In my experience, I have found ethics to be a topic that is raised almost exclusively when there is a dilemma or problem. This makes sense as the situation provides urgency. All situations call for us to bring forth our values, beliefs, worldviews and experiences. When the stakes are high, this is even more acute.…
Courage, humility and forgiveness in ethics
I have some reservations in discussing ethics, as I have found it a highly problematic area to discuss in the field of 'doing good'. I have found people to have strong views at times about what is ethical; views that sometimes stifle open exploration. At other times, I have observed people become defensive when raising…
The Quiet Entrepreneur in a Noisy World
I have been reading the book "Quiet: The Power of Intraverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain and firstly I am filled with gratitude. After spending the last three years as an intravert in the role of CEO, it is wonderful to read a book that describes my experience of being…
Finding Joe, and the changemakers’ journey
On Monday I saw the documentary "Finding Joe" at the Wake Up Sydney event. The film explores the Hero's Journey and the wisdom of Joseph Campbell. The thing I loved the most about this film is that it takes the story well beyond film and myth, to look at its application to personal psychology. The…
There’s a hole in my bucket: a theory of change
I have long been fascinated by the theories and principles upon which changemakers or social entrepreneurs build their businesses or programs. Having a ‘theory of change’ has become an expected feature of any social organisation be it part of their marketing or a more fundamental driver of their work. The common theory of change in…
Beyond good intentions
I thought I would begin by sharing where all of this interest in ethics comes from. I am not an ethicist, nor have I ever studies ethics formally. Yet in the process of my work in the fields of social entrepreneurship, changemaking and 'doing good', I have faced numerous ethical dilemmas. In my work I…
Courage to Close: two non-profits take their next step
This article was inspired by two colleagues who recently had the courage to close down the nonprofit organisations they ran. Both happened independently of each other, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney, and for different reasons. The first case came about through a realisation that the purpose of the organisation, while noble, was not…
How To Do Good 