From Profit to Purpose: The Future of Modern Governance

In a world marked by multiple and interconnected global crises – climatic, economic, and social – companies and their leaders are called to go from profit to purpose and to rediscover the meaning of responsible leadership. Modern governance is no longer only about compliance, but about creating sustainable value through purpose-driven governance, built on education, ethics, and responsibility toward people and the planet.

This was the central theme of the fifth edition of the Governance Academy — a media project created by Envisia, Profit.ro, and Prima News — which brought together voices with complementary perspectives: Adriana Lobdă, Co-founder of Envisia, Claudiu Năsui, former Minister of Economy and Member of the Romanian Parliament, and Victoria Hurth, international expert in governance and sustainability. Moderator: Sebastian Zachmann.

A Shift in Paradigm: Why Profit Alone Is No Longer Enough for Organizational Well-being

For Adriana Lobdă, real change begins with education and a new value system that prioritizes meaning over mere financial results, redefining what economic success entails:

“I believe we’re entering a much deeper conversation, one with many roots. I believe we are talking about reinventing how we understand governance as a system based on people and, at the same time, understanding education and its role.”

She argues that education must become the foundation of a “new system of thought” — one in which ethics and responsibility are not optional but essential to long-term performance.

Profit Is Not the Problem, but the Way It Is Obtained

According to Claudiu Năsui, former Minister of Economy, profit remains a legitimate driver of the economy but must be viewed through the lens of the social value it creates:

“It is possible that in the pursuit of profit, the way you seek it determines whether you are actually creating value for society. In an ideal society, the pursuit of profit should benefit the whole society.”

The former minister explained that when profit is obtained through “social harm” – for example, through pollution – the state must intervene to correct the imbalances.

“If you ask me as a politician in Romania, I would say that the Romanian state does not do this very well. Other states manage to do it much better,” stated Năsui, explaining that although European systems such as cap and trade or Pigouvian taxes manage to internalize the costs of pollution, Romania remains far behind.

ISO 37011: A Standard that Places Purpose at the Core of Governance

For Dr. Victoria Hurth, the real transformation of sustainability and governance lies not only in correcting the system’s weaknesses but in redefining its direction:

“We have to recognize that the system we’ve built needs to be improved, needs to change.That is shown to us every day. We are deeply involved in it.”

She emphasizes that ISO 37011– the new global standard that extends the principles of ISO 37000 – proposes governance based on purpose and on net positive impact, embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) into decision-making and organizational goals. She believes that true governance begins with direction – the way decisions are made, how consequences are monitored, and how results are assumed. Without a clear direction, any economic, political, or organizational system risks accelerating in vain, losing its meaning and coherence.

“The problem of our system is that the goal of business or of the organization should not be only short-term profit. It must also be your capital, your actions, and your strategies. Everything is based on that.”

Centralization vs. Decentralized Planning

In an economic analysis, Claudiu Năsui compared two major models of organization: that of centralized planning and that of decentralized decision-making, based on ownership and individual responsibility.

“So far, humanity hasn’t found a better system than one where planning is decentralized — where you can calculate, correct, and decide what resources you consume and what resources you produce,” he explained.

He emphasized that centralized systems, such as communist ones, failed due to the lack of a mechanism for correcting errors. In capitalism, bankruptcy is that curative mechanism that prevents the destruction of value and forces adaptation.

Educated Leadership and Culture as Catalysts for Net Positive Value

True transformation cannot be merely structural — it must be human and educational. According to Adriana Lobdă, the future belongs to leaders shaped by empathy and purpose: “What we propose is to look at and equip leaders not only with skills. I believe that the ingredient that will truly need to be placed there is the idea of meaning, the idea of responsibility and empathy.”

She sees education as an instrument of cultural transformation, a bridge between the private and public sectors – an investment with a real “return on investment” at the organizational and macroeconomic levels.

Net Positive Value: Moving Beyond “Do No Harm”

Victoria Hurth highlighted the role of citizens in a healthy governance ecosystem, arguing that every individual must actively participate in shaping society, not live under stress and fear.

“We have to be part of society, to create a better and safer world. One problem of governance today is that we are constantly told through advertising and marketing that we cannot be happy if we don’t have that particular object.”

She added that true governance must take on the burden of social stress, not the citizens, and that dialogue and collaboration between people are essential for building a common direction.

In her vision, the transition from leadership for profit to leadership for well-being is inevitable: “We must move from leadership based on profit to leadership based on well-being. We must diagnose.”

Democracy and Its Limits Within Organizations

When asked about the democratic spirit in Romanian political and organizational structures, Claudiu Năsui offered a critical perspective:

“I would say it does not really work, not just in parties, but in most organizations. The problem is that we must first define what democracy means.”

He explained that purely vote-based mechanisms often maintain the status quo because those in power rarely surrender it voluntarily.

Governance for Purpose, Not Just for Process

In closing, Adriana Lobdă proposed redefining how we understand governance — not as a set of procedures and as a compliance checklist but as a system with meaning, centered on people and oriented toward a shared goal.

“We should shift our mindset from thinking about governance as processes to seeing it as a governance of purpose, a system directed toward a vision and a goal for the future,” stated the Envisia co-founder. 

She underlined the need for leaders with holistic vision, capable of assessing not only economic indicators but also the dynamics of quality of life and collective well-being.

Five Essential Ideas from the Experts

At the end of the discussion, the guests summarized five guiding principles for purpose-driven governance:

1. Ethics and education must be at the heart of any modern governance system.
2. Profit is not inherently harmful; the issue lies in the responsibility with which it is achieved.
3. Decentralized systems naturally correct errors and foster authentic value creation.
4. Educated, empathetic leaders can transform organizations from profit machines into catalysts for human and social well-being.
5. Future governance must rest on dialogue, responsibility, and a shared purpose, ensuring long-term performance and sustainability for both people and planet, without compromising the ability of current and future generations to meet their needs – governance for people and the planet, not just for numbers.

Academia de Guvernanță – Dialogue for a High-Performing Romania

A media project created by Prima News, Profit.ro, and Envisia, the first business school in Romania dedicated to governance and the professionalization of board members. Every Friday at 8:00 p.m. on Prima News. Replay on Tuesday at 11:00 p.m. Online on Profit.ro.

About Envisia

Envisia is the first business school in Romania dedicated to corporate governance and the professional training of board members. Through internationally accredited programs, masterclasses, and media projects such as Academia de Guvernanță, Envisia contributes to the development of leaders who transform the principles of good governance into performance and trust. Learn more at www.envisia.eu
 

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