In our daily conversations with executives seeking career advice from Borderless, we banish the thought of ‘eventual retirement’, as an old-fashioned term. Our bodies are no longer broken by hard labour, and our lives are extended by great medicine. The prospect of golf and sailing becomes less attractive, when those are the only things to fill our days. We’re healthier and hopefully wiser by the time we’re 50, and are able to continue productive careers or even start afresh. Most of us want to stay relevant and keep contributing economically, while passing on our learnings and making a difference to the world.
This was my own personal experience, when I started Borderless with Els DeCremer, at the age of 50. Helping executives maintain long, productive and healthy careers appeals to our personal values. Here we are almost 20 years later, with more than 50,000 meaningful interactions with fine people from around the world, making a difference to their futures.
It’s precisely why we find this new book, Purpose & Impact: How Executives are Creating Meaningful Second Careers, so important and opportune. Penned by Anita Hoffmann, Managing Director of Executiva Ltd, London, UK, and an executive search consultant and coach, it breaks new ground on a topic that will only gain in importance in our aging societies.
Anita argues that, with an expected 25-30 or more healthy years after the age 50, it makes sense to stay engaged professionally – for your own wellbeing as well as to make a difference for others. Purpose & Impact is a practical handbook based on actual career stories of dozens of executives who were interviewed for this project. It looks at many of the questions on our minds when we get to the mid/later career turning point. The book also offers guidance to senior executives and other professionals on how to rethink and even relaunch careers that align with wider purpose and societal impact.
What we like
This is what some top executives are saying about the book:
True leadership starts with putting yourself to the service of others. As Anita explains, it’s a life time journey that can span different careers. Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever plc, UK
Why retire when you can build a better world? Anita Hoffmann provides a roadmap for business leaders to harness their global experience to forge a new career solving global problems. Never a timelier book for leaders and for the world! Nigel Topping, CEO, We Mean Business coalition, UK
We are living longer and technological change is transforming the future of work. How we think about careers and jobs is an existential question. This book is a must read for all ages. Dr. Frannie Léautier, Founder and Managing Partner, the Fezembat Group, former SVP African Development Bank, Tanzania, France and USA
Purpose & Impact: How Executives are Creating Meaningful Second Careers is now available through Amazon.
By Andrew Kris, Borderless Founding Partner
Recent research reveals a troubling trend: apex firms in Business Groups often promote sustainability without substantial action. Analyzing data from 515 companies in 35 countries, the authors found that apex firms, especially those sharing a brand with affiliates, engaged less in sustainability initiatives than their lower-tier counterparts.
When we talk about global warming, we think about carbon dioxide. It’s one of the most abundant greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and is commonly the center of conversation for slowing climate change. But methane is worth some attention.
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is one of the few transition finance options that could accelerate action, scale up new technologies and connect private capital to high-potential projects in the limited time available. Investment today is critical, not only to mitigate carbon emissions immediately but also to build market capacity ahead of 2030 ambitions.
