LEADING IN A NEW LIGHT
The Leadership Newsletter for Noble Enterprises
Summer 2009
Dear Clients, Colleagues and Friends:
This issue of Leading in a New Light is dedicated to Purpose – our own individual purpose, and the purpose of individual businesses. It’s all about the WHY we’re in business.
Last year, a group of business and leadership scholars, practitioners and gurus gathered for the purpose of "reinventing management for the 21st Century." In an article published in the Harvard Business Review earlier this year, Gary Hamel described "25 Stretch Goals for Management" that came out of that conference.
The very first one is to "Ensure that management's work serves a higher purpose. Management, both in theory and practice, must orient itself to the achievement of noble, socially significant goals."
Such a higher or Greater Purpose is the first of five pillars of a Noble Enterprise.
Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:
- NOBLE ENTERPRISE: An Introduction: A brief description of the "Noble Enterprise" business model with its Five Pillars of human energy that fuel enterprise success.
- Noble LEADERSHIP: An interview with Amber Chand, who has founded several businesses that help people rebuild their lives in war-torn areas of the world, in which she shares her journey, her philosophy – and her "mission-driven" business model.
- Noble BOOKS: Two books, each of which describe the immense power of a compelling, higher purpose to inspire and empower employees - and to drive business success.
- Noble Enterprise ON THE ROAD: News about the talks, courses and seminars we have been doing this year to inform and inspire executives and business owners about the Noble Enterprise approach for managing through a difficult economy and revitalizing companies that have lost their pulse.
- Noble NEWS: about two recent conferences, one focused on rethinking Capitalism and the other on redefining the Corporation, each of which addressed the greater purpose of business.
- Noble WORDS: Inspiring quotes about the role and power of an inspiring Purpose
Think about it. Now could be the just the right time to rekindle a sense of greater purpose and excitement in your company and in your work
We look forward to hearing from you about the power of purpose in your business and your leadership, and invite you to share this with your colleagues.
Have a Noble Day!
Dar Gillett
Founder & President, Noble Business Solutions
Leadership e-Newsletter |
NOBLE ENTERPRISE - An Introduction
What is it about some companies that make them great places to work, great places to do business with - and great successes as business ventures? While many observers tend to look for the outer things that successful companies and their leaders "do", we focus on the often overlooked inner qualities that power those outer actions.
Such companies are often characterized by a kind of nobility. ("Noble" by one definition, means "possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals."1) These companies, which we call "Noble Enterprises", are built with this kind of comprehensive "superiority". To do this, they tap the full range of human energies - not only Mind and Body, but also Human Spirit.
Noble Enterprises are built on Five Pillars through which those energies manifest. In this issue, we explore the first Pillar – that of Greater Purpose.
For more about the Noble Enterprise business model, go to www.nobleadvisors.com/nobleEnterprise.html.
1Merriam-Webster Online dictionary
Noble LEADERSHIP:
Rebuilding Lives and Livelihoods in War-torn Areas
An Interview with Amber Chand, Founder of the Amber Chand Collection and the Prosperity Candle Enterprise
by Dar Gillett
Amber Chand has founded several businesses, and specializes in helping women rebuild their lives and livelihoods in war-torn areas of the world. In this interview with Dar Gillett, she shares her journey, her philosophy – and her "mission-driven" business model.
The following are excerpts from the interview. The full interview, of about 30 minutes, can be heard in its entirety at by clicking on the right arrow below.
Dar: When did you know that being an entrepreneur would be your calling, especially one dedicated to helping humanity?
Amber: I’ve given myself the title of the "serial entrepreneur". I am drawn to creating enterprises that support a vision of filling a need in the world. It’s a personal excitement and passion that I have to see my vision manifest and to look at business enterprise as a vehicle for these visions. So, right now I have one company and am launching another one. I work with women in areas of conflict, particularly women who are rebuilding their lives after a war, genocide and civil strife, and supporting these women as entrepreneurs. Part of the reason why I focus on these particular women is because I myself am a refugee from Uganda, expelled from the country in 1972, when the tyrannical dictator Idi Amin expelled people of Asian or Indian extraction. Having personally experienced the trauma of having everything that is safe and secure ripped away from you, and having to start all over again – because I myself have walked that path, I feel deeply committed to supporting others who are in a similar situation. |
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Dar: What a wonderful story! I still wonder how you happened to choose entrepreneurship. In situations like that, you would think one would turn to government or NGO’s (non-government organizations) or foundations for support and resources. How did you happen to choose the private enterprise approach?
Amber: It goes back to 1998, when I had the opportunity to co-found a company with a business partner that was going to present artisan-made goods created by artisans in villages from all over the world to an American audience in a new sophisticated, stylish way. We launched a multi-channel retail company. The entire purpose of the company was to ask the question: can business enterprises step into an arena which in the past would have been taken over by NGOs, non-profits, etc. We felt that with the emergence of the Internet we could launch a company that was truly global in its vision and partner with artisans all over the world, presenting their goods to American customers through our catalogue and our stores.
That was my first taste for business as an enterprise that can effectively move into this arena. This was called EZIBA. It was launched as an on-line retailer. We started with $40 million invested in the company its first year with Amazon as our lead investor. The model we aspired to had really not been proven, the Internet was new, but we wanted to see if we could pioneer an enterprise that brought together three ingredients: a retail enterprise supporting global artisan-made handcrafts using the Internet as the primary medium for marketing and distribution.
Dar: And the result?
Amber: The result was interesting. The company grew but within seven years, it had collapsed, and we had to close its doors. That’s where I got my entrepreneurship training: in the trenches of helping to grow a visionary and pioneering company. The experience also gave me an insight into the poignant question of why this had happened.
Dar: What did you conclude?
Amber: I spent many months in deep and painful reflection. And I came to the conclusion that we had founded the company as an entrepreneurial venture, with great excitement and passion. But having $40 million literally thrown at our feet within the first 18 months - before we had the time to prove our model or even have a clear sense of what the foundation of the company was – ultimately created the company’s demise.
It was an amazing time. Intoxicating and heady. And what I learned was that when your focus is to create a company solely built on financial success you begin to develop a very aggressive model, one that is pressured to meet your investors’ needs in a hurried, impatient way. This does not give you time to create a truly sustainable enterprise.
So, when that company collapsed, I decided to go back in the world and, as a woman, start my own company. This time I wanted to grow it differently.
The Amber Chand Collection emerged from the ashes and rubble of that experience. But what was intact was the Mission. The mission to support the talents and skills of people around the globe through their artisan-made products continued to be something that I felt was sustainable. We just needed to find a different kind of model.
I’m now working with people in thirteen countries, including Darfur (Sudan), Ethiopia, Rwanda, Israel, Palestine in the Gaza Strip, Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia, and Burmese-Thai border.
Our market is primarily in the US, and is primarily targeted to women. Most of it is online but I have launched Peace & Prosperity Gatherings – a house party model – where women gather in friends’ homes, and are introduced to the Collection and its mission - the deeper story behind it. They then have the opportunity to view and purchase the wonderful handmade gifts of the collection. This is powerful offering American women the opportunity to connect with the creativity of women from around the world. Many men, however, also come to the gatherings.
[More about the Amber Chand Collection on the audio version of this interview.]
Dar: That’s a wonderful story. Since then, you’ve launched another company called the Prosperity Candle. How did you come to create that and what is its mission?
Amber: This is very exciting to me. My partner in this, Ted Barber, and I talked about this for five years. We came up with a business model – The Prosperity Candle – which partners with women entrepreneurs in areas of conflict. They are creating beautiful candles for the global market in the safety of their own homes.
We are just in an initial phase of field testing the concept right now. We wanted to create a business model that was simple. Low cost in terms of the investment people have to put into it, highly scalable and home-based.
We also wanted to create a business that conveys a powerful message – and what’s more beautiful than candles and the lighting of a candle. Candles are a universal symbol of peace and prosperity found all over the globe. The second issue was how to create a business model where women – who are rebuilding their lives in extremely challenging circumstances - can earn above minimum wage by creating their own businesses.
We’ve just launched a field test in Iraq. I’m so excited about this, Dar, because we are receiving weekly reports from Iraq from the women who are busy making high quality pillar candles – as prototypes.
Our intention is to initially provide the women entrepreneurs with a customized Prosperity Candle making kit – with all the components in it for making candles. In time the women will be investing in these kits as "businesses in a box".
Dar: I’ve seen the pictures of these women on your website. It’s very inspiring.
Amber: Yes. It is. The ultimate goal is to offer American consumers a beautiful, competitively priced, distinctive candle that is made by women in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Rwanda. Any place on the planet where there is conflict, and we believe that this kind of business can succeed despite the obstacles.
The logistics are complicated, but the model is simple. A woman can melt wax in a pitcher on her stove and pour it into a mold. It takes skill to make a high-quality candle, but once she understands that and knows how to do it, she can expand her business as much as she wants, because what she has now is access to a global market.
Dar: This strikes me as a unique accomplishment. Many people have a grand vision of doing something good. Fewer people have a workable strategy for doing that. And fewer still have created such an enterprise without relying on some third party charitable funding. What enabled you to do this?
Amber: I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to start the first company in 1998, then to continue that work through the Amber Chand Collection. That experience allowed me to feel confident. It’s a confidence that understands that as problems emerge, there will be a solution. This is the difference. Because when you’re starting something very new and you’ve got a fabulous vision, and you begin to meet challenges – that’s when we can so easily stop in our tracks.
Dar: It’s partly attitude then.
Amber: Absolutely. It has to come from a steady inner sense of confidence, the word which by the way means "with faith". So there we are creating a business based on the experiences that both my partner Ted Barber and I have in the arena of business and enterprise development and women’s economic empowerment but it also take that inner compass that supports you in meeting these challenges with a deeper knowing that there is a solution. Each challenge then is an opportunity and that’s what makes this exciting.
Dar: I can picture you exuding that with the women who join this program – and that they pick up a sense of possibility rather than merely obstacles.
Amber: Absolutely, because what are these women looking for when they’ve had their lives annihilated, but Hope and a sense their dreams can be met? One of the women helping with the field test, for instance, came to the Prosperity Candle enterprise because of her need to rebuild her life after a terrible event. One night sitting at dinner with her two teenage sons and her beloved husband, a missile came through the roof and killed her husband and injured her two sons for life. This woman, shattered by the experience, several years later chose to be one of the field testers for Prosperity Candle and said, "This has given me a sense what is possible."
The beauty of this is the self-reliance that the women begin to feel. They are given an opportunity, but it is up to each one to make it into a successful, thriving business.
[More about the Prosperity Candle on the audio version of the interview, including how Amber and her partner are designing a profit-sharing approach so that the women who participate become true partners with them, and help build the business.]
Dar: When you look ahead and you also reflect back on your first Internet-based business experience, what do you think the keys will be to the ultimate success of this company?
Amber: Our dream is that by 2012, there will be a million candles produced by a thousand women – a million points of light. From that, we hope that all the women celebrate because they are creating thriving enterprises through prosperity candles. Success will also be measured by the social impact that it has on the women who choose to participate.
Ultimately, we are engaging in an enterprise that supports a deeper connection with people on a global scale. It’s done through beauty. It’s done through light. It’s done through inspiration. ...
Some people say that business is about greed, and that profit-making is not good. I disagree completely. I think business has a profound role to play. Business is a transformative force for social change....
Dar: What’s been your own personal biggest challenge and biggest rewards in doing this?
Amber: My biggest challenge is when I meet myself in fear – when I become afraid. That’s when one needs an inner compass that constantly reminds you that you can do this – that you can take the next step with support. You can build. You can grow. You’re not doing this alone. All of these pieces are the challenges that one can face...
When challenges come up, I take a big breath and I say, "I know there is a solution to this problem."
Dar: That suggests a kind of patience too, not the need to have a quick answer right away, but to be able to live in moments of lack of clarity without the answer quite being there yet.
Amber: Beautifully put. You’re absolutely right. My former company collapsed because of its impatience. It was driven. I called it testosterone-driven. What we’re asked to do in business in the 21st Century is, to me, to take your time.... Be patient.
Dar: The larger your organization gets, the more hearts and minds you’ll have to pull together to address those challenges.
It’s such an inspiring story. How can people best learn more about your enterprises?
Amber: I’d love for people to go to the Amber Chand Collection at www.amberchand.com. And to the Prosperity Candle, which is still in the early stages – but has a fantastic blog - at www.prosperitycandle.com.
Dar: Thank you so much, Amber, for taking the time to talk with me today, and best wishes for success in your noble enterprises.
Amber: Thank you, Dar. It’s been a pleasure connecting with you.
The above are excerpts from the interview. The full interview, of about 30 minutes, can be heard in its entirety at by clicking on the right arrow below.
NOBLE NEWS
The tumultuous business events of the past few years have caused many people to question much about business in America. How could so many companies have gone so far astray? What were the causes of that – both internal (perhaps personal goals and ethics, or management philosophies and management systems) and external (perhaps economic forces and government impacts)?
Times such as these present an invaluable opportunity to stand back and look at the very economic system and business model that are at the heart of "business as usual" and to redesign them to be more in tune with the times.
Two recent conferences aimed to do just that:
- "Conceptualizing Conscious Capitalism" – a two-day conference held in May, sponsored by Bentley University to advance the thinking on what is being called "Conscious Capitalism" by many business practitioners – based on the work of Fred Kofman and his book Conscious
Business (2006), Patricia Aburdene and her book MegaTrends 2010: The
Rise of Conscious Capitalism (2005) and earlier, David Schwerin and his book Conscious
Capitalism: Principles for Prosperity (1998). The conference featured two days of "presentations by leading thinkers on the fundamentals of business definition, purpose and stakeholder orientation." Broad topics covered included:
- Doing Well And Doing Good
- Aligning Stakeholders
- Conscious Leadership
- Conscious Marketing, Conscious Consumers
- Business and Society
- Spirituality and Conscious Business
- And A Conversation Between John Mackey (of Whole Foods) and Peter Senge (of MIT)
Speakers included leading lights from the academic world and a few business leaders.
The conference and speakers are described at www.bentley.edu/conscious-capitalism/.
The concept of Conscious Capitalism is defined and explored at www.bentley.edu/conscious-capitalism/conscious-capitalism.cfm.
Dar’s reflections on the conference and Conscious Capitalism can be found in a June 2nd post on his BLOG Notes on Noble Business.
The "business model" described in NOBLE ENTERPRISE: The Commonsense Guide for Uplifting People and Profits incorporates nearly all of the core principles of Conscious Capitalism.
Summit on the Future of the Corporation – a one-day summit held in June to examine the current state of the corporation, the challenges and problems facing the corporation and society and to consider the ways in which the corporation might be redefined so as to function more effectively in serving all its constituencies.
The summit was sponsored by Tellus Institute. For information about them and their Corporate Redesign project, go to www.tellus.org/programs/corporateredesign.html.
These are just two of the many gatherings of people from many backgrounds and professions that are taking stock of the current business model and economic system we are currently operating within and exploring what changes to those models will be appropriate for this century.
NOBLE BOOKS
With our focus on the power of Greater Purpose in this issue, (the first of the five pillars of a Noble Enterprise), we recommend these two books:
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It's Not What You Sell, It's What You Stand For: Why Every Extraordinary Business Is Driven by Purpose I had the pleasure of hearing Roy Spence speak at a recent business conference about the power of purpose. He makes a compelling case in his book for management to rethink the business model, putting purpose as the primary driver of success. |
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Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose I also heard one of the authors of this book, Raj Sisodia, speak recently about the role of Purpose and Passion in the sustainable success of leading companies. Their book came out in 2007, but in case you missed it, I wanted to mention it. While the traditional perspective looks for what leading companies "do" – the authors point to something far deeper and more powerful – people’s passion and sense of purpose as the true drivers of performance. |
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For information about the book NOBLE ENTERPRISE: The Commonsense Guide to Uplifting People and Profits, which also singles out Greater Purpose (along with four other "pillars" of a Noble Enterprise), go to www.Noble-Enterprise.com.
ON THE ROAD with NOBLE ENTERPRISE
We’ve been busy recently speaking and leading courses and seminars about Noble Enterprise at associations and for executive education programs. These include:
- Olin
Business School at Washington University in St Louis – a one-day seminar ":" delivered by the team of Dar Gillett, Bill Catucci and Karen Jeisi for the Olin
Partners’ Program Executive Education Seminars Participants (mid-level and senior executives) rated the program overall 4.9 out of a possible 5.0.
- Fordham
University Business School (NY), for both the regular MBA program and the accelerated executive MBA program, where the NOBLE ENTERPRISE book is used as a text in a course led by Bill – with sessions led by Dar on Noble Enterprise and by Karen on decision-making and communication.
- , a business conference sponsored by the Association for Consulting Expertise, where Dar gave a presentation on "Survival Guide: Proven Strategies for Creating Business Success in a Down Economy."
- Human Resource Association of Southern Maine, where Dar presented on "" – based on the strategies described in his book on NOBLE ENTERPRISE.
We continue to book presentations and seminars at professional and business associations, educational institutions, and for individual companies. If you would like us to present at your conference, please contact us at dgillett@nobleadvisors.com
For a list of keynote and seminar topics, see www.nobleadvisors.com/keynotes.html.
For a list of sponsoring organizations and testimonial comments, see www.nobleadvisors.com/speaking.html.
NOBLE WORDS
Here are some of our favorite quotes about the power of Greater Purpose (the 1st of five pillars of a Noble Enterprise):
"To have a great purpose to work for, a purpose larger than ourselves, is one of the secrets of making life significant, for then the meaning and worth of the individual overflow his personal borders, and survive his death."
— Will Durant
"The sole meaning of life is to serve Humanity"
— Leo Tolstoy
"The golden core of leadership is the ability to raise aspirations. Aspiration doesn’t just build companies, it builds civilizations. It changes a set of ordinary people into a team of extraordinary talents, empowering them to convert plausible impossibilities into convincing possibilities."
— N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder, non-executive chairman and chief mentor of Infosys Technologies Ltd (India)
"Companies with a greater purpose are well-positioned to thrive, generating both great employee morale and superior business performance."
— from NOBLE
ENTERPRISE: The Commonsense Guide to Uplifting People and Profits by
Dar Gillett.
Share the Wealth
We invite you to forward this newsletter to your staff or colleagues. They can then opt in if they would like to receive the newsletter regularly.
Noble Enterprise Examples
If you have an example of a Noble Enterprise (your own or another one), we’d like to hear about it so we can possibly profile it in a future issue of the newsletter. Contact dgillett@nobleadvisors.com.
Want to Know More?
If you would like to learn about ways we can help you turn your company into a Noble Enterprise - for the benefit of all your stakeholders and your bottom line, click here. If you would like a free, introductory consult with Dar Gillett, call 1-800-781-3147 or email jjones@nobleadvisors.com to set up a time to talk with Dar.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Have a Noble Day!
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Dar Gillett |
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