Gaurav Sinha - Compassion Inc.: Unleashing the Power of Empathy in Life and Business

Be inspired to transform your business to change the world.

Do you ever wonder how successful businesses can be used as a force for good? Do you sometimes feel conflicted by the principles of capitalism? Do you wish to change the world around you whilst doing what you love?

In this book, Gaurav Sinha, world-class businessman and entrepreneur, founder of Insignia in 2003, outlines the economics of empathy for life and for business. He offers actionable solutions to maintaining a successful trade in a changing global landscape where conscience, ethics, and authenticity are high on the agenda.

Having worked at Hilton Hotels as Head of Marketing, Gaurav Sinha founded insignia in 2003, the worlds first brand enrichment company, specialising in travel and destination creation. Now based in Dubai this former Indian entrepreneur of the Year seeks to redefine the way that businesses run, with this business book about the economics of empathy in life and business.

To Amelia, Jude & India.
May you always remain pure, principled and passionate.

I am not an economist. I am not against capitalism.

I believe the choices we make as consumers need to change radically, as our current behaviour concerning consumption is simply not sustainable. I also believe companies have an obligation to elevate their ethical and empathetic attitude towards society.

Reading this book might be a bit like opening a bag of mixed sweets: you may find you enjoy some of the chapters more than others. However, I am confident you will be inspired by the power of compassion and empathy and find these insights and ideas both enriching and engaging.

This book is inspired by my life experiences and the work I do as a brand strategist. The philosophy, principles and anecdotes expressed are intended to ignite new discussions, debates and decisions about how we must create, connect and consume goods and experiences in a considered and mindful manner.

These are my views on creating sustainable value for ourselves and those around us. You may agree with the arguments I present, or you may simply elevate these ideas with your own interpretation of the subject matter.

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival

HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

This book sits at the intersection of life philosophy and business strategy. It presents a case for embracing compassion as a mechanism for living life in a manner which creates a positive impact for both yourself and those around you. Whether you are a parent or someones child, an employer or an employee, this book serves as a guide to evolving from a sharing economy to a caring economy. Secular in nature but inspired by my personal experiences and interpretations of Buddhist philosophy, through this book I want you to discover the importance of living a kind life, shaped around compassion and meaningful consumption.

On 24 November 2017 in the United States, right after Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, the day retailers slash prices dramatically to attract potential shoppers, resulted in $682 billion worth of sales within twenty-four hours. This was followed by predictions that White Monday sales would exceed that sum, all in a single day. The irony is astounding just when you are supposed to take a moment to reflect and be thankful about what matters most, people rush to the high streets and malls and spend money like theres no tomorrow.

Lets face it. Many of us live beyond our means and consume products without considering what is truly essential. We are a breathless society, aspiring to live champagne lifestyles even while we are earning lemonade incomes. We all want that bigger house, a better car, new handbags, the most fashionable shoes and clothes, the latest everything it doesnt stop.

Fast fashion, easy credit, a tsunami of new brands, ever-emerging trends, mobile devices that fade and fatigue quickly as technology advances rapidly, and an abundance of choices leave us always wanting more. It makes you wonder: when is enough really enough?

Lets put this in context. With nearly three billion people living on less than three dollars a day and nearly 22,000 children dying daily due to poverty, we somehow still manage to spend an outrageously disproportionate amount of money on materialistic pursuits. Do you see the irony? Doesnt it make you wonder how it is widely accepted for people in civil society to live their lives completely oblivious to the sufferings of others? Its disheartening to see that consumers are only comforted by the shallow refuge of pacifying their own personal lifestyles.

Unfortunately, this is the new normal. We accept our leveraged lives as the only path to happiness, and spending money makes us feel good. Our ability to consume defines our success and position in society, so people fall into debt chasing rainbows and are eventually beaten by the futility of their own actions. This global gluttony and charade of conspicuous consumption is not sustainable and will eventually bite us on the backside. We have an obligation to ourselves and future generations to re-evaluate what really matters most and find a sense of calm and contentment in this fragmented and fractured world of mindless spending.

Lets not forget those three billion people on the planet living in poverty, the people trapped in slums, deprived of dignity and basic nutrition, medical care or education. As millions tuck into Big Macs, there are millions more who walk three miles a day for clean drinking water. We have the challenges of closed borders, corrupt governments, cronyism, wars and political strife in many parts of the world. We are numb to the realities around us, even as we watch refugees from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya fleeing to the shores of Europe. People are struggling, the planet is polluted, and generally were standing by watching this pantomime of plunder play out.

Then we have corporations obsessed with profits and protecting shareholder value. Its all about quarterly results, buoyant share prices and the tyranny of crony capitalism, aggressive acquisitions, takeovers, blind profiteering and cut-throat competition. Big banks, big brands, big everything. Theres no unified global cause or consensus that galvanises us as people, a higher purpose that aligns with universal human values and drives positive change for both people and the planet.

Capitalism is not necessarily broken, but consumption is definitely out of control. Our insatiable appetite to consume has driven companies to feed our desires for material gratification and most corporations have neglected their contract with society; it is a race riddled with the majority of players obsessed purely with the pursuit of their growth, at any cost. We need to address this quickly or we shall all be guilty of causing irreversible damage to this precious planet.

Perhaps small will become the new big, and human ingenuity, craftsmanship and imaginative brands will become more powerful than old giants flogging industrial produce to the sheeple (people consuming like sheep), as these new brands connect to and leverage altruistic values that drive positive change. Its happening already at the fringes of free market economies, but how will businesses gear up to embed a new outlook on why they do, what they do? Todays strategies of defensibility, differentiation and distinction will be extinct in the coming decades, if the focus remains purely on driving profits.