MAKING WORK MATTER

McGaw, a senior business adviser at the Aspen Institute, discusses the ways in which leaders can create positive change in their companies.

Much of this nonfiction book centers on the concept of “corporate social intrapreneurship,” which she defines as “using the platform of business to tackle urgent social problems and align business and societal value creation.” Corporate executives might set the general tone at a company, she assures her readers, but real change happens only when companies pursue the social vision of workers in all departments at all levels. Drawing on an array of sources, from interviews with CEOs to the writings of inspirational authors such as Neil Pasricha and Thich Nhat Hanh, McGaw outlines the principles of her First Movers program, designed to help workers blend their companies’ financial goals with a progressive social agenda; the aim is to create “values-based leadership” that advocates ethical decision-making at the corporate level. She stresses that these changes can be incremental: “Small wins are controllable and constrained, requiring a limited amount of time, effort, skill, and expense,” she writes. “But they can lead to results that reverberate.” As she describes this process, she emphasizes the importance of concentrating on small, effective ideas that chip away at seemingly enormous problems. McGaw’s vision is insistently optimistic; she spends relatively time on either how “intrapreneurship” strategies can be money-losers, at least initially (“Decision-making is often singularly focused on costs and benefits in the short term. Reframing a problem with an eye on the future opens new perspectives”) or how they can be unpopular, not only to risk-averse employees, but also to potential consumers. Thanks to her engaging writing style, though, her optimism tends to be infectious, helped by her consistent recourse to practical approaches: “Choose what works for you, but be precise and constrained,” she writes, regarding how to make time for reflection. “As an example, try setting a goal of taking 15 minutes twice a week for one month at noon on Wednesdays and Fridays.”

An upbeat, motivational view on shaping corporate social consciousness.