Leon: We’re
both strategists with an addiction to seeking and interpreting patterns. We both help our clients exploit the opportunities
associated with change or mitigate the potential damage.
Like many of our peers, we couldn’t
ignore the signs, the writing on the wall. Our planet is in trouble. Our systems are breaking down. We could see the power
of business to create wealth and solve problems but felt it had lost heart, will and direction as well as social sanction.
Anna: Take
the term “corporate social responsibility” or CSR as it is known, for example. It could only have been coined
by a consultant with an accountancy background. It’s lifeless and has no heart.
Like that other term: CRM (customer relationship management), that oozes command, control and manipulation. You don’t
manage your relations with friends, do you?
Leon: We’re not knocking CSR and all the excellent work that has been
done to help the corporate world assume more responsibility for the whole. We simply want to breathe life back into a sterile,
defensive concept by focussing on the individuals involved and their relationships with each other.
Anna: Ultimately, it’s all about people as individuals. Businesses are not lifeless
machines or even brands. They are made of living, breathing human beings who apply their capacity to dream with their intelligence,
their feelings and their physical energy to create value. We believe it’s up to each individual to determine what Business
For Good means for them and how they choose to manifest their good intent. Our job is to link up individuals who passionately
believe in taking personal responsibility; provide support and encouragement; prod and disturb, see what innovative solutions
emerge and then ensure that others can learn and apply
