One of the amazing perks of living in Downtown Las Vegas is that there’s this constant flow of amazing people coming to town to check things out. Often, the Downtown Project will ask some of the guests to speak to the community. A few weeks ago it was Whole Foods Co-CEO John Mackey.
John had just written the book “Conscious Capitalism.” In a fireside chat, he shared the story behind Whole Foods and how having a purpose-driven business (beyond just making money) has led to the success of the business. On the way out, they gave away copies of the book.
I just finished “Conscious Capitalism.” It’s a great and really easy read. It’s true that society has told us that business’ single goal is to make money. John makes the case that that’s just not true. Businesses are here to change the world in some way for the better and make money. They’re here to solve a problem. That mission/purpose is something that affects/changes/touches everything. It’ll change how you hire, how you relate to you employees, how you relate to your employees, how you lead, and how you manage.
I love how transparent John was about the ups and downs of creating/founding Whole Foods. Reading this book makes me want to work for John. He’s a very inspiring leader or seems so from the book.
I’d highly recommend the book to anyone!