173 / AI, Awe & Authentic Adaptation


During our most recent Book Club meet-up, we unpacked some fascinating behavioral insights from Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner.

This complex emotion has been identified as one of the most powerful drivers of behavior change, especially in relation to sustainability and climate change. We were curious: what could we learn about its relevance to our professional ambitions to drive change in our organizations — but also our personal ability to sustain ourselves in this space?

One of my biggest takeaways: that awe isn’t just sparked by grand natural phenomena and magnificent works of art. Keltner identifies “eight wonders of life” where awe is present — and many of them are more accessible than we may think.

For a breakdown of the eight wonders and more “;tldr” insights, check out Keltner’s conversation with The Good Life Project’s Jonathan Sparks in today’s 5 Links.

And if you’d like to join our next Book Club meet-up, I invite you to join the Change Hub! We’ll be tackling The Future of the Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 50 Years by Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard and I can’t wait to debate what feels relevant.

✌️

Founder, Reconsidered


We’re partnering with Terra.do on its first-ever Europe Climate Week and you’re invited! Join us this November 4-8 for five days of free virtual events designed to supercharge your climate career. We’ll be joining the Keynote Kick-Off on November 4th and hosting two events over the course of the week: a panel on going independent as a sustainability professional on November 6th and a special edition Reconsidered Coffee Chat on Building A Climate Career featuring Terra.do’s Louise Kold-Taylor on November 8th.


We *can't wait* for our next Member Roundtable, which will feature an exciting panel of in-house corporate responsibility leaders geeking out on the different ways we apply behavioral insights to our work. It’s all part of this month’s Hot Topic of Behavior Change, which has also included an on-topic Book Club meet-up and resource shares. 🙌


🤖 OpenAI Could Be a Force for Good if It Can Address These Issues First — The New York Times

In recent years, OpenAI has slowly shed its safe-AI founding purpose (and non-profit status) in favor of what observers say is a more traditionally profit-maximizing model. The company says it plans to legally structure itself as a public benefit corporation to enshrine its purpose — a move that B Lab co-founder Andrew Kassoy says is “insufficient”. In this op-ed, Kassoy, a drafter and advocate of the original benefit corporation legislation, lays out how the legal status might help the company in some ways, but also why OpenAI needs so much more. (5 minutes)


🌀 Hurricane Helene isn’t an outlier. It’s a harbinger of the future. — Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Maybe you heard of the Florida meteorologist who choked up on television while reporting on Hurricane Helene? The clip has been shared widely as a relatable expression of climate grief. In this op-ed, the weatherman himself shares why Helene’s rapid intensification triggered the reaction it did — and why he’ll continue to communicate authentically about the risks of our changing weather and world. (6 minutes)


✍️ Sir Jonathon Porritt’s Critique Of Unilever Is An Attack On Capitalism — Forbes

A few issues back, we shared Jonathon Porritt’s insider analysis of Unilever’s sustainability leadership decline. His impassioned LinkedIn post also caught the attention of Robert G. Eccles, a professor at Said Business School at the University of Oxford and the founding chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. In this response, Eccles delivers a pro-capitalist breakdown of Porritt’s arguments “in hopes of creating a more realistic and constructive dialogue about what Unilever is doing today”. (11 minutes)


🔊 What the Language of Business Reveals About the Corporate Soul — BCG Henderson Institute

If we want to change business, we need to speak in the language of business. But is this lexicon, with its echoes of the early industrial era, fit to the task of the challenges we face now? This fascinating research suggests “no” and explores how changing the words we use can help unlock competitive advantage (not to mention, support our changemaking efforts 😉). (12 minutes)


🎙 How Awe Can Change Your Life — The Good Life Project

In this enriching conversation, psychology professor Dacher Keltner shares insights from his book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, as well as practical ways you can bring more of this powerful emotion into your life. (58 minutes)


💼 Fresh — Director, Sustainability (Hybrid, New York City) *

Fresh is seeking a Director of Sustainability to define Fresh’s sustainability platform and key objectives, lead sustainability programs and work closely with the Innovation department to develop strategies that support sustainable products.

A few highlights from this week’s curation:

  • Burberry — ESG Program Manager (London)
  • Google — Program Manager I, Carbon Removal (New York City or Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.)
  • LinkedIn — Social Impact Intern (New York City or San Francisco)
  • Target — Social Impact Program Manager (Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.)
  • World Economic Forum — Specialist, Climate Adaptation (Geneva, Switzerland)


* Partner Post. Hiring? You’re a Sponsored Job Post away from connecting with thousands of top candidates — book one here.


Browse our new database of sustainability and social impact related courses, trainings and leadership programs, including:

Change Hub bonus: All members get up to 20% off — that can sometimes be more than the cost of membership, which means you’re looking at a sweet 2-for-1 deal 🙌.


🎥 Most clicked from the last issue… Protect What We Love — Potential Energy Coalition x Our Kids Climate x Global Optimism. This two-minute film struck a chord with you all (we can relate).

🌱 Join Sister Seasons for Carrying The Question, a 6-week circle for women and non-binary changemakers to root into your inner wisdom, find clarity on your biggest questions and build the skills to thrive as a leader in complex times. It starts October 25 and you can use code RC25 for $25 off. **

💥 Join 15,000 of us in our LinkedIn group where we’re sharing our *real* thoughts on Climate Week NYC, surveys on corporate giving and impact leader Ask Me Anything events.

** Partner Post. Give your project a promotional power up and book your Q4 sponsorship slot here.


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Reconsidered is an impact strategy and communications studio dedicated to helping sustainable business leaders drive bigger, bolder, more sustainable change. Here are a few ways we can support your work:

✅ Helping your company articulate a brand-aligned ESG mission and framework that clearly communicates who you are, what you stand for and how you make change happen

✅ Creating internal employee engagement strategies that use behavior change principles to integrate sustainability right into the core of your company’s culture

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The views expressed in this newsletter are Reconsidered's own and do not reflect the views of companies or organizations affiliated with its contributors.

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