Making Money While Making a Difference: An Expert's Blueprint with Bessi Graham

Feb 28, 2024

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Hey, have you ever felt like you're trying to do the right thing in your business, but it just feels like too much? Like you want to merge profit with purpose, but it seems overwhelming. You're not alone. Many leaders struggle with this, and it can lead to burnout and exhaustion. Let's tackle this together and find a way to align your values with your business practices without feeling overwhelmed.

My special guest is Bessi Graham

Today, we are honored to have Bessi Graham as our guest on the show, joining us from Melbourne, Australia. Bessi is a highly respected entrepreneur with over two decades of experience working closely with business owners, government entities, and major funding bodies. Her extensive involvement ranges from grassroots initiatives with business owners in the Pacific Islands to impactful contributions at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. Bessi's unparalleled perspective and deep understanding of merging profit and purpose have made her a sought-after authority in the realm of ethical and sustainable business practices. Her commitment to guiding individuals in aligning their values with their business endeavors has led to the creation of impactful legacies. With her wealth of experience in ethical and purpose-driven enterprises, Bessi brings invaluable insights to our discussion today.

I think regardless of where your leadership position is in the organization, it's starting with those pieces of where do I have decision making control, or at least some influence, and then how do I shape things from there towards this idea of business where we're unapologetically pursuing both? - Bessi Graham

In this episode, you will be able to:

Discover how to merge profit and purpose for a more sustainable business model.
Explore the importance of authentic leadership values in driving organizational success.
Learn the benefits of embracing diversity in decision-making processes for better business outcomes.
Humanize your leadership style to create a more inclusive and empowering workplace environment.
Find out how to effectively balance profit with social impact for a meaningful and successful business.

Diversity in decision-making

Diversity fuels creativity, fosters a broader perspective, and aids in making more informed decisions. Bessi advocates for diverse perspectives in decision-making processes and leadership roles, believing it leads to a more inclusive and effective work environment. She stresses the value of stepping out of one's comfort zone to gain a deeper understanding of various contexts, making decision-making a shared and holistic process.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

Visit Bessi Graham's website at Bessigraham.com to learn more about her work and access valuable resources.
Download a free resource from Bessi Graham's website that includes five essential questions for decisive leaders to gain clarity on important decisions.
Join the Patreon community at www.patreon.com/aWorldofDifference to access an exclusive interview with Bessi Graham, where she delves deeper into self-leadership and resilience for leaders.

You need to apprentice with the problem. Don't just assume you understand something. Don't think that good intentions are good enough. - Bessi Graham

Authentic leadership values

Leadership, as per Bessi, should echo authentic values. It is important that leaders' actions align with their stated values to build trust, credibility, and influence. Moreover, these values should inform decision-making processes ensuring organisational integrity and fostering a culture of honesty and transparency.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:02 - Bridging Profit and Purpose

00:06:49 - Impact of Living Abroad

00:10:14 - Humanizing Leadership

00:14:06 - Influence of Values

00:15:14 - Meaningful Values

00:16:04 - The Importance of Core Values

00:17:10 - Aligning Values with Action

00:18:11 - Core Values in Organizations

00:19:03 - Decision Cascade and Clarity

00:25:00 - Bridging Systemic and Grassroots Perspectives

00:31:08 - Apprenticing with the Problem

00:36:17 - Balancing Purpose and Profit

00:39:57 - Shaping Decision-Making

00:42:19 - Purpose and Opportunity

00:43:44 - Connecting with Bessie

00:45:55 - Learning from Experience

00:46:32 - Resilience and Self-Leadership

00:47:07 - Taking a Break without Compromising Impact

00:47:45 - Embracing Individuality

We need to hold these two. This goes back to your both and mindset. Right. So as a leader, being able to hold two things that seem contradictory and say they're equally true. - Bessi Graham

Merge profit and purpose

Bessi Graham emphasizes that profitability and purpose are not mutually exclusive. One can create a business model that aligns with personal values, promotes social impact, and ensures financial success. The trick lies in understanding customer value, and in finding ways to create and capture said value while benefiting society.

Timestamped summary of this episode:

00:00:02 - Bridging Profit and Purpose

Bessie discusses the importance of merging money and meaning in business. She emphasizes the need for leaders to uncover their unconscious beliefs about the purpose of business and how it impacts decision-making.

00:06:49 - Impact of Living Abroad

Bessie shares how her experiences living in different countries shaped her perspective as a leader. She highlights the value of diverse perspectives and the importance of intentionally seeking out different viewpoints in leadership.

00:10:14 - Humanizing Leadership

Bessie delves into the concept of humanizing leadership and the need to treat employees as more than just cogs in a wheel. She emphasizes the importance of integrating purpose into business decisions and creating a more holistic approach to leadership.

00:14:06 - Influence of Values

Bessie discusses the influence of values on decision-making as a leader. She emphasizes the need for leaders to understand and articulate their values, and how values drive behavior in business settings.

00:15:14 - Meaningful Values

Bessie explores the deeper meaning of values in business and challenges the superficial approach often taken. She emphasizes the importance of values as a guiding force in decision-making and living authentically as a leader.

00:16:04 - The Importance of Core Values

Bessi discusses the significance of identifying and living by core values. She emphasizes intentionally cultivating conditions that allow individuals to live in alignment with their values, leading to better decision-making and natural best performance.

00:17:10 - Aligning Values with Action

Bessi emphasizes the need for values to inform decision-making and actions. She highlights the importance of having values as filters for decision-making, particularly in fast-paced environments, to maintain integrity and alignment.

00:18:11 - Core Values in Organizations

Bessi stresses the need for clarity in company core values, cautioning against superficial or simplistic lists. She emphasizes the importance of aligning values with behavior and action, not just as aspirational values, to build trust and integrity within the organization.

00:19:03 - Decision Cascade and Clarity

Bessi introduces the concept of the decision cascade as a tool for unlocking clarity and decisiveness, particularly around values. She explains how breaking down decisions into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels can lead to smoother decision-making and prevent costly missteps.

00:25:00 - Bridging Systemic and Grassroots Perspectives

Bessi shares her experiences working at both grassroots and systemic levels, emphasizing the importance of understanding broader systems while still being connected to the ground reality. She highlights the value of expanding perspectives to bridge different worlds and drive innovation in leadership.

00:31:08 - Apprenticing with the Problem

Bessie shares Pamela Hardigan's advice to "apprentice with the problem," emphasizing curiosity, asking questions, and having conversations rather than assuming we know best. She also highlights the importance of holding seemingly contradictory ideas in our minds and working towards a balance.

00:36:17 - Balancing Purpose and Profit

Bessie discusses how many leaders feel overwhelmed by the idea of adding purpose to their business, seeing it as a distraction or expense. She challenges this perspective, encouraging leaders to merge money and meaning by pursuing competitive advantages that add value and relieve pressure.

00:39:57 - Shaping Decision-Making

Bessie emphasizes the importance of shaping decisions and influencing outcomes, even for middle managers. She encourages leaders to create psychologically safe spaces for their teams, shape how directives are shared, and cultivate a culture of unapologetically pursuing both purpose and profit.

00:42:19 - Purpose and Opportunity

Bessie speaks about the belief that money and meaning can be merged, leading to a self-reinforcing loop of delivering and capturing value. She encourages leaders to shift their perspective, innovate in their business models, and create win-win situations that relieve pressure and stress.

00:43:44 - Connecting with Bessie

Lori thanks Bessie for sharing her unique perspective and encourages listeners to visit Bessie's website for more resources and insights. Bessie offers a free download of five essential questions

00:45:55 - Learning from Experience

Lori discusses the value of sharing knowledge and learning from others, highlighting Bessi Graham's extensive experience working at the UN headquarters and in diverse locations like the Pacific islands and Melbourne, Australia.

00:46:32 - Resilience and Self-Leadership

The conversation delves into the importance of resilience and self-leadership, offering insights on how to navigate difficult circumstances and make congruent decisions to alleviate burnout.

00:47:07 - Taking a Break without Compromising Impact

Lori emphasizes the significance of taking breaks and self-care while continuing to make a difference in the world, encouraging listeners to stay true to themselves and bring their unique contributions to the table.

00:47:45 - Embracing Individuality

The episode concludes with a reminder to embrace individuality and show up authentically, highlighting the importance of being true to oneself and making a difference in the world. Lori urges listeners to take care of themselves and continue making an impact.

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