CORPORATE IDEALISTS & CORPORATE ESCAPEES: The Pioneers of Enlightened Enterprise.

For a few years now there has been talk about the “battle for talent” and the looming “talent shortage.” One aspect of this usually deals with the failure of traditional business to attract the best young talent, because they want to work for a very different purpose in organisations with very different values. The second aspect deals with the trouble in keeping the best talent, regardless of age, because ‘the best’ are more mobile and willing to move for better opportunities in other countries even.

To me these characterisations are far too simplistic. I know of many middle aged senior executives in the ‘top talent’ ranks who have already, or are planning to, escape corporate life for the same reasons the best young talent will not join them. I call them the “Corporate Escapees.”

Corporate Escapees

A couple of years ago I arranged for a group of them to join a social get together. I jokingly called the group “The Duke of Hamilton Club,” after the name of the pub we met in. Since then I have met many more on the same journey. They include CEOs, Partners of law firms and consulting practices, and members of the c-suite in a range of industries.

What all Corporate Escapees have in common is a feeling they need to contribute to the solutions to our 21st century challenges, rather than work for organisations that are either “part of the problem,” or are doing nothing to address the challenges.

Feeling their work is meaningless is bearable if the compensation for that is high enough, but the fear of being judged by their children and grandchildren is not tolerable. And many are genuinely concerned for the future of their families.

Corporate Idealists

There exists another group of people that work for traditional organisations that I call the Corporate Idealists.

Corporate Idealists represent all ages and they exist at all levels in the organisations. They believe it important to try and fight for change from within the organisations, that they can become a force for good. They recognise that large organisations have a disproportionate impact, both good and bad. And the logic follows, “we therefore need to ensure we make them good,” because in doing so we can achieve change at a greater scale and a faster pace.

The Enlightened Enterprise Academy sees both groups as the pioneers of more enlightened approaches to enterprise.

The idealists pioneer change from within. The escapees go outside to create new enlightened enterprises.

ENLIGHTENED ENTERPRISE ACADEMY

The Enlightened Enterprise Academy wishes to provide a home to both groups, since both are looking to pioneer more enlightened approaches to enterprise in their different ways. For this reason we offer Pioneer and Young Pioneer (Under 35) membership.

MEMBERSHIP FOR PIONEERS

To grow our membership we also invite each paying member to nominate two friends or colleagues for a free annual membership for their first year under our “pay-it-forward” scheme. At a later date they will be encouraged to pay and nominate two others.

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