Return on Humanity
Leadership lessons from all corners of the world
Published on 23. April 2024
Book
Hardback
174 pages
978-1-78860-583-0 (ISBN)
Description
**Business Book Awards 2025 Finalist**
The Bottom Line is No Longer a Number.
Burnout. Disengagement. Disconnection. The old models of leadership are cracking, and the most resilient, high-performing businesses are moving in a new direction.
This international bestseller is a rallying cry for leaders and companies ready to evolve. Return on Humanity shows that putting people first isn't just the right thing to do, it's the most competitive strategy for long-term success.
Drawing on powerful stories from Syrian human rights advocates, Brazilian psychiatric reform, UK prisons, global businesses and more, Philippa White reveals how empathy, adaptability, and courage drive innovation, resilience, and results.
As Founder and CEO of TIE Leadership, Philippa has spent over 20 years helping corporate leaders rewire how they work - for good. In this book, she blends lived global experience with practical insights and powerful data to prove that humanity is not a soft skill. It's a business imperative. And will give us all a better future.
A finalist for the Business Book Awards in the Leadership category, Return on Humanity is more than a book. It's a blueprint for a new era of leadership.
Because when we prioritise humanity, businesses don't just perform better - they help build a better world.
This is a book for anyone who's ever asked: "Can business - and leadership - really be a force for good?"
If you're ready to spark engagement, ignite innovation, and lead with purpose, start here.
The Bottom Line is No Longer a Number.
Burnout. Disengagement. Disconnection. The old models of leadership are cracking, and the most resilient, high-performing businesses are moving in a new direction.
This international bestseller is a rallying cry for leaders and companies ready to evolve. Return on Humanity shows that putting people first isn't just the right thing to do, it's the most competitive strategy for long-term success.
Drawing on powerful stories from Syrian human rights advocates, Brazilian psychiatric reform, UK prisons, global businesses and more, Philippa White reveals how empathy, adaptability, and courage drive innovation, resilience, and results.
As Founder and CEO of TIE Leadership, Philippa has spent over 20 years helping corporate leaders rewire how they work - for good. In this book, she blends lived global experience with practical insights and powerful data to prove that humanity is not a soft skill. It's a business imperative. And will give us all a better future.
A finalist for the Business Book Awards in the Leadership category, Return on Humanity is more than a book. It's a blueprint for a new era of leadership.
Because when we prioritise humanity, businesses don't just perform better - they help build a better world.
This is a book for anyone who's ever asked: "Can business - and leadership - really be a force for good?"
If you're ready to spark engagement, ignite innovation, and lead with purpose, start here.
Reviews / Votes
In an age of AI, data and analytics. It's important to understand the value of human interaction and what it can do for business and society. This book is a must read. -Sir John Hegarty, Amazon 5*Finally a book that recognises what the world can teach business, rather than what business can teach the world. - Amazon 5*
Philippa's passion for and expertise in advocating for humanity within the corporate sphere radiate throughout the text, engaging the reader with a compelling call to action. -Amazon 5*
This is a truly seminal piece of work that not only demonstrates the benefit of a human-to-human approach to business but also highlights the imperative for a different approach to how we operate in the world, where people, the planet and business can all thrive. - Amazon 5*
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Tadley
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paper over boards
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
581 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78860-583-0 (9781788605830)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Philippa White is passionate about unlocking a return on humanity - in business and beyond.
She is an international bestselling author, speaker, social innovator, and the Founder and CEO of TIE Leadership, a UK-based organisation that has spent over 20 years transforming leaders by positioning humanity as a competitive advantage. Through her experiential leadership programs, keynotes, and her acclaimed book Return on Humanity: Leadership Lessons from All Corners of the World, Philippa helps leaders build human-centred, innovative and resilient cultures that drive business success. What sets her apart is her global perspective. Drawing from lived experiences across the world, she challenges traditional Western business norms and shows how the most powerful leadership lessons often come from diverse, unexpected places.
Born in South Africa, raised in Canada, and now based in Brazil, Philippa's people-first approach doesn't just boost performance, it supports a more sustainable and connected world. She has worked with some of the world's largest businesses and continues to advise organisations ready to embrace a more human, agile, and purpose-driven way of working. She is also the host of the TIE Unearthed podcast, the author of over 60 published articles and her book was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2025 business book awards in the leadership category. Philippa lives in Brazil with her two daughters. They love to spend weekends hanging out in the Atlantic rainforest with friends or exploring local beaches.
She also loves taking her 36kg German Shorthaired Pointer for walks in the countryside and when possible, whenever he's not sailing across the world, spending time with her partner at the marina either sailing or fixing up the boat he designed.
She is an international bestselling author, speaker, social innovator, and the Founder and CEO of TIE Leadership, a UK-based organisation that has spent over 20 years transforming leaders by positioning humanity as a competitive advantage. Through her experiential leadership programs, keynotes, and her acclaimed book Return on Humanity: Leadership Lessons from All Corners of the World, Philippa helps leaders build human-centred, innovative and resilient cultures that drive business success. What sets her apart is her global perspective. Drawing from lived experiences across the world, she challenges traditional Western business norms and shows how the most powerful leadership lessons often come from diverse, unexpected places.
Born in South Africa, raised in Canada, and now based in Brazil, Philippa's people-first approach doesn't just boost performance, it supports a more sustainable and connected world. She has worked with some of the world's largest businesses and continues to advise organisations ready to embrace a more human, agile, and purpose-driven way of working. She is also the host of the TIE Unearthed podcast, the author of over 60 published articles and her book was shortlisted as a finalist for the 2025 business book awards in the leadership category. Philippa lives in Brazil with her two daughters. They love to spend weekends hanging out in the Atlantic rainforest with friends or exploring local beaches.
She also loves taking her 36kg German Shorthaired Pointer for walks in the countryside and when possible, whenever he's not sailing across the world, spending time with her partner at the marina either sailing or fixing up the boat he designed.
Content
Cover Page
Praise for Return on Humanity
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Foreword
Introduction: A leader driven by his humanity
Section 1: Finding your humanity
Chapter 1: The special human ingredients
Creating connections
Flexibility and adaptability starting young
Checking egos at the door
My way or the highway
A shift to connection and belonging
Cultural intelligence and collaboration
The ripple effect and our dependence on others
Chapter 2: What liberates our human assets?
The power of disrupting zones of comfort
The power of wonder
The power of constraints
The power of perseverance with passion
The power of a positive mindset
The power of lived experience
The power of a beginner's mind
Chapter 3: The impact of using human assets
The impact of compassion and agency
The impact of empathy
The impact of self-awareness and living a life with intention
The impact of following your inner compass
The impact of resilience
The impact of expanding perspectives
Section 2: Creating more human leaders and companies
Chapter 4: The problem with old business paradigms
What if the main goal of business isn't to just make money?
What if hiring good humans is more important than just leaders?
What if companies choose to be at the service of their people?
What if business as usual is failing to benefit everyone?
Chapter 5: How a company becomes more human
Fostering relationships
Having a north star that resonates with people
Creating a happy working climate
Creating the space to empower others
Trusting the strength of difference
Celebrating egoless leadership and a shared purpose
Chapter 6: The gold dust hidden in the outside-in perspective
Placing real people in the driver's seat
Treating the planet as another customer
Chapter 7: The human stories behind corporate successes
Bringing out the best in leaders
Being a purpose-driven business: from humans to humans
Being in business to save the home planet
Forging long-lasting relationships over short-term efficiency
Putting humanity at the heart of design
Section 3: The outcome of the return on humanity
Chapter 8: Creating the necessary conditions for magic to happen
The power of integrating humanity into the financial equation
The power of forging unlikely partnerships
The power of reintegrating people into society
The power of building mutually beneficial relationships
Chapter 9: The world is a global village, and we are all responsible for its future
Becoming consciously aware that local problems are not isolated issues
Leveraging the power of the private sector
Bringing out the best of people through accountability
Shrinking divides to make the world more human
Chapter 10: The opportunities out there waiting to be embraced
Creating ripples of possibility
Lessons from a hummingbird
A final challenge
An invitation
Author's notes
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index
Praise for Return on Humanity
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Foreword
Introduction: A leader driven by his humanity
Section 1: Finding your humanity
Chapter 1: The special human ingredients
Creating connections
Flexibility and adaptability starting young
Checking egos at the door
My way or the highway
A shift to connection and belonging
Cultural intelligence and collaboration
The ripple effect and our dependence on others
Chapter 2: What liberates our human assets?
The power of disrupting zones of comfort
The power of wonder
The power of constraints
The power of perseverance with passion
The power of a positive mindset
The power of lived experience
The power of a beginner's mind
Chapter 3: The impact of using human assets
The impact of compassion and agency
The impact of empathy
The impact of self-awareness and living a life with intention
The impact of following your inner compass
The impact of resilience
The impact of expanding perspectives
Section 2: Creating more human leaders and companies
Chapter 4: The problem with old business paradigms
What if the main goal of business isn't to just make money?
What if hiring good humans is more important than just leaders?
What if companies choose to be at the service of their people?
What if business as usual is failing to benefit everyone?
Chapter 5: How a company becomes more human
Fostering relationships
Having a north star that resonates with people
Creating a happy working climate
Creating the space to empower others
Trusting the strength of difference
Celebrating egoless leadership and a shared purpose
Chapter 6: The gold dust hidden in the outside-in perspective
Placing real people in the driver's seat
Treating the planet as another customer
Chapter 7: The human stories behind corporate successes
Bringing out the best in leaders
Being a purpose-driven business: from humans to humans
Being in business to save the home planet
Forging long-lasting relationships over short-term efficiency
Putting humanity at the heart of design
Section 3: The outcome of the return on humanity
Chapter 8: Creating the necessary conditions for magic to happen
The power of integrating humanity into the financial equation
The power of forging unlikely partnerships
The power of reintegrating people into society
The power of building mutually beneficial relationships
Chapter 9: The world is a global village, and we are all responsible for its future
Becoming consciously aware that local problems are not isolated issues
Leveraging the power of the private sector
Bringing out the best of people through accountability
Shrinking divides to make the world more human
Chapter 10: The opportunities out there waiting to be embraced
Creating ripples of possibility
Lessons from a hummingbird
A final challenge
An invitation
Author's notes
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index