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CHAPTER NINEThe Soft Stuff Is the Hardest

THE “SOFT STUFF” IN BUSINESS—the people side of things—is almost invariably both the most difficult and the most important part of the equation. This is true regardless of whether the firm is driven by money or by mission.

The people side of things is a two-edged sword in a mission-driven business. On the one hand, values-based businesses are, by definition, engaged in work that has a larger purpose, and thus they are able to tap into a level of employee energy and commitment that their profit-driven ...

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