Notes on Noble Business

Once a year, we get to celebrate the birth of America and the freedom that makes our country a beacon for other people and whole countries. The power of the human spirit in its desire for freedom results in many inspiring stories of how freedom is gained. We have our own in the U.S. But in this blog, I’d like to share briefly the stories of two other countries, for these stories exhibit the depth of that desire and the power of its expression.

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With a New Year starting, it’s a great time to step back from your business and take a fresh look at something most business leaders take for granted or seldom work on – your “business model.”

What is your company’s business model – and how’s it working for you? I don’t mean its strategy – that’s different. The “business model” is the very core definition of your business – WHY it exists, to Serve WHOM – and what those NEEDS really are.

The traditional business model focuses on things like: 

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An amazing coincidence happened in 1776 that changed the world. Two different documents on two separate continents each published that year made the case for individual freedom, each in its own way. The ideas in both documents have had a huge impact on the world, one in terms of the spread of political freedom; the other in terms of the advancement of economic freedom – and prosperity.
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Last week, I participated in a two-day conference on Conscious Capitalism, a term describing both a business philosophy and a way of operating that goes beyond the narrow financial focus of historical Capitalism.
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In its most recent issue (March 23-30), Business Week offers “Game-Changing Ideas for Business” with an impressive array of examples of companies using both well-established and new ideas to improve their performance.
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Tired of waiting for the Federal Government to stimulate the economy? One Alabama business owner took matters into his own hands, creating his own private stimulus program that provides an interesting model for other business owners to consider.

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The “Noble Enterprise” business model uplifts people and profit.

As we witness the decline and implosion of major companies, with the ensuing government attempts to shore up some of these companies and the very economic system within which they operate, we wonder not only “What went wrong?” but also “There must be a better way – a better business model! The syndicated article below (which you are welcome to use and distribute, with the complete credit at the bottom) addresses this issue, urging business owners and corporate executives to take the time – especially during this seasonal time of Goodwill to consider a different business model, one that puts people at the core of the business – recognizing not only the contributions of their Minds, but also of their Hearts and Wills – and a business model that serves a larger purpose and acts with ethical values. (more…)

That’s the question posed by the John Templeton Foundation to a group of leading lights. You can see their responses at www.templeton.org/market/. As you might expect, the answers provided a rich range of perspective. You can also weigh in and provide your own comments.

As I researched my recent book NOBLE ENTERPRISE: The Commonsense Guide for Uplifting People and Profits, I was inspired by the examples of companies and leaders who are truly noble – and actually made their companies more successful through that nobility, with passionate adherence to ethical values and a sense of higher purpose – in which these companies serve not only the material needs of customers and employees, but also their non-material (some would say “spiritual”) needs. (more…)

Can you imagine a worse scenario than business and government essentially colluding to achieve a societal goal (in this case “affordable housing”) but doing it in a way (providing high risk credit) that actually bankrupted major corporations in the process? (more…)

I recently attended an awards dinner at a hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York City for my nephew, Curry Ford. This was a gala affair with men in tuxedos and women dressed to the hilt. (more…)