This morning I was inspired by a piece that I read from the AGM of Senscot – the social entrepreneurs network in Scotland, written by Lawrence Demarco. In it Lawrence is talks about the role of the social entrepreneur and how they are found beyond the ‘not for profit’ sector. His writing helped me to think through more about what I believe a ‘Progressive Manager’ is all about.
Progressive Managers have a mind-set which says:
‘I am a business person, an entrepreneur, a risk taker and a learner. I will not engage in work which damages people or our planet. I will treat my customers and staff honestly and fairly. Profits and revenues will not be used just to enhance personal wealth – but to do more for the common good. The desire to create a better society, combined with the skills to provide a wonderful product or service will drive my work.’
This ‘Progressive Managers’ mind-set has the potential to change society. To build a culture which holds the concept of social justice as paramount, and which believes that social justice can be measured in the gap between the rich and the poor.
Progressive Management represents an evolution of capitalism. Profit is seen not as an end in itself, but as a means to drive social change. Perhaps the very best of the ‘for profits’ already recognise that driving positive social change is what will drive future profits?
Managers who understand and use the power of this idea will play an increasing part in the future of our world whether they work in the public, private or third sector.
They will be Progressive Managers.
Filed under: leadership, management, third sector, values | Tagged: enterprise, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, progressive, third sector, values |
Progressive Managers' Network 
Puke – Progressivism is just the ruling class taking control again through different artificial institutions. If the masses won’t be ruled by overt government with a disproportionate amount of the wealth accruing to the aristocracy, the ruling class has just invented a new way, more palatable to the masses, for them to reassert their power and ability to accumulate wealth. Some of you Progressives might be motivated by and or all the right reasons and hope that your Utopia works in the ideal world of fantasy island, but this is reality. The issues which created the problems that Natural Law and Consent of the Governed and the resultant laissez faire economy have are not addressed by Progressivism. Progressives believe the Nature of Man in the Natural State is to be altruistic. The reality is that the nature of man is to be selfish. Campaign Contributions, Bribes and other Consideration overwhelmed consent of the governed. Progressivism just lets the wolf in the door, makes it easier to cover up the graft and corruption, and never addresses Campaign Contributions, Bribes and consideration. The Ruling Class Elite will just buy off Progressivism, but we will have lost the Right of Revolution under Consent of the Governed, because the Educated Elites will just tell us ignorant masses that our thinking is “wrong”… Did I get anything wrong? http://goo.gl/ws0MZS
Having looked at this post again, Progressive Management is not an evolution of capitalism at all!
It is rather ‘capitalism rightly understood’. Capitalism where profit is managed rather than maximised in pursuit of progress.
Drucker was publishing about this back in 60s and 70s when he said management was about three things:
1 Mission or purpose
2 Work productive and the worker achieving
3 Managing social impacts
And I think that holds true in the public, private and third sectors.