Friday, October 9, 2015

We review the book "The Responsible Entrepreneur" written by Carol Sanford. 

She introduces us to the entrepreneur who is responsible - a special breed whochallenge and refine cultural assumptions, laws and regulations and even the process of governance. As Kevin Jones, founder of SoCap said, this book is about being courageous and in fact he dares the readers to read and implement the bolduseful advice. 

Let us take a look at what Carol means by Responsible Entrepreneurs and what theyachieve. She says these entrepreneurs are required to do and think far beyond what is usually required of business leaders. The Responsible Entrepreneurs offers us this'blueprint'. By understanding the archetype  most aligned with their goals,entrepreneurs will learn how to grow their business and even change the game. 

In this book she includes the following: 

Some extraordinary people have changed the game for the better. 

How modern archetypes are altering the future. 
Why new measures of accomplishment are based on the success of the whole. 

She says such entrepreneurs have the courage to take on what they don't yet know how to do and the dedication to build the capability to do it. These entrepreneursare driven by the realization that the society and the planet need something big from them and that, if they don't rise to the challenge, the work may not get done. 

Entrepreneuralism is about personal agency and the development of the will. While entrepreneurs are inventing new products, industries, sources of capital and models of enterprise, the responsible entrepreneurs are doing that and more because they want to create the right platform and support an ecosystem.  They run successful business while deeply caring about the innovation that can not only help them secure their business but also transform the world. 

They enjoy developing the acumen needed to work on all parts of the business. 

They maintain their own motivation, getting stimulus, training and innovation when they need it. They hold a positive attitude. 

They are willing to take on big challenges that stretch them beyond what theycurrently know how to do and to ride the roller coaster of needing to continually rise to the occassion. 

They tend to focus the game changing aspirations in one of four distinct domains 

Industries - where the work is to disrupt and replace the automatic patterns 

Social systems - where the work is to move upstream to the causes of social problems and address them at their source. 

Cultural paradigms - where the enhance the belief systems into something moreholistic and embracing 

Foundational agreements - where the work is to renew and vitalize the deeper intention behind the governing documents, such as a corporate charter. 


From these four domains she draws parallels to four archetypes 

Warrior - The warrior protects the values of a community. In the business world, this work takes place within the industry. 

Clown - The clown pokes fun at collective self-centeredness and unconsciousness,opening space for humility and heartfelt appreciation of others. 
Hunter - The hunter perpetuates life by strengthening the mutual exchange between the tribe and the natural world. 

Headman - The headman awakens the individuals to their potential and inspiresthem to work with others in order to contribute to something larger thanthemselves. 


The four archetypes are all necessary to the healthy functioning of the society. Infact if any one of them is missing, the society becomes vulnerable. 


To the entreprenueur, these archetypes translate into four unique roles as follows: 

The warrior who changes an industry is the realization entrepreneur. He is driven by the vision of an improved reality. 

The clown who changes social systems is the reconnection entrepreneur. She reveals the gap in our cognition regarding the impact of existing social systems 

The hunter who changes cultural paradigms is the reciprocity entrepreneur. She tries to strike a balance between what is taken and what is given. 

The headman or headwoman who changes the connection to foundation agreements is the regenerative entrepreneur.  She seeks to reveal and evolve the inherent potential of founding agreements that create the accepted structures within which the society operates. 


The four roles do different work. For each of them the author takes examples and the principles or pillars that they operate on. 

A realization entrepreneur transforms an industry by renewing its purpose andvalues. The warrior archetype embodies this. Her four pillars are: 


Perfecting an industry: The first thing that a realization entrepreneur transforms is her goal – from making just a better product to one that satisfies the customers and the success of the industry stakeholders. She anticipates what has not been realized or wanted. 


Integrity beyond reproach: A realization entrepreneur must also upgrade thesources from which the business actions originate. By being transparent, she harbors the trust and respect that is needed to fulfil the role of industry transformer. 


Principled Precision: The work of a realization requires rigor and precision.Precision comes from being true to the nature of the work. 


Full dress inspection: This is about readiness to engage in a wider field of action.  This is a sign of maturity if the company is well prepared and able to be at the top of the game and everyone participates in it. 


A reconnection entrepreneur goes beyond the products and services by finding theunderlying causes rather than the symptoms. He goes both upstream and into the
future to see how to bring about a systemic change and to make them accessible andintelligible to us. 


His four pillars are : 


Evoking conscience: He cultivates the virtue of relentless caring because that willgive him the tenacity to work in this arena. 


Relinquishing attachment: Learning to see and relinquish attachments requiresdisciplined practice. Attachments can build walls and run the show, so we must bediligent in controlling it. 


Evolving potential: He tries to understand how the system he wants to affect behaves when it is healthy. 


Destabilizing thinking to invite reflections: He breaks peoples unconscious thoughtpatterns and attachments. 


The reciprocity entrepreneur is an expansionist and a fosterer. He will illuminate the larger whole within which a business is embedded. He will bring into a group whatever is outside it that will improve its health and continued evolution 


His Pillars are  

1) Wholeness: this  is the overarching goal for this entrepreneur 

2) Significance: He has to step up one or two levels of system to meet theexpectations of the shareholders 

3) Destiny : He knows the evolution of the group and that’s what he improves 

4) Camaraderie : He uses this to foster the group for ambitious change effort 


Lastly, a regenerative entrepreneur acts as  a headman or headwoman. She revitalizes the people and is focused on the core purpose of governance that provides structure stability and opportunity to all. 

Her pillars are: 

1) Transformation : This is the overarching goal for this role. 

2) Accomplishment: She enables the accomplishment of her downstreamcustomers 

3) Impossible dream: She dares to think the impossible in order to change the world 

4) Dialogue:  She works on change through skillful engagement rather than top down directives. 


With these four different roles, you target the four different domains that makes youa Responsible Entrepreneur 

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