Hi – I’m Scott, Scott Downs. It’s a pleasure to join Stephen and Robin in creating this blog.
To introduce myself a little, I am from the US, and live today in London. At work, I spent nearly twenty years in investment banking, first as a capital markets banker, raising money and managing risks for big companies, and later as the Chief Operating Officer or chief of staff to global or regional business units of the big bank I worked for. After that, I’ve worked in management consulting and entrepreneurial business, almost always as a COO or something similar.
I sometimes describe the work I do as “leveraging rainmakers.” I create business platforms that allow market-facing thought leaders to do what they do best.
I have been physically based in New York, London, and Tokyo at different times, and have worked with people all over the world.
I’ve been blessed with a great family. I’ve been married for 26 years to a beautiful woman. We have three beautiful daughters.
In parallel to work and family life, I’ve been on a personal journey of my own.
All of this flows together.
I am joining this project because I am passionate about business’s contribution to the evolution of humanity in the 21st century. My conviction is that a business can be a great community, a place where people learn, grow and serve, discovering and creating their own authentic lives. I believe that that kind of business community can be – indeed tends to be – wildly abundant. I am convinced that creating a great human environment at work is a fantastic recipe for commercial success.
I believe that the sort of business community I am talking about must be built around a genuine caring concern for people. In this blog, my intention is to boldly use the word “love” to describe this way of being. I mean the sort of unconditional love for one another that is sometimes expressed through the Greek word “agape.”
My experience is that speaking of love and business in the same breath is often seen as controversial. I understand that many people working for generative growth and improvement in business would choose more conventional, palatable language, like “respect,” for example. I honour that point of view, but will argue that the time for clarity and forthrightness in our language has come, taking all the risks into account. I honour those voices that have been courageous in “speaking the name of love” in the business context; my intention is to add my voice to that chorus.
I send love and blessings to all who read this. I am really looking forward to the conversation.
Scott
business · heart · inspiration · leadership · love · service · work
No comments yet.
Leave a Reply
<< Why love?
