Morning ritual. We walked. Having the gorgeous backdrop of Óbidos and its coast was a gift. Something magical happens where the land greets the sea segueing with the sky. We made tracks – tracks a metaphor for a path walked. Who were we? “We” were 70 human beings working together, as one company. ‘We’ were 70 + me.
I was invited. The invitation to lead a dialogue on, what does it mean to be a Beautiful Business? And how do we make a business more beautiful? There were doubters #cynics Beautiful Business #WTF ? I could feel it in the group. It was good. The day was titled “Do Create. A Beautiful Business”.
Our path explored beauty as a business case, as purpose, as design as service, as culture, as legacy, as resilience, as craft, as leadership, as supply chains, as products and services that bring something of lasting value into this world. Beauty is the ultimate metric. The insight is simple, beauty is regenerative and therefore foundational to all life. Business can be the same. Lastly we explored the concept and application of quality – quality of products and services of the highest standards. Quality is design led. I have been a designer all my life so I believe that good design is good business. In an extensive study on the benefits of design, those with the strongest commitment to design, and most adept execution of design principles. Had 32% more revenue and 56% more total returns to shareholders. You can read the CEO Guide to creating a Beautiful Business.
For me it’s always a wonderful experience helping people reconnect with the possibility of beauty in its many forms applied to the daily practice of business and everyday life. Yes there are other ways that you can ‘do’ business but none quite so enduringly satisfying. It is not either, or, but – And, And. The idea that beauty is a verb, ‘I Do’ – landed as a takeaway to be applied.
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