Leading beyond the bottom line - Christian Aid
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Leading beyond
Summer Issue
the bottom line
The Radical
Leadership Festival
2020
Sessions taking place throughout,
Monday 5th October 2020 – 9th
October 2020
This year the Christian Aid Salt
Network and Church of England’s
Faith at Work are teaming up and
going online to deliver a free week-
long programme of inspirational,
pioneering and courageous lessons
from the front line of organisational
leadership to boost your impact in
the workplace, faith and across
your spheres of influence.
As the country looks to rebuild
Sessions for the Radical Leadership Festival are taking place throughout the week of from the impacts of Covid-19, many
Monday 5th October 2020 – 9th October 2020. of us will be facing fresh challenges
in our work and leadership. The
Radical Leadership festival will
I lift my eyes to the hills explore what role our faith and
leadership holds as we navigate
Throughout the pandemic I have uncertainty, the report talks about
these difficult time and seek to
found myself turning to the Psalms the need to “pause to assess and
build back better than before.
with a renewed ability to relate to anticipate, then act”. For those of us
the emotions expressed by the who pray, this is part of our day to
With sessions including topics such
psalmists; pain, fear, joy and hope. day lives. On any major decisions,
as Covid-19, Climate Change,
Whilst faith helped the Palmist the taking that time to pause, reflect and
wellbeing, purpose, the economy
question is how does our faith help pray before moving forward is critical
and more you will be equipped to
us in these uncertain times? now more than ever.
thrive in your work.
The McKinsey report, Leadership in a •Finally the report talks about the
Including sessions with:
Crisis, outlines 5 leadership practices need to demonstrate empathy - to
• Eve Poole, Writer on Leadership
that can help us in such “deal with the human tragedy as a
• Krish Kandiah, Home4Good
unprecedented times. Whilst some first priority”. As Christians we are
• Amanda Mukwashi, Christian Aid
seem fairly universal, three in called to love: “Let all that you do be
• James Perry, COOK
particular stand out as particularly done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
• Val King, BFG Associates
important to those of us with
• Simon Locke, The Body Shop
Christian faith: So from a leading strategy
consultancy we see some intrinsically
Whether you are a business, church
•The value of ‘deliberate calm’ and Christian calls – a call to remain
or organisational leader or feel
‘bounded optimism’. As Christians hopeful, to be prayerful and to share
called to the workplace this
our hope is in God: “For I know the the unbounded love we receive from
conference is for you. Drop in for a
plans I have for you," declares the God. The last four months have
particular session or follow the
LORD, "plans to prosper you and not undoubtedly changed business
whole week.
to harm you, plans to give you hope forever, but I pray through these
and a future” ( Jeremiah 29:11). Our uncertain times we all continue to
VISIT THE SALT EVENT PAGES TO
future is uncertain but we know that support one another, to be creative
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK
God loves us and will not harm us. and innovative, but most importantly
AT:
to be hopeful, prayerful and loving in
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/eve
•When making decisions amid all we do.
nts/salt-conference-2020
domestically and internationally,
This little light of mine when its leaders and operations are
resourced to thrive based upon
On the 11th of July 2018 the nation
holistic and faith values and not
was poised on the edge of our seats
simply the generation of financial
as we dared to believe for just a
value alone.
moment that football was coming
home. It didn’t. But what was
Poor corporate practice has the
interesting, was to hear the
ability to catastrophically affect
commentators following the match
communities and whole countries,
where England were knocked out of
whether it is failing to pay tax in the
the world cup. Join the Salt Network on Social
counties in which wealth is created,
Media
or unequal employment policies; or
They said, > Find us on Facebook
it might be turning a blind eye to the
‘yes we lost but today was a win for
painful reality of modern day slavery.
English football. The tide has turned We are delighted to have launched
Proactively positive practices
and people believe in the game a Facebook page and would love
however have the ability to set the
again.’ to see you connect with us a stay
foundations of health and prosperity
up to date with all the things going
for those same communities.
They said that it brought people on.
together, and was sure to enthuse a
Many members of the Salt Network
whole generation of future Find the page:
are not large multinational
footballers; who would in their time @TheSaltBusinessNetwork
corporations, although some are.
bring it back home.
Rather most are small operations
but are unified by the belief that
Edmund Burke, the famous > Join the WhatsApp Group
there might be a better way to run
politician, philosopher and father of
organisations, make money and
modern conservatism quite rightly Access the experience of fellow
secure a livelihood that honours life,
said that: game changers and stay informed
equality and justice of all.
of Network News by joining your
“Nobody made a greater mistake regional Salt Network WhatsApp
Jesus said
than he who did nothing because he Group.
"You are the light of the world... let
could do only a little”
your light shine before others, that
We have now set up WhatsApp
they may see your good deeds and
Edmund Burke insightfully groups for all regional Salt Hubs.
glorify your Father in heaven." -
recognised that the problem with the These groups enable you to be
Matthew 5: 14-16
human condition is that we all too more connected to the network,
often live not by the moto for which receive event details and network
The world is full of injustice,
he is afore attributed but rather with fellow members.
brokenness and pain. 72 million
that conversely, we all too often say,
children go without primary
I only do what I have certainty of To join a hub simply contact the
education, half the world lack access
succeeding at. Or in other words we Salt team via the email address
to essential health services, 780
find our self-living by the notion that below.
million lack improved water sources
we only try when we know we will
and 63 million people are displaced.
succeed.
But the world is also full of joy,
> Find us on LinkedIn at 'Salt
healing, dignity; and imperfect
Burke wrote against such a notion, Network'
people willing stand as a flame of
for he knew that whilst human
hope amidst the dark believing that
history has been shaped by many
there might be a better way.
acts of greatness, they are less >Find us on Twitter at
frequently acts of winners, but rather @NetworkSalt
Jesus said that you are the light of
of imperfect people in an uncertain
the world. Whatever your reason for
world daring to believe there might
being part of the Salt Network, you
be a better way. >Get involved
have given time to read this and
more than likely engage with some
Our role at Christian Aid is to support If you would like to get more
of the other content of the Network.
you; Christian business leaders involved in the Salt Network we
Whatever you believe, the very fact
across the UK and beyond. have lots of opportunities from
that you have spent your valuable
Supporting, encouraging and writing for Salt News, to speaking
time reading this suggests to me that
equipping you to be agents of at and leading events, offering
you may believe in the notion of a
positive change within your resources and anything else you
more fair and just world. To my mind
organisations and throughout your can think off.
that might just make you light to the
spheres of influence.
world.
Why? Because Christian Aid has seen
both the impact poor and unjust Get in touch to find out more
When the world can appear dark,
business practises have upon some about all the above via:
hard and unfair. When our
of the worlds poorest people and salt@christian-aid.org
businesses and our leadership feels
communities, as well as experienced
under pressure and inadequate.
the transformative and prophetic
When the bank balance and our
power business can have, both
energy to ‘go beyond’ is low hold fast shaping organization structure, this
to that fact that “Nobody made a passage calls us to think deeply and
greater mistake than he who did value the rich diversity of others. You
nothing because he could do only a may have come across of even used
little” because even the smallest of the Homogenous Unit Principle
lights overcomes the dark. (HUP) in stimulating the growth of
networks and groups. The HUP is
based upon the notion that people
Building a diverse business gravitate towards likeminded people.
beyond the slogans In marketing and product growth
terms we might say that to deliver
The last few weeks and months have Christian Aid and Gaia Energy
growth we ought to identify our core
seen extraordinary tensions and proposition and product values and
uprisings in the name of racial then work towards simulating
equality and justice. The slogan Black Christian Aid and Gaia Energy
activity primarily amongst our target
Lives Matter has become a have come together to develop
audience and those of shared value.
household name and we’ve seen the ARK Tariff (Additional
This might sound like sense, however
organisations taking a stand to drive Renewable Kilowatt tariff) helping
when it comes to building teams,
up ethnic representation across their the world’s poorest communities
thriving organizations and healthy
teams. This is of course good news, to access clean, reliable energy.
society, this passage in Romans
however we have also seen the challenges us to deliberately look
critique of the BLM movement grow Customers using this ethical
beyond homogeneity and embrace
and suggestions of alternative, less energy tariff are helping to fund
diversity.
virtuous influences at play. our award-winning Breaking the
Barriers’ Programme. It supports
We know that diversity boosts
As Christians in business does the women to create and own
innovation, return on investment,
bible offer any insight into how we Women’s Led Sustainable Energy
efficiency and growth of
might respond appropriately so as to Enterprises in some of the poorest
organizations. Moving beyond
secure a more fair and equal and most remote off-grid
homogeneity is not only a spiritual
company and societal structure? communities.
trait of leadership it makes business
sense too.
Romans 12 is a scripture full of Groups receive training in
lessons for the everyday disciple, sustainable energy products and
including those of us called to and technologies and business skills;
For you to reflect:
gifted in leadership. There are two they can also access finance
key messages within Romans 12:3-8 through savings and loans groups.
Christ centred, biblical leadership
that speak powerfully into Christ The project:
doesn’t just happen but takes a
centred leadership at a time such as proactive effort to reflect upon
this. ourselves and others and then
> Increases rural women’s jobs
embrace the diversity we see. Self-
and income in the sustainable
awareness, humility and embracing
We are one amongst many. The energy sector
difference is not easy and requires
passage starts by calling us to “not and willingness to engage with and
think too highly of ourselves”. This > Improves their working and
accept the risk of acknowledging
seems like an odd thing to say within living conditions
views different from our own.
the context of addressing gifting. promotes gender equality
However the passage calls us to •When have you made the deliberate
recognize ourselves within the > Strengthens women’s social
effort to seeks views different from
content of others and the their gifts. status.
your own? What are the risks to
Paul, the author of this passage pursuing diversity?
makes the point that each of us
operate as a single part of a How does it work?
•What does humility look like in
communal whole. Our gifting; leadership?
including our gift and call to
leadership, is no more important By choosing Gaia Energy’s ARK
than any other gift or role and Tariff, your church can support
depends upon the gifts of others so Christian Aid’s renewable energy
that collectively we thrive.
The UK’s role in unjust debt projects.
By Tim Jones, Head of Policy, Jubilee
Leadership requires humility and an Debt Campaign For an additional charge of £20
ability to ‘see’ the others who equally (including VAT) per year, per
contribute to the thriving of the At the start of 2019 three former contract (either gas or electricity
whole. Credit Suisse bankers were arrested or both), you can help give the
in London as part of a US world’s poorest communities
Embrace diversity. We clearly see an investigation into $2 billion of loans access to reliable, clean energy
emphasis on embracing unity within by London banks to Mozambique.
the diversity of gifting’s and roles.
Leadership often places us in the The loans were given in secret in
position of developing teams and 2013. They were not agreed by the
Mozambique parliament, makingthem illegal under Mozambique law, the global debt system, with 90% of
and they only became public African government international
knowledge in 2016. debts owed under UK law.
Some of the money was spent on a
tuna fishing fleet and speedboats The UK government needs to take a
which sit unused in Mozambique. lead in tackling the new round of
Investigations have revealed that at debt crises. It must ensure that the
least $700 million is unaccounted UK-based banks are properly
for. The US investigation alleges that investigated for their role in the
at least $200 million in bribes and Mozambique debt scandal. And, as
kickbacks were given and taken as called for by over fifty MPs from
ABOUT The Salt Network
part of the deal. every party in parliament, the
government should pass a law that
The Christian Aid Salt Business
This scandalous deal was agreed requires all loans given under UK law
Network
between two banks in London, a to be publicly disclosed when they
company in the United Arab are given.
Emirates and a few senior people
Our vision is to create a
within the Mozambique government.
movement of business leaders
Yet, despite the central involvement Purpose based business, working together as agents of
of London banks, the UK not easy but worth it change, leading best practice
government has done nothing to
•Deutsche Bank found that aligning within their own businesses and
hold them to account.
business operations to in the wider, global community.
Revelations about the loans have Environmental, Social and good
caused an economic crisis in Governance (ESG) principles
Mozambique, with public spending improves long term financial
performance Founded on strong theological
per person falling by 30% between
principles, the Salt Business
2014 and 2019. Campaigners in
•Edelman found that 81% of people Network aims to inspire
Mozambique are clear that the
have more confidence in companies businesses and business leaders
people of Mozambique should not
that demonstrate positive social to be the 'salt of the earth and
have to repay one cent on a debt
impact the light of the world' (Matthew
they had no say over and no benefit
5:13-16) in advancing God's
from. Instead, all those responsible,
Building a values based organisation work here on earth.
from the banks to the politicians in
Mozambique, should be held to is not just a nice thing to do but it
account. makes clear business sense also.
Identifying and cascading your
corporate values drive employee It is also a Network grounded in
The crisis in Mozambique is the
commitment, boosts customer learning and action. Through
worst example yet of a tide of
engagement, secures stronger our workshops, online
growing debt problems across
financial return and enables a more community and at events,
impoverished countries. This year
efficient, transformative and leaders have the opportunity to
Jubilee Debt Campaign calculated
impactful organisation. explore the impact businesses
that debt payments by developing
large and small have on our
countries have increased by 85%
One of the false narratives that world and re-frame what it
since 2010 and are now at the
undermine values based business means to be in business.
highest level since 2004.
leadership is the notion that profit
The global Jubilee campaign led to and purpose are in conflict. This is
$130 billion of debt being cancelled not true! What is true is that it is not
for 36 impoverished countries. Debt always easy to align profitable
activities with purposeful mission but To find out more about the
cancellation in the 2000s led to
it can and ought to be done so as to network and how you can be
significant improvements in
maximise the influence and impact involved contact:salt@christian-
healthcare and education. But not
you can have. aid.org
enough was done to prevent debt
crises from recurring.
One key problem is that loans to •What are the challenges you foresee
governments can be given in secret, in aligning values and profit making?
preventing parliaments, media and
civil society from holding
governments to account on how
.
money is spent. The UK is central to
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