The Selfish Fear Change. The Selfless Lead It.

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to address a gathering of youth and adults in Trinidad. This cohort was coming together for a week of exploring and honing their leadership and change management skills. My friend, who resides in America but has deep roots in Trinidad, has been organizing an annual conference for several years as a means of reconnecting and serving others. His act of service aligns closely with one of my LIFE objectives: "Never forget where I came from. Honour blue-collar roots. Practice gratitude for the sacrifices made to support our family." So, how could I possibly say no?

When we begin thinking about the next generation of women and men who will lead industry, it is apparent that the previous generational model of corporate purpose, historically rooted in the Milton Friedman economic philosophy, is critically flawed.? This fact was finally ratified publicly in August 2019 when hundreds of CEOs of some of the largest corporations overturned a 22-year-old policy statement of the business roundtable that defined a corporation’s principal purpose as maximizing shareholder return.

Modern history is littered with examples that teach us the relentless pursuit of maximizing shareholder return, if left unchecked, leads to exploitation.? Exploitation of people, the environment, various assets, and the reputations of individuals and organizations.? Essentially, an organization devoid of humanity and heart will exploit everything in its path. Clearly, passing down this outdated capitalist framework to the next generation of leaders is a recipe for disaster…and a future filled with willfull misconduct…

Reflecting on our own generation's business philosophy, we can easily recall the teachings of Peter Drucker. Drucker emphasized that business leaders should embrace the spirit of performance by displaying high levels of moral and ethical integrity in their actions. Focus on results, empower employees, and go beyond our financial obligations to shareholders are some of the maxims that come to mind. Concepts like decentralization, knowledge work, management by objectives (MBO), functional excellence, and the SMART goal method permeate our mantras. Add a sprinkle of value maximization through continuous improvement focused on efficiency and effectiveness, along with a dose of Edward Deming's 14-point model for total quality management, and you have a recipe for business success, right? Well, we are beginning to see cracks in this business philosophy as well. Acting with integrity and being an ethical organization that prioritizes quality and efficiency seem to be the table stakes these days, merely a ticket to the dance.

In a recent book titled “The Heart of Business” by Hubert Joly , the current professor and former CEO, he hints at an emerging mega-trend: the purpose of an organization must be noble. To be noble, according to Hubert, an organizational purpose should delight customers, engage employees, reward shareholders, support thriving communities, recognize vendors and suppliers as partners, and, above all, prioritize people.

Hubert goes on to endorse an alternative style of leadership, which finds parallels in more recent military leadership examples. One that is exemplified in Simon Sinek ’s “Leaders Eat Last” and further codified by Stan McChrystal , Christopher Fussell , and their colleagues at the McChrystal Group in their works such as "Team of Teams," "One Mission," "Leaders Myth vs. Reality," and "Risk: A User’s Guide." These books express an emerging doctrine that could be summed up as Listen, Learn, Adapt.

All of this suggests that an industry-shaping bow wave is on the horizon, one that is likely to rewrite the rules of business.

So, what are the theories and philosophies we need to instill in the next generation to constructively disrupt and progressively influence how we think about business? Well, One of the frameworks we ended up sharing with this Trinidadian cohort was the redemptive frame from PraxisLabs led by Dave Blanchard .? It has helped many reorient their mindset toward a more noble purpose, a definition of leadership that is rooted in service and sacrifice, and the renewing affect on culture that a business can have.

While this frame may be incomplete, seemingly too simple, elegantly straightforward, and slightly biased toward a specific theology, it is one of the best we've found to inspire people to move beyond the current mainstream thinking on business models and get to the heart of it all.

The frame basically articulates 3 Ways of Working.? Quoting directly from the Praxis Playbook:

EXPLOITATIVE

The Exploitative way is to take all you can get—to gain any advantage, to prevail, to possess. Exploitative actors most often approach the venture with a zero-sum, “I win, you lose” scarcity mentality. The motivating force behind the Exploitative way is fundamentally self- or tribe-centered—to win and control. We are surrounded by the Exploitative way; we all fall naturally into it; and are always trying to escape its effects on us.

TAKE ALL YOU CAN GET

I WIN, YOU LOSE

WIN AND CONTROL

ETHICAL

The Ethical way is to do things right—to do no harm, keep the rules, play fair, solve problems, add value. Ethical actors pursue “win-win” whenever they can. The motivating force behind the Ethical way is to be good and do good — which can often also be self- or tribe-centered. We expect the Ethical of ourselves and of those around us, yet we sometimes fall short; and we’re grateful when we encounter it.

DO THINGS RIGHT

I WIN, YOU WIN

BE GOOD AND DO GOOD

REDEMPTIVE

The Redemptive way is creative restoration through sacrifice—to bless others, renew culture, and give of ourselves. Redemptive actors pursue an “I sacrifice, we win” approach with the agency and resources available to them. The motivating force behind the Redemptive way is fundamentally other-centered: to love and serve. We rarely expect to encounter the Redemptive; though whenever we do, we’re changed.

CREATIVE RESTORATION THROUGH SACRIFICE

I SACRIFICE, WE WIN

LOVE AND SERVE

Frameworks like these will lead us into uncharted territory, challenging our resolve. Leading change using playbooks inspired by frames like these will become increasingly risky. They will expose the true heart of a business. They will force more accountability for bringing humanity back into the workplace and communities in which we work. Most importantly, they will demand genuine sacrifice – the kind that may temporarily tarnish our reputation in the eyes of some, require us to forgo certain financial benefits, and compel us to confront our inflated egos and selfish pride.

However, for those who possess the audacity to pursue seemingly impossible missions amidst escalating VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) conditions... For those who are willing to leave their indelible mark quietly and inconspicuously across various domains, organizations, and endeavors…and for those who are compelled to tackle the toughest challenges for the greater purpose of redemption and flourishing… well, these types of playbooks are tailor-made for cutting a path less traveled.? Get your surfboards ready.? It’s going to be a big one.

To my friend and his fellow Trinidadians, thanks for your time and thanks for the gift of spice.? You inspire me.? Within the wealth of diverse content and experiences you've committed to absorb and study, there undoubtedly lies a recipe for success…knowing now that the definition of success is not what it used to be…and we pray you come up with your own cookbook to share with the next generation in a heartfelt act of service and in the spirit of gratitude.

#dontbeasuperchicken