Our world has become complex and defies simple solutions.  Yet, instead of amplifying our collective wisdom and nurturing our capacity for critical thinking, it appears our commitment to thorough inquiry has gradually waned. Instead of asking more profound questions, more often, we endorse reductionism and convenient pragmatism; prioritizing subjective preferences, scientific dogma, or monetary gains. Instead of being guided by radical care for the humanities, we proclaim that markets and technology are intrinsically ethical and emancipative. Exacerbating our plight, we have siloed our expertise – between society and economy, academia and practice, scientific disciplines, philosophy and business. Paradoxically, we have thus become both the most powerful creatures that ever were, and the most constrained in our ability to reconnect with the essence of who we are, in order to flourish together.

Therein lies great danger. Societal challenges are rapidly growing, demanding urgent and thoughtful responses. If we agree that the power of economic activity must, first and foremost, enable our humanity, then leaders across institutions must step fully into their civic responsibility - beyond any superficial maximisation of profits or customer satisfaction. Businesses and organisations must honour and nurture their impact on human well-being and the natural ecology. Yet, alternative blueprints for and exemplars of good leadership and management are hard to find; and contemporary recipes for societal and organisational transformation are often fragmented, unethical, or not based on the best available evidence. 

Thus, for our own sake, we must abandon the comforts of unsatisfactory certitudes and embark on an inquiry to discover what it really means for modern organisations and modern leaders to become "good". We must abandon Business Schools and the propaganda of many best-selling management textbooks  that perpetuate a reductionist and dysfunctional myth of leadership, socialising an anglo-american ideology of utility maximisation, rather than developing true capacity for wisdom across society. Resurrecting a "philosophical approach" to management and leadership, and rekindling an ancient spirit of contemplative wonder, we shall use transdisciplinary dialectics to bring to life the best of our humanity within the best of our economy.

Admittedly, this will not be for the faint of heart. As Andre' Comte-Sponville, the French philosophy, eloquently stated: philosophy is an arduous task, requiring effort, study, and the use of appropriate tools. To philosophize is to think critically and act responsibly within context, whilst drawing on the wisdom of both past and contemporary thinkers. Likewise, good leadership requires both personal and intellectual development, as well as courage, commitment and compassion to challenge established authority and the status quo. And it needs credible practices to foster organisational transformation and emancipation on a societal scale. Only through the dialogic development of 'ourselves-in-organizations-in-economy-in-society' can we hope to attain a good society for all.

Therefore, we are reaching out to a select group of distinguished minds; researchers and practitioners who share our passion for ethical transformation, and who are willing to impart their wisdom and lessons learned. Our hope is that these dialogues will help to generate a powerful and practical narrative about good organisations, and guide us in becoming the conscious, courageous and caring leaders humanity needs.

Like any voyage into uncharted territory, the initial steps must be intimidating and discouraging for many. But fear not! Once you have mastered the sometimes arcane and esoteric vocabulary of philosophy, the rewards can be profound! We hope you will find as much joy and insights in these discussions as we have, and wish you the very best on your personal odyssey of learning.