This is our Manifesto.
It’s more than a mission statement. It encompasses our values and views on trying to help the world’s leading firms recognize who they are and become the best version of themselves through that process. It’s our way of thinking about the importance of values and inclusion and mindfulness and education and diversity and critical thinking and humanity, that these are the necessary building blocks to sustainable economic growth, both at a micro level (the organization) and macro level (society). Innovation (or what we call aspirational growth) is never tactical, or even strategic. It’s foundational. Real growth always comes from an organization's DNA, its values and its creation myths.
We Believe:
That the world’s economic systems are in a state of increasingly rapid change and uncertainty
That technology is disrupting every industry, changing the world and our lives in unforeseen positive and negative ways
That technology and innovation are not the same thing
That people and organizations need to prepare for change; that we can learn to embrace change (impermanence)
That careers and markets have much shorter lifespans than humans
That the skills we learned in school or as apprentices are commodities; that those commodities have a short shelf life
That our skills aren’t what make us who we are, either individually or as an organization
That the systems of higher education are at risk of failing society, organizations and the individual
That critical thinking, an open mind and a sense of humanity are more important than any skill
That learning never stops
That collaboration, transformation and innovation are all expressions of aspirational growth
That an organization is a community of people who have a shared interest
That values are an organization’s DNA and its soul
That successful organizations will figure out how to reinvent themselves at times during transformative economic cycles.
That in the economic cycle, an organization’s creation myth and core values and culture will guide their sustained success.
That diverse views and people are necessary to making our organizations realize their potential
That shared values provide the foundation for great organizations
That employees need to be able to pursue and become the best version of themselves (empowerment, engagement, aspiration)
That we learn by doing
That we learn by embracing the uncomfortable
That we should not be afraid of transformation
That sustainable economic prosperity is achievable
That capitalism can and should be humanistic
That humanistic capitalism will lead to corporate longevity and sustainability
That corporate longevity can supersede business cycles
That creation myths will provide guidance toward longevity through the rediscovery of ourselves
That joy in our pursuits is important; that the Merry Pranksters are relevant