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The financial and climate crises, global consumption habits, and other 21st-century challenges call for a "killer app." I think I've found it: philosophy. Philosophy can help us address the (literally) existential challenges the world currently confronts, but only if we take it off the back burner and apply it as a burning platform in business, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.

Fresh from his appearance with best-selling author and acclaimed New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Dov Seidman writes about why we need to reconnect with sustainable values. The recent event featured a lively conversation between Seidman and Friedman that examined approaches to restoring growth, significance and leadership in the 21st century and explored the urgent need for sustainable rather than situational values today.

Trusting relationships drive successful businesses, whether you’re a CEO ... or a suki, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. While the suki — a favored local market vendor who sees to customers’ needs through thick and thin — may be a social phenomenon unique to the Philippines, there is a larger story here: Good business is the outcome of connections based on values and principles.

Everywhere I travel, I hear the same refrains: "We need more regulation," or on the flip side, "If we hadn't deregulated, we wouldn't be in this financial mess." More regulation could be a very good thing, but we shouldn’t rush to regulation without asking whether it’s a list of prohibitive rules or something deeper, something that inspires consistent and right behavior, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.

Out of the ashes of the recession, the “ethical consumer” has risen — or so says a recent TIME story. In this “Responsibility Revolution,” the companies that win will be the ones that act and behave according to values and principles. Although this new social contract among consumers, business and government is impressive, we are just at the start of a long climb, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.

Recently, a Web site caught my eye because it’s about a topic that interests me: the power of apologies, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. The site, Apology Center, enables visitors to post stories about things they have done wrong and then seek forgiveness from the online community. The site may be fun, but is it effective? No, because a true apology, in the simplest terms, goes all the way.

To many people, sustainability means solar panels, wind turbines and LEED-certified buildings. But sustainability is more than just going green or being green. It's a way of thinking about business — a mode of leadership and behavior that aims to create lasting value as opposed to piling up short-term transactional wins, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.

Lots of explanations have been put forward for the financial meltdown, but in a blog posting at Harvard Business Publishing, management expert Tom Davenport offers up his own explanation: too many jerks in the wrong places, making bad decisions. I believe that collaboration can not only prevent bad decisions but become an engine of growth and innovation, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.

A story about the “honor system” adopted by golf courses in Scotland caught my eye, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. The courses allow golfers to pay green fees by dropping payment into an unmonitored box. The policy reflects the core traditions and values of golf: the qualities of honesty and integrity that have shaped the sport. And companies can learn a lot from the honor system.

Each week, Jack Welch and his wife, Suzy Welch, answer reader questions and share their views about “winning” on the back page of BusinessWeek. With Jack and Suzy off this week, the publication invited me to submit a column. It is meaningful for me to sit in, and I have taken the opportunity to talk about the role of trust and, specifically, how to extend trust as a business strategy.