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Welcome to the Thriving podcast. This short teaser tells you what to expect in the coming episodes, which launched on World Environment Day 2022. Join me, Prof Wayne Visser, for inspiring conversations with leaders in the breakthrough movement to regenerate nature, society and the economy.  We do not indulge in false hope or blind optimism, but we actively focus on innovative solutions and positive tipping points for change. The podcast builds on the foundations of my bestselling book Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy. I look forward to having you join the movement for thriving and welcome your suggestions for who I should feature as a guest on the podcast. I will not be posting the episodes on Purpose Inspired, but you can follow the Thriving podcast here, or via your own favourite podcast platform. The first episode, with sustainability legend John Elkington (The science and science fiction of thriving) is already live now. You can also contact me via my website: waynevisser.com. Music credit: Amil Raja

In this epilogue, I finish the season by returning to the big picture. Because sustainability is not just about business, leadership and innovation. And it is certainly not just about surviving the future. It is also about living in a world of abundance and diversity in a way that that brings joy and inspiration. Jean M. Russell calls this Thrivability. I cover:- The Birth and Rebirth of Creation- Recalling and Retelling the Stories of Hope- Relearning the Skill of Listening to Life

In this episode, I continue to explore the elements of future fitness, covering: - Future Images: Beyond the Information Age- Sustainable Frontiers Forecasts for the Next 10 Years- To Survive in a Volatile World Businesses Must Build in Resilience

In this episode, I continue to explore the elements of future fitness, covering: - Stakeholder Crowdsourcing and Disruptive Partnerships- Open Sourcing and Wiki-Ratings- Prototyping and Smart Mobbing- App Farming and Plug-and-Play- Future Images: Beyond the Information Age

Are you fit for the future? Will your product, organisation, community, city or country survive and thrive in 10, 20, 50 or even 100 years? How can we – as individuals, businesses, communities and policy-makers – prepare for the future? How can we maximize our chances of success, not only by being ready, but also by helping to shape the future that we desire? I think it helps to view future-fitness in two ways: in terms of alignment – i.e. fitting, like a jigsaw piece, into the bigger picture of an emerging world; and in terms of agility – i.e. building up the kind of fitness that allows quick reflexes and strong performance in response to future conditions.  In this episode, I cover: - A Test for Future-Fitness- How Web 2.0 is Shaping the Future of Business- Net Value Footprinting and Forensic Impact Analysis

In this episode, we look at the first level of business to which a holistic view needs to be applied, namely that of the individual. By contrast, the old view of business regards employees as rational entities who are expected to perform in mechanical ways to further the materialistic goals of the company.  The other level to which holistic thinking can be applied is that of the organisation. Inherent in the new holistic organisation is the idea of flattening the hierarchy, and a move towards the network-type organisation which recognises its composite wholes more fully. The team-based culture, as well as organizing according to process (as opposed to functional silos), is also part of the move towards a more holistic structure 

In this episode, we continue our exploration of integrated value, beginning wit the 6-step process of implementation: 1. Listen Up! (stakeholder materiality), 2. Look Out! (integrated risk), 3. Dig Down! (critical processes), 4. Aim High! (innovation & value); 5. Line Up! (systems alignment); and 6. Think Again! (audit & review). I then introduce a more philosophical way to look at integrated value, which is to see it as a way to transform the dying metaphor of business as a “rational machine” into a new metaphor:  business as a “living whole”; hence creating integrated value through holism.

In this episode, I begin by examining whether Creating Shared Value (CSV) is a revolution or clever con. Many argue that CSR and sustainability are not the way to unlock change. I have been one of the critics, while still believing that reform is possible. More recently, however, the most vocal critic has been Harvard professor Michael Porter.  I go on to introduce Creating Integrated Value (CIV) and a concept that goes beyond both CSR and CSV, bringing us the "how to" for delivering integration in organisations.

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through social responsibility. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- First Steps Towards CSR 2.0- Towards Responsible Competitiveness?

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through social responsibility. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- The Principle of Circularity in CSR 2.0- Making the Shift to Transformative CSR- Decoding the New DNA of Business

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through social responsibility. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- The Principle of Creativity in CSR 2.0- The Principle of Scalability in CSR 2.0- The Principle of Responsiveness in CSR 2.0- The Principle of Glocality in CSR 2.0

In this episode, we begin to explore the process of unlocking change through social responsibility. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- The Rise and Fall of CSR- The Ages and Stages of CSR- The Triple Failures of CSR- CSR 1.0 and Burying the Past

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through stakeholder engagement. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Convetit Keeps Our Head in the Cloud and Feet on the Ground- Wikirate Strives to Make Companies Clear- Business Accountability in a Fish-Bowl Future

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through stakeholder engagement. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Value-action Gaps Make Stakeholder Feedback Less Valuable- The Wisdom of the Crowd Can Become the Tragedy of the Commons- The Openness of Open Source is Questionable- Questions Remain About Ratings When the Guardians Are Not Guarded- In Search of the Web 2.0 Savvy Players

In this episode, we begin to explore the process of unlocking change through stakeholder engagement. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Moving Social Media Beyond a Marketing Channel- Growing Use of Crowdsourcing as a Stakeholder Engagement Tool- Transforming the Power of Connection into the Power of Collaboration- Hyper-connectivity Makes Responsiveness More Possible

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through corporate transparency. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Increasing Importance of Sustainability Ratings- Consolidation of Sustainability Ratings Agencies- Demand for More Transparency by Rating Agencies

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through corporate transparency. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Trends in Corporate Accountability- Explosive Sustainability Reporting Growth- Proliferation of Reporting Standards- Improvement of Data Quantity and Quality- Shift from Corporate to Value Chain Data

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through technological innovation. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Closing the Loop on Steel- Eco-innovation: Beyond Creating Technology for Technology's Sake

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through technological innovation. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Lessons from Egypt in Building a Cleaner Chemicals Industry- Iron Ore and Rare Earth Metals Mining: An Industry Under Siege?- Why Metals Should Be Recycled, Not Mined

In this episode, we continue to explore the process of unlocking change through technological innovation. In particular, the episode includes the following topics:- Sustainable Tech in Africa: A Case Study- Why Banning Dangerous Chemicals Is Not Enough- Will Green Chemistry Save Us From Toxification?