Moral Ambition

In Moral Ambition, Rutger Bregman poses a powerful question: what if the brightest minds of our generation focused their talents on the great challenges of our time? The Dutch historian calls for people to see their own careers as a moral choice - with the potential to make the world a radically better place. Bregman uses historical examples to show what moral ambition means in practice: How does one man in 1785 push for the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain? How did it come about that many Jewish families were hidden in a village in the Netherlands during the Nazi era and thus survived the Holocaust? What was behind the targeted campaign, triggered by Rosa Parks, that decisively advanced the civil rights movement in the USA?
These stories make it clear: You don't become a good person and therefore do good things - you do good things and become a good person as a result.
Bregman criticizes today's world of work, which often makes little contribution to solving real problems, even though many of the people working in it have enormous potential.
At the same time, Bregman is also harshly critical of a certain type of idealism: in Generation Z in particular, morality is often reduced to renunciation - no flying, no meat, no children. A life of renunciation may seem consistent, but moral ambition means more than doing no harm.
Even the loudest scream on social networks is no substitute for strategic change. Awareness is only the beginning - not the end. What is needed are effective idealists: Visionary in their goals, but also pragmatic in their implementation.
An impressive conclusion of the book is: “In the fight against injustice, winning is a moral truth.” Good intentions alone are not enough. Change requires strategy, perseverance and the willingness to go where it counts.
Moral Ambition is a courageous, intelligent and challenging book for anyone who wants more than a clear conscience - namely a better world. It invites you to see your life as an opportunity to make a real difference.

That's why Tripl3Leader recommends this book. Read it. Give it to your managers or colleagues. And if you want to work on it more deeply in your leadership team and are looking for moderation and input, please contact us!

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Here you can find a comment on LinkedIn with a critical view about the book.