The following is an excerpt from my book The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership:
Why not make the authentic self-expression of the human spirit the focus of business? People excel when they come into their own true voice and feel free to be exactly who they are. By energizing and encouraging individuals, corporations can not only achieve success, but they can also change the world. A heightened sense of self-worth is transformative.
For centuries the world of work and the world of spirituality have been separated. By “spiritual” in this context, I mean learning, growing, and blossoming on the inside. People typically worked on weekdays and went to church on Sunday. Workers sacrificed during the week in order to live more fully on the weekends, on vacations, and in retirement. But why? In the twenty-first century this trade-off is neither necessary nor optimal. Globally, engagement levels at work are exceptionally low. This is so for one reason. The experience of those who work has not yet become a big enough priority at work. Putting more personal meaning into work for each worker seems like such a timely way to reposition the very nature of work itself.
Imagine flipping the script. Imagine valuing employees first as amazing human beings, who, because they are amazing, will do great things for the company. It’s a subtle but significant transformation in thinking. The company is a platform for individual growth and self-exploration. The company is a place where humans can join teams, express themselves authentically, and find their voice. The company becomes a safe zone for individuals to come into their own power and then go forth and change the world. The company will benefit, but that benefit is a by-product of celebrating the human spirit.
The idea is to make the employees, not the company, the center of attention. It’s a philosophical and literal proposition that results in the shrinking of the ego of the corporate center.
Ironically, in this model, the company itself can achieve even greater success. Everyone who works understands the importance of the organization as a whole. Everyone who works already knows they are there to serve, protect, and advance the company. That idea is already broadly understood. In any event, loyalty to the corporation will increase as people feel authentically heard and celebrated.
Humanity has experienced centuries of organization-centric thinking. This orientation is so ingrained that it’s hard to see. But we are entering an age where individuals are coming into their own power. This is why engagement is so low and upheaval so prevalent. People are looking for deeper meaning and more spiritual value from the organizations they serve. Organizations have simply, so far, been slow to adjust.
This budding social transformation does not mean that organizations will dissolve; it simply means they must reorient. In the new model, a company can thrive by helping its employees to thrive. The purpose of the company is to serve the individuals who work there. Companies that do this will be rewarded by record levels of employee engagement and care for the organization in return. Pushing power out, away from the center, is the new path to excellence.
This may seem like a big change, but it’s really not. A slight adjustment in our corporate vision is all that is required.
