LISTEN | Thuli Madonsela sits down with the Good Things Guy
In the latest Good Things Guy podcast on JacPod, Brent Lindeque speaks with a hero of his, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. They chat about everything from corruption and social justice to what drives this Advocate and Professor, and how she spends her precious free time.
We’ve just marked a year of the lockdown in South Africa and what a year
it's been. What we have been through - and are still going through is
absolutely tragic. This thing can feel so overwhelming and incredibly
traumatic. The last year has been filled with so much grief. We have
lost loved ones, businesses, incomes, health and every ounce of what we
used to call normal.
It’s been really tough but as Brent always says… in times of tragedy, always look for the helpers as they will always be there and they are the heroes we need to celebrate.
And Brent's guest today is not only a hero but someone who many look up to. She helped draft the final Constitution of South Africa in 1996. She was the Public Protector of South Africa for over seven years, she was named one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world and is now holding a chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University.
Advocate and Professor Thuli Madonsela has pushed for the last year to make sure that no one gets left behind, as the country works on a recovery plan post COVID-19. And the Prof has joined Brent to chat about her social justice journey and what she is currently busy with.
It’s been really tough but as Brent always says… in times of tragedy, always look for the helpers as they will always be there and they are the heroes we need to celebrate.
And Brent's guest today is not only a hero but someone who many look up to. She helped draft the final Constitution of South Africa in 1996. She was the Public Protector of South Africa for over seven years, she was named one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world and is now holding a chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University.
Advocate and Professor Thuli Madonsela has pushed for the last year to make sure that no one gets left behind, as the country works on a recovery plan post COVID-19. And the Prof has joined Brent to chat about her social justice journey and what she is currently busy with.
Listen to the podcast below.
Meanwhile, for the past 50 years, the primary role of business in society has been to maximise shareholder return, a consequence of Milton Friedman's seminal article in the New York Times in 1970 in which he stated that "any other use of shareholders money was irresponsible".
Given the current state of the world, the pandemic, with climate change, global warming, depletion of our natural resources, over population, catastrophic pollution and growing inequality to name a few, it feels like the idea of business being a force for good, and playing a bigger role in society beyond financial maximisation, is the obvious thing to do.
Unfortunately, many business leaders don’t see it this way.
The world of business is about making money and “purpose” is often seen as getting in the way of making money. It’s perceived to be a “feel good” distraction that takes the eye off the ball, costs money, and erodes the carefully crafted and sought-after profit number. This number is the sole purpose many businesses exist, and it is the most significant factor that business leaders are judged on.
So, when business leaders see the word “purpose”, their immediate assumption is that it is going to cost them money, making their profit number that much more difficult to achieve.
Given the current state of the world, the pandemic, with climate change, global warming, depletion of our natural resources, over population, catastrophic pollution and growing inequality to name a few, it feels like the idea of business being a force for good, and playing a bigger role in society beyond financial maximisation, is the obvious thing to do.
Unfortunately, many business leaders don’t see it this way.
The world of business is about making money and “purpose” is often seen as getting in the way of making money. It’s perceived to be a “feel good” distraction that takes the eye off the ball, costs money, and erodes the carefully crafted and sought-after profit number. This number is the sole purpose many businesses exist, and it is the most significant factor that business leaders are judged on.
So, when business leaders see the word “purpose”, their immediate assumption is that it is going to cost them money, making their profit number that much more difficult to achieve.
Mike Middleton, Founder and CEO of Marty McFly - and Andrew Ross, CEO of Chaos Theory - joined Good Things Guy Brent Lindeque to chat about where business is going in our 'new normal'. Listen to the podcast below.
Listen to more podcasts from Good Things Guy below.