“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”
-Henry Ford
This week, we were honored to host Nivi Sharma, CEO of Bridges to Prosperity, on the Inspiring People and Places podcast. Click here to listen. Bridges to Prosperity is a 501c3 that builds bridges in rural areas of Rwanda and Uganda. Its mission is to bring an end to rural isolation and poverty by building bridges that increase access to income, education, health care and gender equality.
MISSION OPPORTUNITY
If you are interested in traveling to Rwanda or Uganda to participate with Bridges to Prosperity, check out the links below for the trip of a lifetime giveaway.
To Apply for the Life-Changing Experience click here.
To read more about the Bridges to Prosperity corporate experience click here.
As Nivi and I talked, the more intrigued and enthusiastic I became about her mission. Why? I was inspired by the passion she had for her mission and the impact her mission has on people’s lives.
Serving people!
Easy for her, you say; she’s running a non-profit. “I have a business to run!” “We need to make money, drive P&L!” Right?
Wrong!
Making money isn’t the goal of business. Creating value is the goal of business. And when you create value, people are willing to exchange their hard-earned money for the value you create. Profit is just the by-product of running a good business.
Years ago, at a conference for the AGC, my old boss and mentor, BG (Ret.) Duke DeLuca was talking about infrastructure investment and how critical it is to support our expanding economy, as well as the impact that dollars invested into our infrastructure have on the growth of our economy. As he was talking, I labeled the concept Return on Infrastructure. Treating our taxpayers’ investment in public infrastructure projects with the same diligence as we would treat a personal investment in a construction project.
Nivi’s mission is, in some ways, a microcosm of the return on infrastructure concept that we, as stewards of the public investment in infrastructure, can understand. They build bridges in rural, isolated areas to allow villages access to clean water, health care and education resources. In one story Nivi shared, these bridges ensure that people can walk out of the village and cross a ravine to get clean water without fear that they may not make it back to the village. Can you imagine?
So, while the news talks about recessions and inflation and your 401k, this is your reminder to shift your perspective to an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude for clean water, consistent power, amazing infrastructure and a job you get to do every day.
And second, a reminder that mission and meaning matter more than money. Let P&L stand for People & Legacy instead of Profit & Loss in your leadership approach – the people you work with, the clients we serve and, of course, the end users of the projects we work on!
BJ Kraemer, President
P.S. – Are you a Chief Engineer or Public Agency Leader trying to steward investments in a public project? Or maybe you are just trying to shift your culture to be more focused on mission? Shoot me a note. Leadership can be lonely, and overcoming cultural inertia can feel too big for one man or woman to push up the hill. We can help.