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Does your company align people, planet and profit?

Against the backdrop of a culture of dishonest dealings, rampant corruption, giant corporate scandals and pernicious fraud cases that have shaken our foundations, the 2018 Conscious Companies Awards celebrate visionary, high-calibre leaders who strive to create a meaningful and conscious business environment.

A conscious company is an organisation whose leadership aligns people, planet and profit in service of all of its stakeholders.

However, is it an oxymoron to call a company conscious?

Are there any companies – in South Africa and internationally – that are truly conscious, and are there any leaders out there who are totally authentic?

These are the questions that plagued me in the quest to unearth nominees for the 2018 Conscious Companies Awards.

The call for nominations has been extended to April 5 to give government an opportunity to recognise pockets of excellence within its various sectors.

Although nominations have poured in for the business and nongovernmental organisation categories, no nominations have yet been received for the government sector.

As human beings, we are all flawed and no one is left untouched by life – even highly conscious leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King had their flaws.

However, when leaders are found wanting during a crisis, they have an opportunity to turn the crisis into a life lesson of authentic leadership for all.

This is where they publicly hold themselves accountable for their actions and poor judgement, openly admit their flaws and accept their human weakness, and show remorse for their actions and resolve to tangibly turn things around.

This would be the kind of conscious leadership that was lacking in those who steered the Steinhoff ship, in the Guptas, in former president Jacob Zuma and in some DA members – to name but a few.

Conscious leadership requires constant work, effort and focus, compassion, care and temperance, and an innate willingness and courage to create disruption and bring about a different quality of being in the world of business.

It is a deeply rooted awareness of one’s actions; of doing the right thing.

This, despite having no control over whether the markets will go up or down – and while knowing that we are not in control of life’s machinations. Despite this, we are able to recognise that we have the power to control our response to whatever chaos or crisis comes our way.

Consciousness has a place and purpose in business and government in that it defines leadership, operating culture and value creation of an organisation as a reason for its existence to serve, uplift and transform its area of influence far beyond the bottom line.

To this end, any company, nongovernmental organisation or government department can be nominated for these awards, however, they have to display one or more of the following characteristics:

. Creates a brand and operating culture that is authentic and steeped in integrity.

. Keeps its sights on a higher purpose that transcends the bottom line.

. Has a robust stakeholder engagement that is cognisant of the needs of all its stakeholders.

. Has a visionary leadership that maintains a culture of trust, conscience, ethics and accountability.

. Must be progressive in its outlook by driving and encouraging creative ideas and innovative methodologies, as well as always recognising and exceeding its obligations as a responsible citizen, especially in the environment and communities it operates in.

If your company has any or all of these qualities, go to consciouscompanies.co.za or email awards@consciouscompanies.co.za to enter.

The 2018 Conscious Companies Awards will be held on May 17 in partnership with Liberty and Classic FM.

* Brenda Kali is the CEO of Conscious Companies and the author of Beyond Corporate Sludge: Insights to Create Balance and Harmony in the Workplace.

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