The 5 principles of Authentic sustainable impact

1. How you see the world, defines how you act in it
   What is life about for you? Your definition of a ‘good and useful life’ directs your actions, and it will shape the way you approach sustainability. In a field where transparency and authenticity are conditions for success, you need to know what you believe and act accordingly. Nobody likes a greenwasher.

2. Start with the spark
   Purposeful action only works if you enjoy it. If impact is not connected to passion, it’s just homework. Do something you love and serves a greater purpose. This is a marathon, so you better like running.

3. Be a practical idealist
   Be fiercely idealistic about your vision for the world: you need a north start to point you in the right direction. It’s not about getting there, it’s about moving in the right direction and discovering a way forward that works for everybody.

4. (Don’t) take it seriously
   Be rigorously principled: this game has rules and they exist to make life thrive. Rules also make life interesting and spark your creativity, so play around, take a fresh look and explore new options.

5. Don’t take my advice
   My role is not to tell you what to do, it is to let you discover what you want to do by mastering the process and asking the right questions.

How to ADD Value

Align

1. Align your personal values with your business purpose

2. Align your business purpose to socio-ecological challenges

Direct

1. Reformulate your company vision to describe a better future

2. Reformulate your company mission to explain how you work towards that future

3. Define the values that go with your mission

4. Define the principles that guide your (design) decisions.

Design

1. Analyze your stakeholder system to spot opportunities for change

2. Apply social and circular business models and design strategies to develop potential innovations

3. Apply design thinking to validate and execute your plans