‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has’.
These words from anthropologist Margaret Mead now have a new urgency.
Our research shows that the majority of people want radical change. They believe it will come from individuals and small groups, not governments. And they expect business to play a role in leading that change.
Businesses can help people to make sense of things, through knowledge, advice and education. Think Wikipedia, TED, Faber Academy, FutureLearn and Smithsonian.
They can help improve their lives, through ethical consumption and smart tech. Look at IKEA, Patagonia, H&M, Hive or Zocdoc.
And they can help them change their worlds, through creative, political or commercial powers. Watch Today at Apple, 38degrees, Modern Fertility, Etsy or Kickstarter.
In all these ways, businesses can help make everyone radical.
So how to start?
The organisations making headway are ambitious. They’re going for what’s difficult, what’s far-reaching. They’re seeking irreversible change and, in the same vein as our contributors in the previous section, they’re rethinking conventional wisdoms.
Out of this ambitious spirit, we see three specific actions.