Compass: Creating Exceptional Organizations: A Leader's Guide

A how-to-do-it compass for business leaders, executives, and managers of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, large and small. The traditional view of economic reality holds that the pursuit of self-interest benefits not only individuals but also society. While this book acknowledges the past successes of this premise, it offers a new, more powerful paradigm—the simultaneous pursuit of both self-interest and concern for others. This new orientation provides a guide for behavior that reflects both the greatest aspirations of humankind and the reality of the world in which we live. As a leader, you can act according to this new paradigm and create Exceptional Organizations that are viable (they achieve their purposes while acting according to society’s highest values), sustainable (viable over time), and valued (all your owners, employees, clients, providers, and communities benefit far more than with competitors). Such Exceptional Organizations foster the personal, professional, and moral growth of their members and are valued by society because society is among their stakeholders.