We lead in a seminal age for humanity. What will be our legacy?
Business often gets a bad rap for its ethics and sometimes with justification, but let us not be blinded to the transformational space that it can be and is in many cases.
Recently, I was introduced to someone who had been very generous and helpful to a friend of mine and I shared my appreciation for his actions. We were then talking about his business sector and I felt on safe ground to express my dismay at some of the sharp practices happening, feeling sure he wouldn’t be involved in these.
He though acknowledged he also engaged in them but just shrugged his shoulders and said with a charming smile “business is business!”
The expression “business is business” is used as shorthand for saying business is somehow separate and operates with a different set of rules. This, I think is a sleight of hand, an excuse we grant ourselves for actions we cannot justify otherwise – a kind of moral shield to protect us when we turn business practice towards selfish personal gain.
This though is only part of the picture and belies the enormous possibilities and even responsibilities that exist for businesses with their ability to transform personal lives and society in very positive ways.
Business is an organising principle
“Business” is not a “thing”. It is an organising principle given to a range of activities that take place in life which entail inputs and outputs. This is the case for commercial companies, governments, charities, not for profit, religions, families and so on.
A business is no more than an expression of the people that own, manage and work for it. There is nothing ever the matter with “business” that isn’t a reflection of those that foster its activities.
Some judge a business simply by its profit performance. But this narrow thinking is surely to impoverish not only most of its stakeholders but also the many ways in which businesses can be a force for good. The best aim of a business must be surely to fulfil a purpose that meets a need and when done well, make a profit.
David Packard, of Hewlett Packard once described business as: “A group of people who get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not separately, they make a contribution to society and produce something of value”.
Meaning and Purpose
As humans we are Meaning makers. Meaning is core to our lives and infuses our actions with purpose and inspires us to do what we do.
Energised by our purpose we evolve values, goals and create visions.
Leaders whose life and business purposes are in alignment report enhanced joy and fulfilment in life – which makes complete sense – because business is where we invest much of our energy. But when there is a mis-alignment the internal conflict this can generate within us will often lead to chronic stress, unhappiness and/or dis-ease.
Business in other words is not separate to life – it is an integral aspect of it.
Hosts of Society
A business is a host of Society. At its best, it can shape and enhance the society, enriching the lives of its citizens and establishing a mutually beneficial ecosystem. At its worst, a business can drain a society of energy, talent and wealth acting like a cancer with no respect or concern for its host.
Businesses are an essential and valuable aspect of society when their intrinsic values and interests are aligned with those of the society.
The question for us as leaders is how can our businesses create a mutually beneficial relationship that serves the company, society, humanity at large and the natural world as a whole. Without this approach societies will ultimately suffer, our businesses will, the natural world also and all who sail with them.
As leaders can identify and articulate the inspirational, “more than” vision of the company, that reaches beyond its own need to survive, make a profit and put food on the tables of its staff members, which can truly connect with all its stakeholders and inspire their full engagement because it serves also a higher purpose?
And if we seek to develop “disruptive” business models to gain super-extra benefits, should we not consider their impact on society if we are to consider ourselves acting for a greater good?
Business – a power for transformation
We can imagine business is a muscle of human endeavour that now has a unique opportunity, even a responsibility to act wisely for a greater purpose.
The business environment has the power to be personally transformational. It can also be a spark for affecting societal transformation as its operations impact on the wider stakeholders.
Many of us give most of the waking hours we have to our businesses – so to explore how we can do so meaningfully will surely have a tremendous impact on our personal ability to live meaningful lives, intelligently and purposefully.
Leadership
Resilient companies are founded upon enduring shared values that resonate with staff and society, and to deviate from these can quickly erode trust and bring about decline.
In his 2019 TED talk “The Dirty Secret of Capitalism” Nick Hanauer (link below) describes the economics that argues for enrichment of shareholders as a primary purpose … as the “gospel of selfishness” that has led in his words to the dangerous levels of inequality which now exist in many economies.
As leaders in this monumental era of human history is it not incumbent on us to ask ourselves; What is the greater purpose that we and our businesses serve? What is most meaningfully important and how can we balance the needs of the widest stakeholder community with those of shareholders?
CONCLUSION
In our hearts, we as leaders surely know what is of real value and if we’re paying attention to life, we can also feel when our actions and core values are not in alignment.
Meaningful solutions to humanities challenges, will surely only arise with an expanded perception, and understanding of a greater purpose than a simple profit motive.
As an arena in which we invest so much of our lives, perhaps we should not consider “Business as Business” but rather “Business as a vital part of a Fulfilled and Meaningful Life”.
We lead in a seminal age for humanity. What will be our legacy?
Greg Suart
Notes:
TED Talk: The Dirty Secret of Capitalism – a new way forward. Nick Hanauer (2019, 5.6m views) https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_hanauer_the_dirty_secret_of_capitalism_and_a_new_way_forward?subtitle=en
TED Talk: Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming. Nick Hanauer (2014, 2.8m views)https://www.ted.com/search?q=pitchforks
3 thoughts on “#01 Business is Business” Is that all?!”
Greg, thanks again for your invitation.
If not for your message, maybe I wouldn’t be here, after reading this post about your particular vision and mission in the attempt to guide and improve the understanding of what leading a business will represent to the post-modern society which we are part of (even after a seasoned career and full lived life time), as well as for to the next generations of stakeholders and leaders.
The main challenge to nurture a society really engaged in question the “modus operandi” of the current businesses around the world is: aside my own set of future goals I’d like to achieve, as an individual, I’m aware of the dangerous way the inequality I can generate with my actions across the life as servant, as leader, or both – alternating the roles as the life goes on?
I’m confident that, considering the nowadays stage of our society globally, if not by means of businesses the main concerns of mankind will not be even brought to the table – see the everlasting negotiations on the Plastic Treaty that found no substantial agreement yet, despite the big issue it represent to the nature and living beings, including our own bodies, with microplastics already part of our brains, by means of water consumption in plastic bottles, for instance?
Ethics and purpose in businesses are basic from now on. One thing is certain: for the big established organizations is a difficult trail realign concepts. For the new ones, there is space to innovate and encompass a different approach that can incorporate mitigation and low side effects for the planet, people and profits.
Hi Vagner and thx for your insights.
I need to admit to having been quite pessimistic about the future a couple of year ago – but now it is very different. I’m in no doubt that we face extra-ordinary challenges ahead – indeed a good proportion of humanity is already suffering these today.
But my mood shift is due to the realisation that we are at a pivotal time (moment) in human history of enormous consequence. How we show up and the decisions and choices made today and in the years ahead are rich in meaning – either personally or collectively or both.
There is a new paradigm arising – we know this if only because we recognise the old one is dying in plain sight. The thing is this though – although a new paradigm takes longer to arise that we may anticipate or hope for, when it does arrive – it happens faster than we can imagine. Suddenly, the tipping point is reached and the rest flows.
This may be metamorphosis – which as we know has a beautiful outcome – but we need to remember that the caterpillar dissolves first into a nutrient soup. Bad news if we identify with the caterpillar – good news if we identify with the butterfly.
We do not live in a material universe – all matter arises from consciousness, quantum field, ground of Being – or whatever name we may choose to give to it.
Therefore if we raise our consciousness we enter a different paradigm. These topics are coming into my conversations with guests who each has brilliant insight – but none subscribe to the mechanistic extractive world view that is the prevalent Western culture of today. Its day is closing out one way or another!
I’d appreciate your comments on this Vagner : )
Be Well … Greg
Well said, Greg.
I’m aligned with your way of thinking, just adding a personal “sauce”:
– Focusing on the “butterfly” – and the broad meaning its wings bring to our common future, not losing from our sight the opposite hazards that caterpillars can offer also along the time of our development, only trying to expand/grow without the basic checks already available to be done in the attempt to avoid damages to the society and the planet.
Best of luck in your endeavours.
Warm and fraternal hug,
Vagner.
🤲🌎🤲