A Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz
“You don’t plan your way into finding your purpose. You live into it.” Former Wall Street accountant advised me in her first chapter titled Just Start.
By a long shot, this book has been a major catalyst to my personal and professional growth. At my age, Jacqueline Novogratz turned away from Wall Street to begin her fulfilling journey in fighting poverty. Her value in the dignity of human beings turned charity into solidarity. And she created a business model around moral leadership that has proven to work.
Aside from being a respectable businesswoman, I find Novogratz’s trek to founding Acumen — her impact investing company — equally as admirable. I resonated with being a people-pleaser, making decisions for the benefit of others. More so, I understood the confliction of being so caring, yet so “daring, justice-seeking, sometimes even reckless, determined to make a difference in the world.” This was the non-physical nudge I didn’t know I needed.
I began reading her book at a pivotal moment in my life. I was (still am) trying to figure out how to pursue my purpose, but when I first began her book I had no idea what that was. I can say, however, that Novogratz gave me a general outline by inviting me to answer the right questions, such as, “how do you want to spend the next forty years of your life?” and not simply, “what problem do you want to solve?”
Lightning flashed; not due to some transcendental moment of self-realization, but by becoming aware of the tools that enabled me to marry my why with my how. The purpose of this post is not to make an example of myself, though. It is to share the vital tools that helped guide my voyage to making a dent in the world. What are these tools? Being rooted in values and ethics and using privilege to give back to those most in need.
You may be wondering, why would Novogratz leave Wall Street to help poor people? Well, for the same reason more of them, and venture capitalists, should. My personal opinion, and belief, is that those with privilege have a moral obligation to give back to those most in need. The nebulous definition of morality essentially comes down to the first tool: being rooted in values and ethics. Let me be clear, there is a distinction between having values and ethics and being rooted in values and ethics. Having roots in values and ethics means you never steer away from them, especially for self-interest. That is why Novogratz value of dignity is so crucial to creating a more just society.
So what does having a moral code have to do with making an impact on the world? When the vision — advocacy for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice — gets lost in the colors of our self-interest, the solution also becomes muddled. Throughout the book, Novogratz gives numerous examples of how her company’s moral code has strengthened relationships grounded in trust and integrity, a perfect combination for following through more than leaving things unfinished. Simply, the more roots cut from the moral tree the more we forget why we planted the seed, so what’s the purpose for waiting around for the leaf? Stay grounded, however, and you hardly lose sight of your purpose — the reason you planted the seed in the first place.
One of my favorite examples Novogratz gives is of Andrew Otieno, “senior leader at Jamii Bora Bank, a Nairobi-based nonprofit microfinance organization” and founder of “a health clinic close to where he was born in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa.” The aftermath of Kenya’s 2007 presidential election was “an eruption of tribally driven violence,” leaving Kibera in flames. In Kibera, Jamii Bora’s office had been serving “more than 1,700 merchants” of the Toi Market, one of East Africa’s largest bazaars. The riots completely occupied the markets, leaving it charred and the community out of work. Without the market, “the community as a whole lost its primary economic artery.” And what was Andrew’s next mission? To rebuild the market, of course.
The question then becomes, how will Otieno do this? Two refugees, gang leaders occupying the Toi Market. He understood “the men’s grievances.” Otieno, remaining wise and brave as they threatened his life with a machete, recognized how much these men could actually help restore the market. Though these were the same men who assisted in destroying the market, Otieno believed they could reconstruct peace on the same grounds. Why? Because they, too, were a product of the social, economic, and political unrest in East Africa. After many failed attempts of trying to gain these gang member’s trust, he finally got through to them, hiring them to help rebuild the market. He offered them a space to restart their lives by offering each of the gang members a stall in the market once it was finished.
Novogratz explains how many people simply left Kibera after the extreme violence, but Otieno valued his community and was determined to revive the marketplace and keep Jamii Bora near his hometown. He “aimed for solutions grounded in realities of the community itself that positively touched the broadest swath of people.” His moral compass never swayed. Although Novogratz was trying to show an example of courage by sharing this story, I personally believe that your convictions are what encourage your bravery in the first place. If you want to create change, you have to model change. This leads me to the second tool that empowers you to do this: using your privilege to give back to those in need.
In Chapter 7, Novogratz insightfully states, “If audacity and humility must be balanced to shift systems, so must accountability and generosity.” And at the end of the following chapter, she asks us “to reimagine capitalism as a tool to enable our wholeness rather than to reinforce our separation.” Yes, the world is unequal and we have seen capitalism do more harm than good, but it is also a key component (if used correctly) to scaling your vision and making an impact.
As I mentioned, I believe it is our moral obligation as individuals/groups with the privilege to make the world an equal place. Some may laugh and think a rarity of individuals with wealth and power would actually do that. And I had the same reaction until I read this book. Novogratz didn’t have extreme wealth or power, but she was certainly privileged. In acknowledging her privilege, she realized how far capital could stretch, bringing hope to some of the poorest communities in the world. The slums of India, West Africa, and South America are just a few. But her revision of capitalism is directed in a way where money creates ownership and independence for those she serves; a model that changes the system completely.
Earlier in the book, she writes, “the person or organization with greater power…must be the bridge that extends understanding to those with less power.” I understand there are so many models that do this well, including non-profits, impact investors, and even some for-profit companies (though not enough of them). I personally agree with Novogratz’s idea of using money to create something of value. I believe that value to be the redistribution of wealth to those in need so they can become independent. But even if this is not the model for you, using your privilege — whether it be knowledge, money, safety, health, etc. — is a determining factor of making an impact on the world. And that begins when we hold ourselves accountable for our privilege by being generous to others.
En fin, Novogratz highlighted one of the largest values my parents taught me. “Your greatest calling card,” she says, “is your reputation for integrity.” She showed me a business model, and human beings, that can generate capital while staying true to their values and ethics. She showed me an example of privilege that looks like treating people with dignity and respect. She guided me down of path of redefining a system that empowers our poorest, most marginalized (and often forgotten) communities. And more than anything, we need, and I want, systems that work for the people, by the people.
