“Be the change you want to see in the world”

When I was in college, I had a strong dislike of the corporate world. I was a philosophy major and thanks to my training it was almost impossible to tame my critical mind on how business was done. I called it modern-day slavery at the time and stayed away from it, focusing on pursuing my passions rather than making money.

15 years later, I hold a different position now. I realized that it wasn’t the business or it wasn’t the money that created the problem, it was how it was done. Things could be different. As a psychologist I started studying the scientific literature on organizational psychology, leadership, and management. I started following conscious capitalism, social entrepreneurship, new paradigm business organizations and their practices. I found the empirical proof that things can be different; businesses can create good, flourish people and be highly profitable at the same time.

As Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world”, so came my passion to work towards changing the face of business by promoting enlightened, blissful business practices. In my definition, enlightened business is not about becoming enlightened. It’s about becoming aware of the role and power of business as a medium for life. Enlightened business is not about forgetting the bottom-line. It’s a new way of thinking about business on the intersection of what is good for humanity and what is profitable.

Now I dream of workplaces, where people find meaning, personal growth, connection, and purpose. I dream of companies that measure and take pride of the good they provide for their customers and employees besides the revenues. I dream of leaders who are more like gardeners of human potential rather than the army generals of the past. I dream of people who jump out from the bed to go to work knowing that their work is changing the world for the better, rather than dragging themselves to go to work for a paycheck.

You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will live as one.

~John Lennon

Let’s make the world better, and the now matter.

Banu Hantal