To be a success in business failing countries offer 6 powerful lessons.

Radical ideas that promote division never galvanize sustained support, but they do produce momentum that creates considerable damage until we recognize the nefarious agenda behind the message.

Organizations that mandate policies promoting virtuous behavior are guilty of committing a common mistake that can ruin corporate culture quickly.

When we attempt to impose our beliefs on other people, we create a cult devoted to conformity that seldom welcomes dissenting viewpoints, and people grow tired of it quickly.

It’s the equivalent of evangelizing by thumping people over the head with our Bible.? Some may comply, but we never cultivate the relationships, trust, and ownership we ostensibly desire.

I am amazed at how many “leaders” acquiesce to political pressure, fear of retribution and lack of purpose in favor of popular trends that have no impact on the success of an organization.

By indoctrinating people in a particular position, we offer contradictions about our willingness to embrace alternative perspectives.

When the conversation about sensitive subjects is one directional under the auspices of absolute truth, we shut down the opportunity to encourage open communication and find more effective alternatives.

In the end, we create an echo chamber of people that agree because they fear “speaking up”, or we build a “tribe” of fervent proponents that embody the dangers of “us versus them”.? Tribes are often detrimental and we've witnessed over the past several years how that mentality has matriculated into many corporate environments.

Creating a diverse workforce isn’t complicated; I have done it for almost 40 years.?

Gay, Straight, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, transgendered, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Conservative, Libertarian and Liberal.? Everyone is welcome and we have difficult conversations engineered toward better understanding and unified success.?

When that conversation becomes one directional, we gravitate in a dangerous direction.?????

Here are 6 reasons countries fail that businesses should recognize:

Ownership

When people lack ownership, a sense of imbalance begins to metastasize.? Lack of land ownership is a great example of why countries like North Korea have struggled.? When people feel alienated from ownership in our organization, they seek opportunities elsewhere.? We can’t create ownership with condescending, inflammatory rhetoric dedicated to division.? Many companies are drifting in the direction of limiting beliefs, and it’s dangerous.???

Coercion

Using coercion to create compliance is a guaranteed way to ensure dissent.? When companies embrace arbitrary policies based on inexact science or vague historical context, we create a workforce of people that “follow the rules”.? Over the course of history, countries that force labor to fall in line ultimately fail.? Great leaders don’t coerce people to do anything, they create a culture of freedom and safety. ?

Uneven

Countries that create a caste system fail.? South Africa is a perfect example of a place that allowed certain people to succeed based on ethnicity.? Using race to differentiate people is a dangerous proposition that never ends well.? When we create the impression of “unevenness”, we fan the flames of bitterness, anger and resentment.? Pay people equally.? Treat people equally.? Reward people equally and we eliminate the perception of inequality by making it clear it won’t be tolerated.

Greed

When leaders get greedy people take notice.? When the richest companies in the world have people on their payroll that require government assistance, there’s a big problem.? I find it ironic we constantly quote people we declare as leadership icons that consistently demonstrate poor character.? Public performances about social issues, the environment and inclusivity don’t impress me.? Actions speak for themselves, and great organizations are generous with their people.? Egypt was a place where greed dominated for three decades until the people revolted.?

Monopoly

Monopoly of thought and ideas is a sure path to destruction, it’s also a great way to create animosity and lack of opportunity.? Big companies have too much control and prevent freedom of entrepreneurial opportunity, competition, and prosperity.? The largest companies in the world have multibillion-dollar valuations and employ a fraction of the people businesses 1/8th of their size does.? A company that creates a culture that monopolizes opinion, thought, ideas and diversity create a vacuum of wealth, power, and incentive to few at the expense of many.???

Weakness

Poor leadership is prevalent in business today, a fact supported by statistics. Over 80% of all working adults are actively or casually looking for new opportunities.? The primary reason cited, weak leadership.? Countries with weak leadership are vulnerable on so many levels.? They become an easy target because it’s easy to cannibalize weak prey.? People get tired of sitting through countless meetings dedicated to fashionable ideas when there’s no evidence of these ideas being important until they become popular.? Weak leaders make many mistakes, but they always drive the business into a bad place.??? ?

Sum it up.

Any other similarities between countries that fail and businesses that fail?? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.?? Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.? Steve is the author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.? Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn.? Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!