How Business Can Solve Society’s Big Problems

Would my son grow up without a father?

This was the decision I had to consider a few years ago. I chose to be a father—a committed, present, full-time father—and I moved to Delaware to be with my son. This meant I had to leave my career in the Netherlands and reinvent myself professionally. But I made the right decision. I wanted to be a father. And I wanted my son to have a father, to grow up in the most supportive environment possible.

I believe all of our children deserve an environment that supports them and a society in which they can thrive. But as a society, we’re failing to deliver.

A few weeks ago I gave a TedX talk, Meaningful Profit: When Business Solves Society’s Big Problems (I hope you’ll check out the video). I outlined tools and strategies that I think can help.

We need tools that will fix this world, a world in which over 60% of the American economy is currently dedicated to industries failing to deliver the basics. These are big problems.

While nonprofit work and corporate social responsibility are wonderful concepts, we need the power of self-interest (profit) harnessed in full to solve these big problems.

However, as digital technology increases the complexity of our world, no single organization controls all the moving parts needed to make meaningful change. We need greater, better collaboration. Traditional leadership tools don’t cut it. We need a higher level of leadership to help us collaborate across organizations. Only by doing so can we solve the critical big problems standing in the way of creating the society our children deserve.

Thanks to my friends at Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate and The World Cocoa Foundation for helping me with my TedX research. If you’re not sure what you can individually do to make the world a better place, then eat a piece of chocolate. By doing so, you’re supporting an industry striving to solve some of society’s big problems. See my TedX talk (here) for an explanation of how the chocolate industry is collaborating for good.

What do you think is the best way to solve society’s big problems?

Our society cannot just survive. For the sake of our children, it must thrive.

Rod

PS: Get insights, tools, and strategies for improving society—while benefiting yourself—in my book, Drowning in Potential: How American Society Can Survive Digital Technology. And please write a review (n US: HERE, outside US: HERE).