Sir Richard Branson’s 8 Ideas To ‘Screw Business As Usual’ #sbau

(*re-published from www.ideate.co.za)

Saturday night saw the South African launch of Sir Richard Branson’s new book ‘Screw Business As Usual’, in Randlords Johannesburg. I attended and managed to chat to the great man himself. He was his usual effervescent self, clearly loving the challenges of turning traditional business models on their head.

I chatted to Sir Rich about education, particularly with relevance to Ideate’s sister portal, the online education initiative Heavy Chef, and he had this to say “Schools are still based on curriculums that were set 50 to 100 years ago, and they need to be completely turned upside down. And they shouldn’t have teachers do it.” (Yep, that is me with Sir Rich in the pic. Suave, yes.)

Sir Rich outlined his eight lessons to ’screw business as usual’:

1. Capitalism 24902 is here – doing good is good for business
Businesses all over the world going the extra mile – all 24902 of them, to do what is right for people and the planet.

2. Power to the people
Every single one of us can – and must – do business differently.

3. Stop saving the world: start reinventing it
Shift the focus from ‘charity’: take risks, invest in social innovation – entrepreneurial ideas and energy can change the world for good.

4. Give it everything you’ve got
If you’ve got it, use it – products, services, people, suppliers, communications, investment funds, contacts and clout – use all your business assets to deliver social and environmental impact.

5. Break the silos
Embrace unlikely marriages – join forces with government and the social sector to deliver new business models for health, education and other ‘human services’.

6. Value Mother Nature
Work with nature – not against her. Valuing and harnessing her wonderful natural assets is the biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of our lifetime.

7. The global village is here
Technology is giving us the power to see – and solve – problems across the world. As global citizens, business leaders can and must help grow new leadership forces that know no boundaries and whose only agenda is that of humanity.

8. Community Power
The power of individuals is great – the power of communities is greater. Inspired wisely, your communities can exponentially increase the impact you have on the world.

In amongst the authors at Ideate, a bunch of us are busy reading the book. Keep posted, we’ll be publishing a review shortly.