Business owners are always looking for ways to deepen their impact and make a difference with their work. Some key themes that people often want to see reflected in their business include: trust, transparency, freedom, impact, honesty, change, feedback and action.
There are four business leaders that I want to discuss here, and their approaches to impact business, culture, and leadership.
Rutger Bregman talks about moral ambition. He asks us what we are doing with our privilege. He believes that the greatest waste is the waste of talent and that the answer to this problem is having moral ambition.
Time is precious and limited in quantity, so action is needed now. It seems that although almost everyone is aware of the problems that we face, action is in short supply.
He believes it's important for business people to focus on work that sits at the intersection of ambition and idealism. Work that can deeply change people’s lives. There are three ingredients to this kind of work.
When prioritising, use these three criteria:
Importantly, he says that trying isn’t good enough - being a "noble loser" doesn’t help the situation.
“In the fight against injustice, winning is a moral duty.”
And if you’re thinking that this doesn’t sound like something you could do because you believe certain people are born for this kind of work, Rutger also said, “Moral ambition is not a character trait. Moral ambition is a mindset. Moral ambition is an infectious mindset.”
Find the issue you want to begin to solve, and ask people to help you. Many of them will.
Erin Meyer focuses on organisational culture and how to create an environment of reinvention. Even if you don’t have any employees, you are creating a culture with your work and how you innovate within your business.
She invites us to think in terms of dilemmas instead of absolutes. Rather than declaring that it’s one way or not at all, it’s better to describe the context and the situation. And then be guided by which direction you want to lean on the continuum.
The good news is that excellent performance is contagious. The bad news is that poor performance is also contagious. She likes to use the "Keeper Test" in relation to employees. Small business owners can use it for partners, contractors, or even clients.
This is the test: If the person in question came to you and told you they no longer wanted to work with you, would you feel devastated or relieved?
That feeling can guide you in the right direction for making your decision. And if you want to grow as a leader, ask for feedback. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s worth it.
The big takeaway from Erin's philosophy is that “Freedom is the path to responsibility.” Give freedom to get responsibility. As a business owner, I suggest you take this message to heart and remind yourself that you have the freedom to design your business into anything you can imagine.
Maryna Saprykina's work is focused on supporting Ukrainian women entrepreneurs in this deeply difficult time. Her goal is to reach one million women.
She believes there are five keys to empowering your business:
Tim Ferris has a few practical tips for taking ownership of your business and the direction it is heading in:
Hopefully, you're feeling inspired by some of these ideas and plan to implement them. Remember - it's your business, and you get to set its goals, values and priorities. Making sure they align with your moral values will help you create impact in the world every day.