The idea of wanting to build a really great business while making the
world a better place has exploded over the past decade. These “social
entrepreneurs” apply the tools of traditional entrepreneurialism to
specific issues they feel driven to address, via products and services
that will “do good.”
This is important work. However, Carol Sanford – one of the most
trusted names in business development – argues that doing good simply
isn’t good enough. To truly succeed with the great challenges our
society and planet face, we need a new breed of entrepreneur who will
think bigger than specific issue-based products and services, and seek
to overhaul the very systems that created the problems in the first
place. In her new book, THE RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR: Four
Game-Changing Archetypes for Founders, Leaders and Impact Investors
(Jossey-Bass; hardcover; July 28, 2014), Sanford draws on four decades
of work with companies like Google, Seventh Generation, DuPont and Intel
to present a new model of entrepreneurship – one which will teach those
who want to run a great business and make a difference as well to
rethink their approach and change the game entirely.
Responsible Entrepreneurs, individuals who want to use business itself
as an instrument for significant change, seek the bold, sweeping moves
that can benefit society nations, ecosystems and the planet as a whole.
They think systemically about their value-adding processes, make their
work increasingly beneficial to society beyond philanthropy, and do this
as a direct result of their business activities.
In THE RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR, Sanford first compels these
individuals to explore the roots of their ambitions, outlining four
archetypes to use as a roadmap:
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The Realizing Entrepreneur: Industry Game-Changer; driven by
the vision of an improved reality.
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The Reconnection Entrepreneur: Society Game-Changer; awakens
conscience to the impact of existing social systems.
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The Reciprocity Entrepreneur: Culture Game-Changer; concerned
with the potential of business to change pre-existing cultural beliefs
that prevent inclusion of all members of a society
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The Regenerative Entrepreneur: Governance Game-Changer; uses
foundational agreements (like the Constitution) that society already
operates within to deliver change.
By understanding the archetype most aligned with their goals,
individuals will learn how to grow their business into a powerful
platform that can leverage change, and even change the systems at the
root of our most pressing problems and issues. To illustrate these
principles in action, the bookfeatures case studies based on long-term
work and in-depth interviews with organizations like Google Innovation
Labs, Indigenous Designs (the primary supplier for Eileen Fisher),
Fishpeople (who supply Costco and Google with gourmet seafood entrees),
and many more.
For entrepreneurs who want to change world, or impact investors looking
to align their capital with their values, THE RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR
provides a framework for building a business that will create the
greatest benefit for all stakeholders.
Wiley
Melissa Connors, 201-748-6834
Publicity Manager
mconnors@wiley.com