A Leader's Guide to ThriveAbility

About the Book

A Leader's Guide to ThriveAbility is a field manual for Executives, Investors, Change Agents, Policymakers and future generations. The research and fieldwork we’ve conducted with leaders across every industry sector and civil society has led us to the inescapable conclusion that if we wish to reinvent capitalism, we need to reinvent capital and the organizations that generate and apply that capital. How can you, as a leader, use ThriveAbility to build a vibrant future for your organization or business as part of a ThriveAble world? Some of the key questions that you will need to grapple with include: 1. What are the unique capabilities needed to maximise the thriving of my organization and its stakeholders for the smallest footprint? 2. Which innovation pathways can deliver the improvements and breakthroughs needed to deliver enhanced ThriveAbility to all our stakeholders? 3. How can we measure True Value in everything we do? 4. How can we get our organization to begin the ThriveAbility Journey? 5. In what ways can advantages in 1-4 above be translated into competitive advantage versus other organizations that are not on the ThriveAbility Journey? ThriveAbility is descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive- it describes the emerging edge of leading practice in strategy, innovation, sustainability and design, while prescribing an approach which includes an equation, decision framework, process and ThriveAbility Index. ThriveAbility is predictive in the sense that it enables us to calculate the costs and benefits of different options and trade-offs in the design, development and scaling of new products, services and experiences, along with the human and social transformations needed to achieve ThriveAbility. The purpose of this book is to provide you and your colleagues with a practical, how-to guide on how to embed ThriveAbility in your organization. It will also come in handy for investors, advisors, consultants, financiers, facilitators, regulators and academics seeking to move beyond the confines of the limiting mindsets we are stuck in with current sustainability and shareholder value added approaches.

About the Author

Dr Robin Lincoln Wood has been making a positive difference for four decades as a leader in businesses, banks, insurers, business schools, consulting firms, social and environmental movements in 35 countries on 4 continents. Through his passion for transformation Robin has helped hundreds of the world’s largest organizations catalyze beneficial change. His lifelong passion for environmental and social justice included leading campaigns for Nelson Mandela’s release and making Sandton cleaner, greener and more serene. Robin has been involved in sustainability since he worked with the World Bank to develop the first sustainable energy strategy for the first Rio conference. He also helped create the modern Internet and E-Business in Silicon Valley and Europe from 1995-2001. Robin has been advising business and political leaders at all levels since then, as an integrally informed practitioner, social entrepreneur and integral leader. He has also been a celebrity speaker for over two decades at large conferences around the world. Since creating the Renaissance2 Foundation in 2008 at La Tour Apollinaire, his green Chateau in France, Robin has now founded the ThriveAbility Foundation in London to help leaders make more ThriveAble decisions through the ThriveAbility Index. Robin has authored several books including the award winning “Managing Complexity”, “The Great Shift” and “The Trouble with Paradise”. More details about his life and career can be found at his website: www.rlw.zone. He was awarded a doctorate from London Business School for his development of the strategic alignment diagnostic tool, based on research with 30 of the world’s major corporations to understand the link between strategic alignment and sustainable strategic success. In writing this book Robin enjoyed support and input from his colleagues in the ThriveAbility Foundation including Ralph Thurm, former COO of the GRI and Head of Sustainability for Deloitte, Paul van Schaik, co-founder of integralMENTORS and International Sustainable Development veteran, and Bill Baue, co-founder of Sustainability Context Group and Blended Stakeholder Engagement, Convetit online engagement platform and Context Reporting dashboard.