Nobel laureate Al Gore combines cutting-edge research from top scientists around the world with photos, personal anecdotes, and observations to document the fast pace and wide scope of global warming. He shares his slides and talking points with NextGen Polaris Champions as he challenges us with three questions – Must we Change? Can we Change? Will we Change? Log on to FBN XChange -> Polaris for Al Gore’s slides and other PTAG presentations and resources.
Library
Thought leadership
Business thrives when society flourishes. View case studies, articles, tools and models in our publications developed especially for FBN family businesses who want to create and scale positive impacts.
Polaris Volume 5 - Redefining Success Across Generations
October 2019
Our 2019 Polaris publication re-examines the purpose of capitalism. The call to Redefine Success in Business necessitates aligning purpose with profits and a shift from shareholder primacy to stakeholder capitalism. It demands that leaders and owners consider the impacts of companies on the wider society as the externalities that businesses impose are considerable and near impossible to mitigate as individuals. This is particularly significant in regions where political leaders are in denial of climate impacts and legal systems are a barrier to change.
Polaris Volume 4 – Shaping the Future We Want
October 2018
As a generation, we have enjoyed unprecedented technological, scientific and financial resources. With frameworks like the SDGs and technologies like blockchain, business in general and family business in particular, have the opportunity to mobilise these resources for the collective good, charting a course towards a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive future for our children and generations to come.
Polaris Volume 3 – Family Business as a Force for Good
November 2017
As a community of purpose-driven businesses, we aim to be net-positive. We need to not only minimise harm but to maximise good and put back into society and the environment more than we take out. The 2017 Polaris publication outlines new frameworks for understanding and accelerating your impact as it examines the spectrum of organisation types and the evolution of frameworks that blend business and social value. The case studies included in this year’s publication further highlight the transformative role of businesses to be a powerful force for the common good.
Vocation of the Business Leader - Reflections from a Family
May 2017
Developed in concert with Vatican leaders and the FBN Thought and Religious Leaders Group, the document acknowledges the pressures causing business leaders to believe that their professional lives are incompatible with their spiritual lives. It urges leaders to eschew a divided life and embark on the alternative path of servant leadership. The document further explores the role of family businesses in the formation of business leaders as responsible stewards and family businesses as agents of social and economic inclusion.
Polaris Volume 2 – Building a Flourishing Family Business
November 2016
Flourishing family businesses invest in communities to engage all stakeholders and promote development. This publication highlights the importance of vibrant communities for flourishing family businesses and explores opportunities identified in the UN SDGs. It outlines the Polaris Impact Assessment (PIA) and introduces the Polaris Peer Groups – support networks that empower family members to accelerate their journey and further their positive impacts.
Polaris Volume 1 – Tools & Inspiration from Across the Network for Building a Sustainable Family Business
October 2015
2015 was a watershed year for sustainability with the introduction of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the opportunity for business to be a global force for good. Learn how FBN members are contributing to these goals, engage with tools to chart your True North and discover why sustainability is the key driver of innovation.
Family Conversations on Sustainability
September 2015
A family has many voices – and often emotional ones, making it hard to bring all these voices into harmony. To encourage smooth and constructive family meetings on creating positive impacts, we have created Family Conversations on Sustainability – a guide that sets out useful principles and practical suggestions for conducting effective, multi-generational meetings.
A Guide to Polaris
October 2014
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. As the family business progresses on this journey, cultures of both the family and business evolve, engagement increases and spheres of influence expand. The publication highlights at each stage the key focus, outcomes, process and stakeholders that need to be engaged. It maps out critical activities including Forming Sustainability Circles (Setting the Stage), Stakeholder Mapping (Holding the Mirror) and Measuring the True Cost of Business (Innovating for the Future).
Families for a Sustainable Future
October 2014
An overview of Polaris underlining why family businesses are the front-runners for sustainability. Families for a Sustainable Future highlights the role of the family and the champion within it, and features the five-stage sustainability roadmap for family business.
Towards a More Sustainable Event
November 2017
FBN has a clear commitment to sustainability, articulated through its Pledge for “A Sustainable Future” and the development of Polaris. As an extension of this, FBN seeks to make its events more sustainable starting with the 28th FBN Global Summit. Three key goals were identified: • To start FBN International’s journey towards a more sustainable future • To measure the sustainability impact of international events • To share good practices with Member Associations
Truth to Power – Al Gore at the Polaris Training for NextGen Leaders
July 2017
