The philosophy that creates prosperity for all | Bruce Barlean | TEDxCincinnati

Key Concepts

• Givingism: A philosophy and set of 19 guiding principles focused on making decisions through care, aiming for universal prosperity.
• Prosperity Thinking vs. Scarcity Thinking: Prosperity thinking emphasizes mutual uplift and shared success, while scarcity thinking focuses on limited resources and competition.
• Love in Business: Extending beyond mere care to encompass honesty, integrity, and avoiding exploitation.
• Education Fund: A financial support system for employees' educational pursuits, regardless of their continued employment.
• Harm Principle: The core tenet of not harming others (employees, vendors, distributors, competitors) for personal gain.

Summary

The speaker, who grew up in humble circumstances as the son of a fisherman, shares a transformative philosophy he calls "givingism." His early life was marked by hardship, including periods of homelessness, before he and his family found success in a flaxo business that capitalized on the growing demand for Omega-3.

The Genesis of Givingism

The speaker's business journey initially followed a conventional competitive model. However, a pivotal moment occurred when he encountered the idea that "When you take care of your employees, they'll be more productive." This challenged his belief that business was solely about competition and outsmarting rivals. He began to question the alternative: "What if instead of competing, I just cared?" This led him to consider extending care not only to employees but also to vendors, distributors, and even competitors. This marked the birth of "givingism."

Shifting Focus from Money to People

The speaker argues that while money is important in business, making it the sole focus leads to harm. Conversely, prioritizing people fosters prosperity for everyone. This realization deepened when his family achieved financial success and began giving away products to those in need. He questioned why giving was an afterthought and proposed that it should be central to business operations. This led to his full commitment to givingism.

The Principles of Givingism

Givingism is defined as a set of 19 guiding principles founded on the core idea: "Make decisions through care so that everyone prospers." Key principles highlighted include:

• Everything is done in love: This principle goes beyond simple care, emphasizing honesty, integrity, and avoiding deception or exploitation. An example is provided of walking away from a lucrative market expansion opportunity because it would have financially devastated another business owner, their family, and employees. The speaker states, "in giving profit never comes at another person's expense."
• Always help others to prosper: This is exemplified by the creation of a $5,000 annual education fund for each employee, irrespective of whether they remain with the company. This initiative aims to support their future earning potential, even if it exceeds what the company can offer.
• You can't step on someone to prosper: This is the speaker's favorite principle. It involves asking, "Will this harm anyone?" (referring to employees, vendors, distributors, and competitors) before making any decision. If the answer is yes, the decision is not pursued, as "prosperity gained by harming someone isn't prosperity at all."

The Outcomes of Givingism

When businesses operate according to these principles, the speaker observes a surprising outcome: "When they win, you win." He posits that individuals and businesses receive what they give, not just what they take.

Expanding the Vision

The speaker then broadens the scope of givingism beyond a single company, envisioning a future where businesses actively compete to help each other succeed. He suggests that economic health should be measured not solely by GDP but by the number of people truly thriving. He contrasts "scarcity thinking," which promotes division and the idea of limited resources, with "prosperity thinking," which advocates for mutual uplift and shared success.

A Call to Action

The speaker concludes with a challenge: to shift from asking "How do I get ahead?" to "How do we all get ahead?" His life experience has demonstrated that helping others prosper leads to greater personal prosperity. Givingism is presented as a philosophy of prosperity rooted in giving, a way of living and working where no one needs to lose for others to win, and it begins with individual commitment.