THE BETTER WAY
“The Better Way: Enlightened Enterprise” is a new series for The Salon, and links to a book project by Paul Barnett, Founder of the Enlightened Enterprise Academy.
The aim of the book is to support the establishment of a community of people who think, “there’s got to be a better way” to run businesses, organisations, governments, public services etc.
Here is a short video introduction:
And here is a longer video inreoduction:
In this longer introduction, I make the case that we have been living through the “Enlightenment Epoch” for the last three centuries, but it is coming to an end.
The thinking from that era served us very well in many ways, but it was not without some major flaws, And it is of little or no help in dealing with today's challenges.
I argues a new epoch has already started, but few have recognise this so far.
In this context we can look at the role of enterprise. And “enterprise” takes place in all sectors - private, public and plural (civic society, not-for-profit organisations, cooperatives etc), and we depend on them all. If managed well we prosper in a way that is sustainable. If managed badly living standards fall, the environment is endangered, natural resources are depleted, and societies experience big problems.
No individual, business, organisation, community, or nation can thrive sustainably unless we all act responsibly, out of enlightened self-interest, and in the best interests of all.
Enlightened enterprise by all, for all, needs to replace selfish, greedy, short-term focused ways of thinking and acting which serve nobody well in the end. And to address our 21st century challenges cooperation and collaboration must be our primary focus.
Our ‘leaders’ would do well to recognise they are partners, parents, family members and citizens first and foremost. Currently they have us on a path to “mutually assured destruction” and in the throws of a “metacrisis” - the ‘perfect-storm’ of complex interdependent crises we read about daily. The Better Way encourages pioneering leaders to instead get us on a path to “mutually assured flourishing.”
We need to address the “wicked problems” we face, with systems thinking capabilities and practices that are in short supply. We need to see where our current ways of thinking come from, the harm they are causing us, and what needs to replace them. We need new ways of doing things, along with the new ways of thinking; structuring, organising, governing, managing, leading, communicating etc.
This does not amount to having to ‘reinvent the wheel’. It mean learning from those who offer us ways forward. They can be found in the past and in the present. We can also imagine and create pioneering new ways.
ABOUT THE BOOK
“The system is broken” and “there’s got to be a better way” are common phrases. No sector or industry is immune to these criticisms. And most managers agree.
The recent focus on adaptability, agility, and resilience has not solved the problem. Change and transformation programmes are frequent but results often disappoint. Why? Because transcending the limitations of existing systems, would often be more appropriate.
Most directors and executives are trained and incentivised to optimise ‘business-as-usual’. Few can manage change. Fewer can lead transformations. Fewer still know how to transcend an outdated model for a new one. They have only been trained to cope with “tame” problems. They need a very different mindset, better methods, and new tools.
The Better Way aims to help managers become leaders, capable of thriving despite 21st century pressures and risks. In addition to managing performance, efficiency, and cost control, enlightened leaders embrace “wicked problems”- highly complex interrelated problems for which there is no single solution.
Enlightened enterprises need managers, plus enlightened leaders with the mindset and skillset of pioneers. The leaders must always know what about the organisation must be managed, what must be changed, what must be transformed, and what needs to be transcended.
The Better Way begins by making readers conscious of the origins of management theories and practices. It will then be obvious to readers that many are outdated. Readers will also appreciate why The Better Way, enlightened enterprise, is needed.
OUR AIM
The aim of the book is to establish The Better Way movement of enlightened enterprise pioneers, the people the Enlightened Enterprise Academy exists to support. The academy believes there are such people at all levels in every business or organisation. They know “there’s got to be a better way” and they want to help discover it. They will help humanity make the leaps of progress we need, just as the pioneers of the first Enlightenment and Industrial Revelation did centuries ago. Today’s pioneers will help bring about a New Enlightenment, to address our 21st century challenges and realise today’s opportunities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Barnett, Founder of the Enlightened Enterprise Academy is a visionary in strategy and systems thinking, passionately advocating for a far more enlightened approach to enterprise, in business and all other sectors, to confront the pressing global crises of our era.
He has founded an international collective of scholars and seasoned professionals across a wide array of fields, all united in their desire to form cross-disciplinary teams that drive tangible change.
As an advisor Paul empowers thought leaders to amplify their influence through the publication of multimedia content and the provision of educational offerings tailored for business leaders.
His work as an author and interviewer brings forward dialogues with pioneers on subjects poised to spark the New Enlightenment he fervently believes is essential if we are to address our 21st century challenges.
Paul is a curator of content and orchestrator of events, in addition to designing executive education programs centred on innovation, strategic management, governance, leadership, and systems thinking.
AN INVITATION
They say, “none of us are as smart as all of us,” so we invite everyone to join the initiative, to help catalyse an Enlightened Enterprise movement.
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
ACCESS TO THIS SALON SERIES OF BY PAID SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP OF THE ENLIGHTENED ENTERPRISE ACADEMY ONLY
Over the next year, as Paul works on the book, the topics addressed in each chapter will be explored in live online dialogues with paying subscribers and Founders of the initiative. The dialogues with subject matter experts will be highly interactive, inviting all participants to engage.
Between sessions there will also be further lively discussions here on Substack. For those who wish to dig deeper into specific topics there will be online workshops. And, for anyone who wants to get the most up to date thinking, there will be offline retreats.
As we reach a book publication date, in approximately 12 months, we will announce the date of a conference (online and offline), plus a series of book launch events to take place internationally.
To achieve all of this we require a sufficient level of support from subscribers and founders. They will get many no-cost benefits, plus generous discounts on the workshops, retreats, conference etc.
Help Kick-Start “The Better Way” Movement. The reason for writing the book is to kick-start “The Better Way” movement by growing a community of people that support the ideas and wish to promote them to a wide audience. Your subscription is a way to “be the change you want to see in the world,” to quote Gandhi.
Never Miss An Online Dialogue. Details of every new online dialogue will be sent directly to your email inbox. Each highly interactive event will feature one or more special guests to engage in discussions about the themes in a chapter.
Access the Multi-Media Library. Get a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus video and audio recordings that accumulate as the project processes.
Participate in Creating the Book. Take part in related discussions between online dialogues, to contribute to the ideas that go into the book.
Get a free copy of the book when it is published. You will get a free digital copy of the book when it is published