When you purchase an item after clicking a link from this post, we may earn a commission.
Devin: What do you see as your superpower?
Paul: I'm not sure I have a superpower, but I think if I if I have a superpower, it's I love to learn. Throughout my career—I tell people who think about getting a PhD, “What's the best thing about the career is you can change careers without changing jobs.” I have looked at, over the course of my career, how businesses earn long-term profits, why some are sustainable over time—in terms of pure profitability. I've looked at poverty. I've looked at strategic risk. Now I'm looking at sustainability. These are all different careers, and I get to do it without ever changing jobs. But the key is you got to keep learning.
One of the things I did about 15 or 16 years ago was set a goal to read 30 books that year because I'd ordered a bunch of books. As a professor, I'm like an addict. Amazon is like my best friend. So I thought, I'm going to read 30 books because I have this shelf full of books that I never read. I did it, and I learned a ton. What I've done over the last 15 years is probably averaged 20 to 30 books a year about all sorts of different things.
So, on my way home from Minneapolis on Sunday, I read Daniel Yergin's new book, The New Map, which is all about energy driving the world in the 21st century. And then I read David Baldacci's book, one of his novels. I'm also reading a book right now about the future of money and what is digital currency going to be.
So, I read promiscuously. I don't draw lines about what I'll read and what I won't read, but I read a lot, and that gives you a different perspective on the world. So, I think my superpower would be I know how to learn, and I love it, and I love to learn new things and try new things.
BYU Professor Paul Godfrey was a guest on the show last to talk about his book More than Money: Five Forms of Capital to Create Wealth and Eliminate Poverty. Eliminating poverty is one of my favorite topics and a goal I share with many of you; I think we can see the end of poverty in my lifetime.
So, when Paul reached out to share his new book, Clean: Lessons from Ecolab’s Century of Positive Impact, covering one of my other favorite topics, I was excited to have him back on the show.
AI Summary
Paul Godfrey, the 2022 outstanding faculty member at BYU's Business School and author of Clean: Lessons from Ecolab’s Century of Positive Impact, was interviewed on the Superpowers for Good show.
Godfrey's book explores Ecolab's proven principles of sustainability and how other organizations can adopt them.
The key principles are respect and integration.
Godfrey sees his superpower as loving to learn and reading 20-30 books a year on various topics.
In the interview, he discusses his book and the importance of a love of learning in personal and professional growth.
He offers insights on how to develop a passion for learning, including admitting a lack of knowledge, being willing to go deep, and engaging with experts.
The interview concludes with information on how to purchase the book and connect with Godfrey.
Guest-Provided Profile
Paul C. Godfrey (he/him)
William and Roceil Low Professor of Business Strategy, Godfrey & Associates
About Godfrey & Associates: Godfrey & Associates is a strategy consulting practice that helps individuals and organizations thrive in an uncertain and challenging world.
About BYU: Brigham Young University is a privately-owned major University that provides a full range of educational and development opportunities for students.
Biographical Information: Paul C. Godfrey, the William and Roceil Low Professor of Business Strategy at the BYU Marriott School of Business, received the school’s Outstanding Faculty Member award in 2022. His research has appeared in a number of premiere outlets, including Nature Biotechnology, and the Academy of Management Review. He has authored two textbooks, one about Strategy and one on Ethics in Business, and has written three other books. His 2020 book Strategic Risk Management: New tools for competitive advantage in an uncertain world helps executives and leaders understand, monitor, and manage the risks and opportunities central for strategic success. His latest book is Clean: Lessons from Ecolab’s Century of Positive Impact, which shows leaders the pathway to contributing to a more sustainable world.
Paul received his MBA and PhD degrees from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah. Paul and his wife, Robin, live in Salt Lake City, where they enjoy cooking, hiking, reading, and spending time with their five children and one grandchild.
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/paulcgodfrey
New Book Profiles Ecolab's Contribution to Sustainability As a Model for Replication