Business as a means to improve the world

The ideas of Conscious Business are inspired by Conscious Capitalism and tailored to the European situation. The four pillars on which Conscious Capitalism rests are:

HIGHER PURPOSE

Elevating humanity through business begins with knowing why your company exists. Without this, you have no compass to find and stay focused on your True North. Businesses should exist for reasons beyond just making a profit. We see profit as a necessary means to achieving your purpose—not as an end in and of itself.

STAKEHOLDER ORIENTATION

To achieve your purpose, it is essential to value and care for EVERYONE who touches your business. This includes your employees, customers, suppliers, partners, investors, community, environment, and sometimes even your competition. Motivate all stakeholders by creating “win-win-win” outcomes for everyone impacted by your business decisions.

CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP

Conscious businesses cannot exist without conscious leaders. These courageous, pioneering men and women understand that their role is to serve the purpose of the business, to support its people and to create value for all stakeholders. They intentionally cultivate a conscious culture of trust and care, rejecting a zero-sum view of business and seeking creative, synergistic solutions.

CONSCIOUS CULTURE

The culture of your business is its heartbeat. Without a healthy one, the business will not thrive. Cultures are as unique as the people who comprise them, but commonalities of a conscious culture include trust, authenticity, caring, transparency, integrity, learning, and empowerment. How’s that for a great place to work?

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.

Too many businesses generate financial wealth at the expense of social, cultural, environmental, intellectual, physical and spiritual wellbeing. They are extracting value rather than creating value. Conscious Capitalism is about doing business with a spectrum of positive effects, not having one positive “main” effect and many negative “side” effects.
Raj Sisodia, Co-author of Conscious Capitalism