Four years ago I had a life-changing experience. If you happen to know me, you won’t be surprised to learn that it was inspired by a book! The book was Firms of Endearment (Sisodia, Wolfe, Sheth, Wharton School Publishing, 2007) and as I highlighted and made notes in the margins, I felt a surge of excitement, as if someone had plugged me into an electrical socket and flipped the switch.

In this book, I saw the potential future of business, operating in a way that is simply and yet profoundly different to the way it works today.   I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my working life dedicated to bringing these principles – the principles of Conscious Capitalism – to life in Australian Business.

On Tuesday, 24 June, I have an amazing opportunity to run a workshop alongside Raj Sisodia, co-author of Firms of Endearment and Conscious Capitalism.

As part of an inaugural Australian summit on Conscious Capitalism, the workshop will be focusing on “Bringing Conscious Capitalism to Your Business: start where you are.”

Our workshop will empower leaders to step up to bringing Conscious Capitalism principles in to their circle of influence: whether they are CEOs, division leaders, team leaders, or change agents for business. Ultimately, of course, the transformation of a whole organisation must start with its top leaders, but every leader can apply the powerful principles of these books.

The key is personal accountability for leaders. Firms of Endearment shows, through research that has stood the test of time, that businesses that align purpose, passionate focus on all stakeholders, conscious leadership, and creating great cultures, are more successful than those that are motivated only by profit.

Our experience at Development Partners is that individual leaders who embrace these ideas will also be more successful. We live in a time when we are at a crossroads for business and leadership. In the words of Russell Davenport, former editor of Fortune Magazine, “Progress results only from the fact that there are some men and women who refuse to believe that what they know to be right cannot be done.”

If you are a leader who wants to operate with a higher purpose and to embrace the real needs of customers, employees, investors, partners, society, and the environment, join us at Conscious Capitalism. It’s time to step up.