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What mistakes do you make when trying to do social responsibility right? As a parent, I’m constantly reminded of a related Robin Williams monologue on fatherhood:
Sometimes I gaze at my sleeping son, Reuben, and I see a future in which he stands tall at a podium saying, “I’d like to thank the Nobel Academy.”
Other times I see, “You want fries with that?”
I just don’t know.
I don’t know how to parent well, and I often feel scared. What worked for me growing up informs me, but Reuben is his own person. And today is a different age.
Most societies also struggle growing up: they fail to effectively strengthen their social systems in the face of new technology. During the Agricultural Revolution of several thousand years ago, many societies that developed farming technology failed to materially prosper— because they did not implement the business, governmental, and cultural practices needed to support markets.
And the same pattern held throughout the 20th century. Today 71 percent of the world’s citizens fail to fully benefit from the effects of the Industrial Revolution, with the average person in most countries living on less than $10 a day. The problem is not technological: a faucet or a phone operates as well in Mozambique as in downtown Philadelphia. The challenge is that most nations’ governmental, cultural, and economic systems have poorly supported Industrial Revolution markets, and these failures continue as we enter the Digital Revolution age.
As a business leader, you face the same leadership challenge as a parent or social leader. You must deliver the tools and strategies that will bring your own organization forward. The experience you had earlier in your career provide valuable insight, but your current organization is unique. And today’s demand for social responsibility is new.
Is your social responsibility attracting and retaining the best talent, pulling in new customers, and reducing the cost of financing? Are you confident you play a key role delivering the society that will support the next generation?
Please share your thoughts in the comments or by sending me an email: info@RodWallacePhD.Com.
Our society cannot just survive. For the sake of our children, it must thrive.
Rod
Dr. Rod Wallace is an economist, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses make more money by solving society’s problems. A Fulbright Fellow, he has led multi-organization billion-dollar initiatives worldwide and partnered with a Silicon Valley pioneer to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society.
Rod speaks about how to integrate social responsibility into business to maximize profit and purpose. He highlights digital technology’s impact on society and the strategies and tools with which business can solve our big, systemic problems.
Contact Rod at info@RodWallacePhD.com.