If we all simply considered the short—and long-term impact of our actions on the affected stakeholders to always output the most happiness or “good” into the world, wouldn't that be the best way to ensure a better society? This idea aligns with utilitarianism, the ethical theory that suggests actions are right if they result in the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.

In theory, utilitarianism is a good thing. It aims to maximise overall happiness, leading to better outcomes for everyone. However, it does not account for how we arrive at that outcome, which on an individual level, can lead to you becoming a happiness/utility pump, giving up your own enjoyment for that of other people. On a societal level, it can also lead to the justification of immoral actions such as abuse. 

So how do we address this? An approach to consider is negative utilitarianism, a variant of it where preventing suffering is emphasised as the highest moral priority, which is then followed by maximising happiness. By shifting focus from solely maximizing overall happiness or utility, negative utilitarianism allows us to avoid an “ends justify the means,” mentality.

What if the principles of negative utilitarianism were applied not only to individual ethics but also to organizational practices? In a way, they already have been—through the concept of net-positivity. Net-positivity for businesses aims to go beyond CSR and net-zero, moving past just doing no harm to actively doing good.

The word “net-positive” is often associated with companies which create value from values. We often see case studies on companies that do so, such as Unilever, due to courageous leaders who step up to create positive change on an organizational scale, making an impact not just on their own lives but also on the wider community around them. This approach is defined as steward leadership.

The stewardship mindset is having the desire to create a collective better future for stakeholders, society, future generations and the environment encompassing the four values of long-term view, interdependence, ownership mentality and creative resilience alongside your own personal values. 

By integrating a balanced approach to ethics through negative utilitarianism while embracing stewardship values, we build a comprehensive framework for net positivity.

Being Net-Positive Through Steward Leadership

Net positivity, at its core, revolves around creating win-win solutions through that uplift everyone involved. By prioritizing mutual benefit, we can create solutions that prevent harm while proactively doing good—shifting from merely minimizing negative outcomes to actively contributing to positive change. Ultimately, embracing a stewardship mindset to create a collective better future. 

Of course, trying to be a net-positive individual isn’t an easy undertaking. Just like net positivity for businesses and organisations, it’s a complex challenge that cannot be done overnight. However, by focusing on your own positive and negative impact on the environment, your wider community and society as a whole, you can identify factors that lead to you having a negative impact instead of a neutral or positive one. Setting realistic and achievable goals to create positive change in your community can also help integrate net-positivity more deeply into your life. 

Net-positivity, at the end of the day, is a choice which is built on ethics and activated by steward leadership. We should use our power responsibly to achieve the best possible outcomes for both ourselves and society.