Sign-In
Cart
Upstream: The Hidden Power of Small Business to Fix Global Supply Chains
Paperback
Business GeneralManagementSocial Movements
Publisher: Brian Iselin
Published: May 29 2026
Pages: 118
Weight: 0.37
Height: 0.25 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The companies most people have never heard of are the ones with the most power to change the world. This book explains why - and shows them how.
Every morning, somewhere in your supply chain, something happens that you did not order and do not know about. Workers in debt bondage on fishing vessels. Factories that pass audits and run forced overtime. Children in mines whose cobalt ends up in devices sold in your shop. Not as exceptions. As standard conditions in global supply chains that were designed, at every tier, to keep that information away from the companies who could actually do something about it.
Those companies are small businesses. Maybe yours.
Upstream is the book the compliance industry does not want small business owners to read - because it demolishes the central myth that human rights due diligence is a large-company problem requiring large-company resources. Drawing on thirty years of field experience as a UN advisor, Federal Agent, and counter-slavery practitioner, Brian Iselin shows that small and medium businesses occupy a uniquely powerful position in the global supply chain: close enough to the source to see what's actually there, agile enough to act on it, and - when they choose to - impossible to ignore.
What you'll find inside:
- Why I didn't know stopped being a legal defence in 2011 - and what the regulatory wave building since then means for your business right now
- How a small UK chocolate company got a major Colombian processor to open its supply chain - using nothing but ethical leverage
- Why the audit industry sells certainty it cannot deliver, and what actually works instead
- The half-day supply chain map that reveals your real human rights exposure
- How small companies in the same sector are solving together what none of them could solve alone
- A 90-day quick-start plan, practical toolkits, and a 20-question human rights health check you can complete this week
The regulations are coming - the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the German Supply Chain Act, the Norwegian Transparency Act, US forced labour import bans. The companies that treat this as a competitive opportunity rather than a compliance burden are already winning sourcing contracts, attracting talent, and building supply chain relationships that hold when the next crisis hits.
You do not need to be large to matter upstream. You need to be intentional.
Upstream is for founders, owners, and leaders of small and medium businesses who are ready to stop waiting for someone else to fix the problem - and start with what they can actually do.
Also from
Iselin, Brian
Invisible Governors: How Automated Systems Took Power - and How We Take It Back
Iselin, Brian
Paperback
Invisible Governors: How Automated Systems Took Power - and How Democracies Get It Back
Iselin, Brian
Paperback
How Europe Will Decide the China Century: Europe, China, and the Next World Order
Iselin, Brian
Paperback
The Responsible Organisation: Why Protecting People Stays on Paper - and the Leadership System That Makes It Real
Iselin, Brian
Paperback
Also in
Management
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Patterson, Kerry
Switzler, Al
Grenny, Joseph
Paperback
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences
Winters, Mary-Frances
Paperback
The Art of Communication: How to Be Authentic, Lead Others, and Create Strong Connections
Apps, Judy
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Gallo, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2027: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Bac
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Wilkins, Muriel M.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Paperback
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Terry, Joe
Kriegel, Jessica
Hardcover
What Could Possibly Go Right?: The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture
Meyer, Danny
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Ibarra, Herminia
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Paperback
The Year in Tech, 2027: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Davenport, Thomas H.
Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
Bookkeeping - Accounting for Small Business: A Quickstudy Laminated Reference Guide
Epstein, Lita
Other
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Wickman, Gino
Bouwer, Tom
Hardcover
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Workbook 25th Anniversary Edition: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Raz, Tahl
Voss, Chris
Hardcover
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
Watkins, Michael D.
Hardcover
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Paperback
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
The Year in Tech, 2026: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Anthony, Scott D.
Webb, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work
Bethea, Aiko
Hardcover
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Porter, Michael E.
Kim, W. Chan
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
From Operator to Owner: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Running a Business That Doesn't Run You
Landry, Liz
Hardcover
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Grant, Heidi
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Hill, Linda A.
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2026: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by
Flyvbjerg, Bent
Review, Harvard Business
Meyer, Erin
Paperback
Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World
Iansiti, Marco
Lakhani, Karim R.
Hardcover
Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports
Rubenstein, David M.
Hardcover
Generative Ai: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Mollick, Ethan
Cremer, David De
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation
Tedards, Emily
Wild, Jason
Hill, Linda A.
Hardcover
Getting You Ready for Power: A Woman's Guide to Building Confidence, Community, and Career Success
Meruelo, Alexis
Paperback
The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
Pentak, William
Leman, Kevin
Hardcover
The 360 Degree Leader Workbook: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Smith, Tom
Hickman, Craig
Connors, Roger
Paperback
The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Horowitz, Ben
Hardcover
Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress
Engle, Greg
Moesta, Bob
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (Featuring What Makes a Leader by Daniel Goleman)
Ibarra, Hermina
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Playing to Win, Expanded with Bonus HBR Articles: How Strategy Really Works
Martin, Roger L.
Lafley, A. G.
Hardcover
Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away
Gelles, David
Hardcover
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
Heen, Sheila
Patton, Bruce
Stone, Douglas
Paperback
The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth about Extraordinary Results
Keller, Gary
Papasan, Jay
Hardcover
Indispensable: How to Become the Company That Your Customers Can't Live Without
Calloway, Joe
Hardcover
Biblia del Vendedor: Tecnicas Efectivas Para El Vendedor Competitivo
Dey, Alejandro
Dey, Alex
Paperback
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People
Chapman, Gary
White, Paul
Paperback
How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated for the Next Generation of Leaders
Carnegie, Dale
Hardcover
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life
Murphy, Jim
Paperback
Team Topologies, 2nd Edition: Organizing Business and Technology for Fast Flow of Value
Skelton, Matthew
Pais, Manuel
Paperback
The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders
Grossman, David
Paperback
The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt
Sutton, Robert I.
Paperback
Say This, Not That: How to Master 7 Dreaded Conversations As a Leader in the Modern Workplace
Flickinger, Chris
Paperback
The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation
Werner, Jana
Le-Brun, Phil
Hardcover
You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference
Sanborn, Mark
Hardcover
Psychological Safety (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Auger-Dominguez, Daisy
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Paperback
The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition
Galford, Robert
Green, Charles
Maister, David H.
Paperback
Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want
Richardson, John
Qureshi, Attia
Hardcover
The Adaptability Quotient: Rewiring Your Mind for Success in the Next Human Era
Litowitz, Alec
Hardcover
The Things We Hide: A Guide to Identifying Hidden Barriers and Leading with Authenticity
Dickerhoof, Tyler
Hardcover
Be Our Guest-Revised and Updated Edition: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
The Disney Institute
Hardcover
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
Hardy, Benjamin
Sullivan, Dan
Hardcover
The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth
Zook, Chris
Allen, James
Hardcover
The Lean Six SIGMA Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to Nearly 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed
Rowlands, David T.
Price, Mark
George, Michael L.
Paperback
Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential
Wilkins, Muriel M.
Hardcover
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
Thorndike, William N.
Hardcover
Rewired: McKinsey's Playbook on How Leading Companies Win with Technology and AI
Smaje, Kate
Levin, Robert
Lamarre, Eric
Hardcover
The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Michelli, Joseph A.
Hardcover
Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
Chamine, Shirzad
Hardcover
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
Grashow, Alexander
Linsky, Marty
Heifetz, Ronald A.
Hardcover
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
Leadership and Self-Deception, Fourth Edition: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results
Arbinger Institute
Paperback
The Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People
Willett, Alan
Paperback
Rollout: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision
Smith, Marisa
Fahey, Beth
Hardcover
$100m Lost Chapters: Lost Treasures from $100M Offers, $100M Leads, and $100M Money Models
Hormozi, Alex
Hardcover
Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes
Wheelwright, Tom
Paperback
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
Kotter, John
Rathgeber, Holger
Hardcover