Few chief executives would say too many companies “focus on solely maximizing profits.” Then again, Whole Foods Market founder John Mackey is no ordinary corporate chief. He’s a self-styled “conscious” capitalist and has a new book in which he tells all about it.
“The time is now to redefine capitalism if we want to continue to flourish as a society and to reverse the decline that we are currently in,” said Mackey, whose book — yes, “Conscious Capitalism” — came my way.
Mackey and his co-author, a Bentley University marketing professor named Raj Sisodia, discuss ways to create value and lift people from poverty. Mackey’s bottom line: Making money need not be a zero-sum game.
“Let’s face it, most businesses’ purposes have been distorted,” he said in an e-mail interview. In the book, Mackey and Sisodia laud Costco Wholesale Corp., Google Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. for also practicing conscious capitalism. Leslie Patton, Bloomberg News
