Since I’m thinking more about the kind of business I want to have, and the importance of creating value (and not just making money), I pulled Business and the Buddha from my stack of “to be read” books.
I didn’t really find most of the ideas in the book earth shattering (though perhaps they would be if I was the CEO of GM or some other company like that). Instead, they reinforced what I’ve already been thinking about. Author Lloyd Field stresses that the primary goal of any business should be to “Cause No Harm,” whether it be to the environment, employees, or customers. Field then goes through Buddhist principals to help clarify how a business can “Cause No Harm” and “Create a Better Society.”
One of the most important ideas I took from the book was my need to create a value statement. Its clear to me that in my business, my goal isn’t just to create profit, but I really need to clarify my values and communicate those to my customers as well.
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