Patrick Andrews: Governance models that promote People, Planet and Profit

Toads and Butterflies

In the seventh episode of our series I speak with Patrick Andrews, the Barefoot Lawyer who uses his expertise to reimagine organisations and their governance.

Patrick left his traditional corporate lawyer role to focus on his mission. He uses company Law to focus on models of ownership, governance and leadership that promote justice, community and responsibility.

Patrick shares the story of his AHA moment that led him to

• ask the most heretic, unaskable question at work
• And to then set out to use the law to reimagine the purpose of business

In a world where the status quo of a business is growth at all costs, how does one go about actually shifting our way of working in a way that is good for people and planet, alongside the financial health of the company?

I don’t often get excited speaking to lawyers, but Patrick is a real exception:

• He combines his technical knowledge, modern science and philosophy to change the structure of a business in a practical way
• He shares examples of innovative models and tools that motivate employees and broader stakeholders to all contribute to the long term success of the company in the context of our fast changing world.
• While we need to make a profit and ensure we can continue to thrive as company, he also highlights tools that shift power dynamics, enabling business to serve a greater purpose, beyond the bottom line

I hope this inspires you to start the discussion around the long-term purpose of your business and how to empower everyone in your organisation to collectively move towards it.

References:

Riverford: Founders Wishes

Paris Earth Law Center

Library of Things: Purpose, Values and Mission Lock

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Brought to you by Olivia Sibony at Impact Amplified.

At Impact Amplified, we run short programmes that focus on what actions you or your team can take in the context of your business. The focus is on understanding the context you operate in, and then honing on a tangible action you can take. By the end of our sessions, you will know what next step you can take, and how to go about putting that into practice, both through individual and through collective action.

You will see that the little things we do in business can unlock a big impact. Our goal is to inspire you to see the power you hold, to effect change.

You can see our programmes here and you can contact Olivia directly [e-mail] to find out more.

With special thanks to Gareth Jones, mix engineer, to Marie Jessel, producer, to Raj Samuel, creative director, and to Shane Ivers for the music.