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O P I N I O N
I t’s energizing to be around young entrepreneurs with exciting ideas. My wife and I are honored to be mentors to a few start-ups in Reno, a delightful experience allowing us to work with and learn from a new crop of business owners, many of whom are focused on company culture as they launch and grow their enterprises. Conscious Capitalism Through enlightened business practices, young firm leaders are embracing a world of freedom, harmony, prosperity and compassion. Conscious Capitalism is a way of thinking about CAPITALISM and business that better reflects where we are in the HUMAN journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a POSITIVE IMPACT on the world. CONSCIOUS businesses are galvanized by higher purposes that serve, align, and integrate the interests of all their major stakeholders. Their higher state of consciousness makes VISIBLE to them the interdependencies that exist across all stakeholders, allowing them to DISCOVER and harvest synergies from situations that otherwise seem replete with trade-offs. They haveCONSCIOUS leaderswhoaredrivenbyservice to thecompany’sPURPOSE, all the people the business touches and the planet we all share together. Consciousbusinesseshavetrusting,authentic,INNOVATIVE,andcaringcultures that make working there a source of both personal growth and professional fulfillment. They ENDEAVOR to create financial, intellectual, social, cultural, emotional,spiritual,physical,andecologicalWEALTHforall their stakeholders.
Ed Friedrichs
It occurred to me that what’s old might actually be new again. At a recent mentor meeting, two colleagues told us they are starting a local chapter of Conscious Capitalism (consciouscapitalism.org), an organization with chapters globally. “As I’ve advised clients over the years on how best to define the culture of an organization they would be proud to be a part of, I’ve used As I’ve advised clients over the years on how best to define the culture of an organization they would be proud to be a part of, I’ve used anecdotal stories from my career and other firms I’ve worked with. But when I read The Conscious Capitalist Credo, I found a wrap-around definition I will use from this anecdotal stories from my career and other firms I’ve worked with.”
day forward as I work with clients. I’m publishing the group’s credo here in the hope you find it as helpful as I have: We believe that business is good because it creates value, it is ethical because it is based on voluntary exchange, it is noble because it can elevate our existence, and it is heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates prosperity. Free enterprise capitalism is the most powerful system for social cooperation and human progress ever conceived. It is one of the most compelling ideas we humans have ever had. But we can aspire to even more. Conscious Capitalism is a way of thinking about capitalism and business that better reflects where we are in the human journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a positive impact on the world. Conscious businesses are galvanized by higher purposes that serve, align, and integrate the interests of all their
See ED FRIEDRICHS, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER December 12, 2016, ISSUE 1179
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