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The Davos World Economic Forum provides businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to redeem their good name and social standing sullied by the greed of those few in the financial institutions who single-handedly masterminded the biggest global financial and economic crises in the history of mankind.

The time has come for business men and women to restore public confidence in their trade and the fact that though the essence of any business is and should be to realize profits - not all business persons and entities are immune to the call of societies and communities towards them as socially responsible corporate citizens. After all,such profits are unsustainable without the goodwill of consumer communities in which businesses operate and realize their profits.

Examples abound of businesses and entrepreneurs already living by that creed. Regrettably such stories do not attract sustained reporting in the mainstream as well as the new media due to a journalistic paradigm where, “financial managers defraud billions” has more traction and reach than «Warren Buffet” or “Bill and Melinda Gates” donate billions to charitable causes”. Unfortunately, good guy or good role model stories do not sell as well as bad news stories.

The good news is that, notwithstanding this disappointing media attitude, more and more business owners and entrepreneurs are pledging to and sponsoring events benefiting charities at home and abroad. They are inspired to do so by the examples of role models like Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet, Sir Richard Branson as well as celebrities like Bono, Oprah, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, George Clooney etc who’s charitable giving often dwarf the annual contributions of many nation states.

That in itself may not be new, but what is new is the sheer number of businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals contributing now to needy causes at home and abroad. Perhaps this is more evident because the plight has never been as big and the challenges as daunting as they are. Hence the need for more shoulders to help carry the burden.

Fact however is (1) that this welcome mass conversion to wellness iN Tune Business Social Responsibility is under reported by mainstream and new media and (2) the reasons why they do so in such large deserve greater attention and exploration.

Warren Buffet, the sage from Omaha lifts the veil as far as the second question is concerned, i.e. the factors motivating men and women of great accomplishment to contribute or pay forward to charitable causes. He once said in a statement that has yet to be fully elucidated that: “someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree there long time ago”.

Whether this was a reflection on his own life and the way in which he benefited from a prior good deed of a mentor or a benefactor earlier on in his own life - or not - it confirms that all socially responsible actions yield paybacks with a delayed effect - often benefiting many years later and indirectly more than just those initially favoured with the beneficial action, because of the knock-on effect. In the words of Shakespeare, “when the tide rises all boats are lifted”.

It is therefore not surprising that entrepreneurs inspired by the positive examples of living legends like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Sir Richard Branson are now spearheading a new awareness within the business and celebrity community.

Yanick Silver recounts for example that his own Maverick Business Insider 2020 Mission to impact 1million young entrepreneurs in realizing their millionaire dreams whilst committing to a 5% charity pledge was inspired by an informal event hosted by Sir Richard Branson for likeminded business leaders pledging to the same creed.

Companies today realize for example that providing employees with paid leave to join a volunteer mission at home or abroad for a short term is a win-win proposition for the company, the staff as well as the communities benefiting from the volunteer’s help. Previously unmotivated staff often return energized from such missions because of friendships and the shared human experiences forged during such missions. Energized staff members with a better understanding of their respective life purposes and who champion community causes in areas they live are a greater asset for their respective companies.

Business people and entrepreneurs should therefore not be deterred by the fact that good intentions, deeds and actions do not have a short-term ROI as it often takes a couple of years to bear fruit. In the age of the social media revolution, energized staff and community members can become an army of evangelist who champion your cause. As Warren Buffet reminds us, business persons should not loose sight of the fact they find themselves in privileged positions today because of the foresighted selfless actions, gestures and acts of others many years earlier, which allow them “to sit in the shade today”.

The sober economic and social outlook calls for more and not less entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals in privileged positions at all levels of society to emulate the examples of Bill and Belinda Gates, Warren Buffet and Sir Richard Branson by contributing to causes at home and abroad as Yanick Silver and others are pledging to do.

They could do so through their own pledged contribution to their favourite charities or by allowing staff to take soliday (solidarity holiday) leave to participate in volunteer missions for local or global charities such as teaching inner city children to read or helping local or global small businesses to succeed. The seeds of goodwill that they plant in this way will ensure that many more will be sitting in the shade many many years from today .

It calls above all for the traditional as well as the new media and especially the social media to give greater prominence to the wellness in tune business social responsibility stories of businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals big or small.

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