Reading Library · Community & Belonging Tier 1: Core Influence

Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take

by Paul Polman & Andrew Winston (2021)

★★★★ 4/5

A framework for building businesses that benefit all stakeholders

"A net positive company is one that improves the well-being of everyone it impacts."

— Paul Polman & Andrew Winston

My Review

Polman's framework for sustainable business is mutualism at scale. Companies that give more than they take create positive-sum relationships with stakeholders - the business equivalent of healthy ecosystem dynamics.

Why It Matters

Polman provides a framework for mutualistic business - organizations that strengthen rather than deplete their ecosystems.

Key Ideas

  • Net positive companies give more than they take
  • Stakeholder capitalism outperforms shareholder primacy long-term
  • Courage is required to resist short-term pressures
  • Business can be a force for solving global problems

How It Connects to This Framework

Book 8's regeneration concepts and the mutualism framework in Book 1.

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Tags

sustainabilityleadershipstakeholderstier-1

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