Isaac Getz & Laurent Marbacher: Why Care Beats Profit?

Isaac Getz and Laurent Marbacher — authors of The Caring Company (Wiley) — join us for a deep exploration of a powerful idea: companies that genuinely care outperform those that merely optimize. Their work challenges the dominant narrative of modern capitalism and introduces a disciplined, research-backed alternative — one where the common good becomes the organizing principle of business.

Drawing on years of global research and real-world observation, Getz and Marbacher reveal that most entrepreneurs are not primarily driven by profit. They seek freedom, meaning, and the chance to build something that leaves a mark. In this context, profit shifts from being the objective to becoming evidence that the system is working.

At the center of their thesis is a provocative leadership choice: stop balancing competing priorities and commit to one clear aim. Organizations that pursue the common good — and redesign their core processes around customers, suppliers, employees, and communities — often unlock higher trust, stronger loyalty, and more durable financial performance.

But this transformation does not begin with strategy. It begins with the leader. Caring companies are built by leaders willing to question inherited assumptions about transactions, growth, and success — leaders who understand that inner clarity is not soft thinking, but operational strength.

Across continents and industries, the patterns are striking. Banks that support local economies during crises instead of retreating. Supply chains rebuilt to protect human dignity rather than simply cut costs. Companies that treat employees as responsible adults and partners in value creation. Again and again, when care becomes embedded in the operating model — not delegated to CSR initiatives — resilience follows.

The implication is profound: the future of capitalism may belong to organizations that choose contribution over extraction and long-term relevance over short-term gain.

This conversation offers more than inspiration. It provides a strategic reframe for founders, executives, and investors alike — suggesting that caring is not the opposite of performance, but one of its most reliable drivers.

Key takeaways

• The philosophy behind The Caring Company positions care as a strategic advantage, not an ethical add-on.
• Entrepreneurs are often motivated by autonomy, meaning, and impact — not money alone.
• Treat profit as a consequence of a well-designed system.
• Redesign business processes to serve the full ecosystem, not just shareholders.
• Leadership transformation is the first step toward organizational transformation.
• Trust, resilience, and long-term performance compound when care is operationalized.