Discover A Radical & Urgent New Vision For Business, Brands, And Our Future

A bold and actionable roadmap for how business works together in new ways to drive growth by solving the pressing issues of our time.

“Business as usual” no longer serves us. The economic, business, and environmental models of the past do not reflect our current realities. And for our economy—for us—to survive, we need nothing less than a seismic shift in the way we do business.

 

Enter Simon Mainwaring, New York Times-bestselling author and founder and CEO of We First. A decade ago his first book showed how business leaders and consumers could use social media to build a better world.

 

Now, after decades of research and field experience at the vanguard of the world’s most successful brand revolutions, he provides in Lead With We an actionable blueprint for how to harness the power of business to transform our lives and future.

The Best Hope For Business

After multiple worldwide crises, we’re primed for the most expansive and substantive global evolution we’ve experienced since the Industrial Revolution. Business leaders are best positioned to facilitate meaningful change not only for our coffers—but for the collective good.

 

That starts with telling a different story. Editing, rewriting, and revising the whole business narrative. With better, more collaborative definitions of ‘growth’ and ‘success.’ It’s this combination of stakes, stakeholders, and story that’s different about this movement toward a more regenerative future.

 

Only business has the reach, resources, and responsibility to Lead this revolution. To rise to this, perhaps the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced – We must act accordingly, urgently—and collectively.

 

—Simon Mainwaring

Timely and compelling, this book’s message is simple:
The future of profit is people’s purpose, aligned.

Lead With We is a radical reimagining and reengineering of business based on the idea of collectivized purpose, showing how we live, work, and grow together in new ways that restore and protect the social and living systems on which all of our futures depend.

WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER

LEAD

  • Leadership has never been more important, nor in greater need of redefinition.
  • New imperatives occasioned by our world in turmoil mean we must now magnify the definition of leadership to become LEAD WITH WE.
  • Without a radical reimagining of the philosophy, form, and function of business, its leaders of today will become increasingly accountable for the cost to all tomorrow.

WITH

  • WITH is a verb that creates the collective noun WE through all our decisions and actions to cooperate, to serve each other, to hold ourselves accountable to each other.
  • WITH is the engine that drives the philosophy behind, and the actions of, our leadership.
  • Put it simply, we’re always stronger together than we are apart.

WE

  • All efforts lead to WE.
  • This Higher WE encompasses us all working together with empathy, respect, and diligence for the benefit of each other, ourselves, other and the planet itself.
  • Actually living and doing business that synergizes, enhances, nurtures, and bolsters – rather than ruins and degenerates – nature.
  • This requires a fundamental shift in the way we perceive the world so that we can change the way we act in it.

Take the
We First Purpose Assessment
to find out if your company is Leading With We

Have your team members take the Lead With We assessment for $99 each to get their evaluation of where your company is on its "lead with we" journey, as well as suggested action steps.
Get insights from 10 or more of your employees, we'll schedule a 45-minute meeting with me and my team to discuss your audit findings, make specific recommendations, and troubleshoot your most critical challenges.

ORDER LEAD WITH WE TO RECEIVE THE EXCLUSIVE CHAPTER
"URGENCY AND OPTIMISM: HOW TO LEAD WITH WE" NOW

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Offer: Order one book or more from any retailer and receive the free bonus chapter, "Urgency and Optimisim: How to Lead With We".

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Offer: Two-part online workshop + signed/numbered page from manuscript + live Q&A

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Offer: The free bonus chapter,"Urgency and Optimisim: How to Lead With We" bonus chapter + signed/numbered page from manuscript + live Q&A + a dinner (limited to 20 people)

The global pandemic and recent cultural crises have shined a brighter, more deliberate light on the need for businesses to lead with their purpose rather than what drives the bottom line. Simon has long been a leading voice signaling that, without brand purpose, businesses will be left behind. In many of my conversations with Simon, we’ve discussed at length that brands can no longer sit safely on the sidelines of important cultural and societal issues, but must instead become beacons for positive change by leveraging their platforms, resources and initiatives to take a stand. To do this is not only the right thing to do as human beings but has now become an expectation of today’s consumer as more are choosing to align with brands that share personal beliefs. While the decision to commit to action on societal issues may result in some consumers choosing to no longer support your business, you must have the intestinal fortitude to be ok with that. As we all continue to navigate the intersect of consumer expectations and the role of brands in leading with purpose, Simon’s book – Lead With We— is a must-have resource for any business leader or decision maker to have on hand.

Doug Palladini Global Brand President, Vans

"Lead With We is a roll-up your sleeves, let’s get to work, real results guide to leveraging business's ingenuity, influence and power to transform our society. The visionary ideas are grounded in research, case studies and practical recommendations so that businesses of any size can start their journey. With this book, everyone can be part of the solution and improve our communities and environment in ways that also build their business."

Letitia Webster Managing Director, Chief Sustainability Officer, Merchant Banking Division, Goldman Sachs

"COVID-19 -- like the climate crisis, inequality and so many of the world’s challenges — has proved that we must work together for the future of our planet. With a vacuum of coherent political leadership, who can step in to provide the narratives and actions that will bind us together? In this deeply insightful book, Simon Mainwaring argues that every one of us can lead with “we”, breaking down false barriers and working towards a common goal. With clear guidelines and specific steps, this is not only an inspiring call to action, but a practical blueprint for a better future, and the role we can all play in getting there.”

Philip Thomas Chairman, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

In the wake of the devastation caused by COVID-19, we all have an unparalleled opportunity to enable a deep transformation of our society, our economy and our lives to once and for all. Now is the time to face the challenges that were there pre-COVID, from the climate emergence to deep, structural racism and inequality, but in a COVID world have come into sharp relief, with the seemingly futile past attempts to solve for these challenges laid bare. We now understand planetary health equals human health and it just isn’t possible to have a healthy economy without healthy people and a healthy planet. But, how exactly do we seize this moment of profound and unsettling change and create the future we all want to see? This book goes a long way to spell out that blueprint. It provides practical guidance that could enable us to rewire the world around us to create the conditions in which all people flourish, and our fragile planet flourishes too. From shifting mindsets, shifting narratives to shifting the very purpose of business and brands, Simon Mainwaring, shows us the way. And the most important takeaway from this book? We all have a role to play. Every single one of us has agency. It’s time to unlock our passion, our desire for something better, now. And create the future we want.

Dr Sally Uren OBE, Chief Executive, Forum for the Future

“Today’s social and environmental challenges represent an enormous opportunity for business leaders who can seize this moment to lead collaboratively. Mainwaring emphasizes the importance of collective impact and helps us reimagine business and work together, in waysthat serve everyone. This is the great imperative of our times and Lead With We shows us how we can get there.”

Sophie Bambuck Chief Marketing Officer, Everlane

    1. Order Lead With We from your favorite bookseller and copy your receipt number

    2. Receive the bonus chapter, "Urgency and Optimism: How to Lead With We".
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      HAVE SIMON SPEAK AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

      A thought leader defining the future of business, branding, and leadership, Simon is a sought-after international speaker whose presentations engage and inspire audiences to think and act in new ways. He’s been voted a Top 5 Marketing Speaker by speaking.com for 5 years in a row and featured on the cover of the National Speaker’s Magazine. In 2020, he was a Real Leaders Top 50 Keynote Speaker in the World. Customized packages that include the purchasing of books as part of Simon’s fees are available to provide added value for your audience.

      For media inquiries regarding Simon Mainwaring and Lead With We please contact:

      Jill Lindeman | jill@wefirstbranding.com | +1.310.450.0352