Hubert Joly: ‘The purpose of business is to contribute to the common good’

It’s a joy and a relief to see this trend gathering momentum. Business is about people and the most successful businesses contribute value to all stakeholders – and that includes society and the planet.

Many thanks to Hubert Joly, former CEO and now senior lecturer at Harvard BS, for an inspiring article.

Will we be brave enough to use the last year’s tough learning to transform an outdated corporate model into something far more sustainable?

Or will greed win the day?

Joly’s point is that it also makes good business sense:

‘How do leaders make this vision a reality? First, they help articulate a noble purpose. It can be found at the intersection of what the world needs, what you and your team are passionate about, what the company is good at, and how it can earn a good return on its investments.’

He’s talking about AND AND, not EITHER OR. So often in HR it feels like you’re being pushed into something you know just isn’t right.

Committed, energised, aligned and valued people deliver results.

We’ve got to get better at proving this.

He also says ‘Unleash human magic.’

Amen to that.

 

My new book ‘Empowering HR

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