The Noble Enterprise
Pathway to Success
Program (NEP)

The NEP Program is designed for Companies that want to create competitive advantage not just through traditional means, but also through nobility of character and action, i.e., how they treat employees, customers, vendors and the community. It focuses not so much on the well-developed areas of productivity (the Human Doing part that is the traditional focus of business effectiveness), but rather on character and relationships (the Human Being part).

The Program is based on, and draws heavily from the book NOBLE ENTERPRISE: The Commonsense Guide for Uplifting People and Profits, and is led by its author, international speaker, consultant and executive educator, Darwin Gillett.

Program Design

Program Purpose: To provide materials, guidance and a forum for selected managers to explore together the rationale for being a Noble Enterprise – and the five Pillars of Noble Enterprise – with assistance in exploring how each of the five pillars can apply to their own department and their own leadership and relationships, and then to make specific commitments of actions they will take to incorporate noble enterprise principles in their own leadership and activities.

Program Description: What’s included:

• Copy of Noble Enterprise for every participant
  
  
• A series of seminars/discussion groups – of likely ten to twenty participants each. Multiple groups for more than twenty participants.
  
  
• Individual coaching sessions in between group sessions – an option, with the amount of time TBD for each participant

Session # and Description of Sessions

1. Meeting with sponsor to set objectives and parameters for the program, and to plan its introduction.
   
   
2. Introductory session for participants:
   
   
   1. How we create competitive advantage for our company (the impact of inner forces vs. merely outer action – using the "pyramid of competitive advantage"¹);
   2. The case for nobility as a major source of competitive advantage (superiority of moral character vs. merely superiority of Mind – i.e., "Working Smarter")
   3. Sharing of personal perspectives and experience.
   4. Assignment for next time: Take time to observe the level and nature of nobility in daily acts of self, company and others – and their impact
      
      
3. Pillar One: Greater Purpose: Discussion and exploration of
   
   
   1. Your observations of Nobility since last meeting;
   2. WHY we’re in business;
   3. Examples of high-purpose organizations – and the impact of that on productivity. Maslow in high gear: what higher purpose can do for your organization.
   4. Crafting a greater purpose for your own organization
   5. Exploring & deciding ways to "breathe life into that purpose"
   6. Assignment for next time: What Values should power your organization to make it the best it can be?
      
      
4. Pillar Two: Ethical Values
   Similar to the session for Pillar #1.
   
   
5. Pillar Three: Human Growth
   Similar to the session for Pillar #1.
   
   
6. Pillar Four: Freedom within Structure
   Similar to the session for Pillar #1.
   
   
7. Pillar Five: Unity Mindset
   Similar to the session for Pillar #1.
   
   
8. Concluding Session: What changes have you made a) in your perceptions; b) in your actions – with what impact? What additional changes will you make? Which should the company make?
   
   
9. Meeting with sponsor to discuss how the program has gone and what next steps would make sense.
   
   

Length of sessions: approx 2 hours

Timing of sessions: once every two to three weeks. -> Approximately a four - six month program

About the book: NOBLE ENTERPRISE describes a business model based on Nobility, working from a higher place, vs. working harder or even working smarter. It has been described as providing:

• "a profound and enlightened worldviews that fundamentally changes the way we see the reality of corporate success" – Patricia Corbett, co-founder of the MindShift Institute
  
  
• "a must read for serious student and practitioners of leadership" – Ken Bardach, exec. ed. leader
  
  
• "a fresh approach for making companies great places to work – and great performers." – Stewart Emery, co-author of Success Built to Last
  
  
• "Noble Enterprise leverages the potential of human interaction in fostering sustainable corporate effectiveness" – Jack Haren, president, Mohawk Fine Paper Company

NOBLE ENTERPRISE has been selected by several leading business schools for use in their MBA programs. It is based on over twenty years of working in and with leading US and Canadian companies. It includes an inspiring example of Noble Enterprise in action.

Darwin Gillett is a pioneer in strategic planning, a consultant in productivity and business process redesign, and an innovative leadership development consultant and executive coach. Clients have included; Pfizer, Union Camp (now part of IP), Royal Bank of Canada, and other multinational, multi-business companies, as well as smaller professional firms and hi tech companies. He has also led a small CT manufacturing firm (45 people) as president & CEO, and served as director of administration (essentially, COO) of a mid-size CT law firm (200 people).

Gillett speaks internationally on strategies for creating sustainable competitive advantage. He is a frequent teacher and lecturer at leading US business schools, most recently at Fordham's Accelerated Executive MBA program, The Executive Program at Washington University in St. Louis, and Boston College's MBA program.

Here is how others have experienced him:

• As a consultant: "Gillett turned a situation of conflict into one of collaboration!" - Senior VP, Uniroyal
  "Gillett helped us get organized. We moved much faster & in the right direction" - Marketing Mgr
  "You teach and guide people. In our case you drew insights out of our people." - Fortune 100 VP
  "You have a knack of providing guidance & spirit to get people working together." - Project Team
  
  
• As a coach: "I enjoyed our conversations. You were a gift from God." – Founder & CEO of an Internet co.
  
  
• As a speaker: "In your convincing presentation on Noble Enterprise and the emerging field of human economics, you brought us state-of-the-art thinking and challenged us to do better and be better." George S., co-founder & leader of the European Baha’i Business Forum, former sr. partner, McKinsey