Your business legacy is your purpose, which you gained clarity on in MyPresent. You create a strategy and align all of your people, processes and goals to deliver it. Your business legacy is what exists long after you have gone. It is the impact it makes on society, culture, community and, ultimately, the world. It’s no surprise to me that LeaderX has their people and their corporate social responsibility firmly at the heart of their agenda.
LeaderX take their legacy seriously, and are clear about how the world will be changed as a result of their tenure. Legacy is not a new principle, but it’s one that is more important than ever in today’s socially connected world. Perhaps LeaderX was influenced by the great leaders from their youth, like Anita Roddick, who wanted to make the world a better place through The Body Shop, or the shocking revelations of the Chernobyl disaster and the real fear of acid rain falling on our heads, the depletion of the Ozone layer and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Or perhaps iconic brands like Walt Disney, who aimed to provide hope, happiness and comfort to kids and families when they needed it most. Perhaps they witnessed how money and greed have created the maladies of the world that made them rebel against it. The leaders now coming of age were changed by these brands and their positive and negative impacts on the world. Now we understand the long term impacts of consumerism, corrupt and dangerous supply chains and all generations are now awakened to corporate social responsibility. Driven by purpose, LeaderX takes clear action in creating a sustainable business legacy.
How it Works
As an employer, you have a responsibility to the people who you serve, your employees, the suppliers who depend on you and your customers who depend on your service. You have an obligation to ensure that you are sustaining the business, protecting market share and creating profit, while doing no harm.
Instead of asking 'What will make me more successful?', ask ‘How can I make things better around here?’ I am going to ask you some pretty big questions in the next exercise and it is your responsibility to not only find the answers, but to put them into practice. It’s the step where I really do invest a lot of time championing my clients because I have found that this is where they need me to be a little braver and bolder and to really reach for the stars.
Reflect on your business legacy. How can you make things better? Profit is the outcome of business, not the reason for being in business. As a leader, ask yourself what is the cost of that profit on the people, communities and ultimately the world around you. Can you honestly say that your profit has not been made at the expense of someone else or negative impact on the plant?
Even if the road to carbon neutrality, non toxic supply chains, fair treatment of suppliers and manufacturers, or fair trade may take time, there are immediate ways that you can do business for good. There are plenty of examples found on the B1G1 directory, where companies pay it forward for each sale they make, invoice that gets paid, or a percentage of their profits. Check out Bcorps tables to see how some leading brands are really stepping up their corporate social responsibility.
If you would like to know more about how your business can do good, read the article about the Certified B Corporations that are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. Not only they are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment, but they also represent a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Discover more from 3WH
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.