The Influence for Good Report : How Highly Resourced Individuals can support systems change
Carried out in collaboration with Ashoka, Generation Pledge, Enchoing Green, Catalyst 2030 and McKinsey & Company, the Influence for Good Report is destined to every Highly Resourced Individual (HRI) who wants to help build a better future. The report defines a HRI as a person with considerable wealth and a general ability to influence social, business, and political circles, typically entrepreneurs, founders or CEO’s of companies.
The report explores ways of strengthening personal capabilities for systemic change and aims to equip stakeholders with tailored guidance. The publication highlights three fundamental steps in the process of working towards systemic change:
- Look with Courage: Looking at the world. Recognising that the world isn’t perfect is a key step in systemic change. It leads to an appreciation of where there could be less suffering, more flourishing, and less existential, environmental, and social risk. Once there is a clear view of the world, it’s possible to consider the broader question: how do you relate and contribute to this world? This step encourages reflection about the impact of assets, investments, and conduct.
- Envision with Rigor: Imagining a better future. Accepting the key role of evidence that is provided by proximate and subject-matter leaders is crucial for success at this stage – they will have a vision for how systems would need to change, and it is possible to start by seeking to understand what that looks like.
- Build with Excellence: Time to act. The aim is to orient contributions towards maximised impact, as advised by proximate and subject-matter leaders, to produce real change and provide real solutions to the challenges and opportunities needing to be addressed.
“Everybody likes handing out things or funding buildings, because that’s tangible. But real value comes from systemic change, changed behavior, changed mindsets. The buildings you build might sit empty; mindset shifts keep impacting generations to come. Ask yourself what you have to do to create truly lasting positive change and act upon that.”
Nihar Kothari (Asia), Executive Editor & Director at Rajasthan Patrika
The report also explores the questions HRI should ask themselves: Am I working towards trust-based relationships? Am I working towards positive, systemic change? Am I working towards lasting change? Am I working in service of change, based on evidence? How do I learn from experience?
“I would make the case that all the ways in which the wealthy and powerful do-good things are at best a transitional thing unless we’re addressing the root causes of how they got wealthy in the first place.”
Farhad Ebrahimi (North America), President at Chorus Foundation
You can download the Influence for Good report and learn more about it here.
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