthopric. Need, I say more than that we, as consumers, are increasingly concerned with ethical, social and environmental issues in our purchasing decisions and even charities want to know how to move away from dependence on grant funding. Here's another quotation for you to consider,
"Soon all entrepreneurs will be social entrepreneurs."
You don't need me to say that these trends are taking the worlds of business, public sector and personal lifestyle into unchartered territory. There is, today, an explosion of interest in social entrepreneurship on every continent. This is already creating a better world and contains within it a vision that can inspire - and involve - all of us. Social entrepreneurs are people perfectly adapted to prosper in a climate of change and uncertainty. They thrive on a blend of business and charity, ethics and enthusiasm, reliability and innovation. And, a sense of humour.
Now I ask (as have others) who are these strange creatures who have realised it is possible to do good by making money, and make money by doing good? Let's start the journey by saying that a good social entrepreneur never gives up! Here's how one successful entrepreneur - the late Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop - defined herself and her mission.
The tenth and last of the above descriptions is this:
Every entrepreneur is a good storyteller.
Enough said? Finally, the research shows that, personality-wise, entrepreneurs are often confident, optimistic, compulsive, courageous, persistent, and extroverted. They have high energy and drive, urgency, imagination and initiative. They will be able to persuade and maybe inspire others; they focus on outcomes and results; they engage the support of others; and so build around them a circle of support for new initiatives.
And, it's there that I leave this exploration of 'the what' of entrepreneurship. Next week, I'll focus on 'the why', that is, where the social entrepreneur fits into the world, a world where the conventional business model says you make as much money as possible (often described as 'maximising shareholder value'). Social entrepreneurship turns this, 'the profit motive', on its head and he (or she), the social entrepreneur, rewrites the rule book. Interesting ... Interested ...
I feel better for all that.
See you soon. Have a good week. Me, I'm off to knock on a few more doors!
Marian
REFERENCES
CLARK, MARTIN (2009), The Social Entrepreneur Revolution: doing good by making money, making money by doing good, London, pub. Marshall Cavendish Limited.
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