The Global Environment and The 7 Virtues

Photo retrieved from: http://www.the7virtues.com/
orange_blossom.html

The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc is a perfumer which started in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The CEO Barb Stegemann came to CBC’s Dragon’s Den where she partnered with W. Brett Wilson, CEO of CANOE Financial. (The 7 Virtues, 2011, The 7 Virtues Story) The key component of the fragrance marketed on Dragon’s Den was Afghanistan Orange Blossom. Now they also have scents featuring Afghani Noble Rose and Haitian Vetiver, available at The Bay.

The 7 Virtues purchases their orange blossom and rose essential oils from Abdullah Arsala, who employs his tribe seasonally as the owner of a distillery in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The intent is to encourage farmers to grow flowers for a legal perfume industry. (The 7 Virtues, 2001, Q & A) This is opposed to the illegal poppy industry in Afghanistan used to produce heroin. They also hope to encourage other businesses to trade with war-torn countries to aid rebuilding and promote peace. (The 7 Virtues, 2011, The 7 Virtues Story)

By design, The 7 Virtues purchases the signature ingredients of their perfumes from volatile countries. These countries experience intense political unrest. Possible outcomes could be violent events, trade embargoes, or farmers being forced into the illegal poppy trade to fund crimes of war. If something were to happen to Abdullah Arsala and his distillery in Jalalabad, The 7 Virtues would be without a product.  This is where they find their challenges and their opportunities. Undoubtedly there are less expensive and more reliable places to source essential oils than Afghanistan and Haiti. They must offer a reasonable price for the product, because they are competing with the poppy industry for workers.  Supplies could be cut off at any time.

The CEO of The 7 Virtues needs to have a contingency plan to deal with the uncertainties of their economy. However, the very existence of The 7 Virtues is a reaction to an unstable Global Economy. Barb Stegemann seeks to provide farmers with a legal means of subsistence in places where political instability and unrest had taken it away from them.

Where did the name come from? Stegemann’s book  “The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen - a woman’s guide to living & leading in an illogical world’ lists the seven virtues as “Wonder, Moderation, Truth, Courage, Justice, Wisdom and Beauty”.  (The 7 Virtues, 2001, Q & A, para.8) If we were to consider the traits of a leader, could some of these virtues be applicable? How would our management style differ if we were to incorporate “Wonder”, for example, into our daily lives?

 I believe that Barb Stegemann has become a Transformational Leader. (Jones, George, Rock, Haddad, 2010, pg.291)  On a small scale she has instigated ethical global reformative change. Her purchasing decisions are made in respect to the Global Economy, and bring Afghani and Haitian workers into that sphere of economy legally. This can inspire others to act on a larger scale.

References

The 7 Virtues, 2010, The 7 Virtues Fragrance Collection, Retrieved from: http://www.the7virtues.com/

Jones, G.R., George, J. M., Rock, M., Haddad, J.W., (2010) Essentials of Contemporary Management (3^rd Canadian Ed.) McGraw-Hill Ryerson