Why Make Leading with Dignity your philosophy?

Leaders of enterprises of all type – private, public, government and not-for-profit – are constantly bombarded with advice in the form of theories, models, and methods. The advice is often contradictory. It rarely seems to endure. And it is usually very fragmented. Making sense of all of this is like putting together a very large and complicated jigsaw even as the image on the pieces constantly changing. It seems to be an impossible puzzle.

The challenge is made worse because the advice comes from many sources. Some is just advisory. Some is in the form of guidance from professional bodies, institutions, and government agencies. Many sources over ‘sell’ their theories, suggesting they are akin to laws. This is often the result of the hubris of a discipline, such as economics, looking to elevate its status. 

Added to this mix of issues we have the well-known problems associated with our own cognitive biases, our inability to see how the language, metaphors, and the analogies we use cloud our thinking. Then there are the myths that get peddled and believed. Add also, the growing scale and scope of complexity, plus the accelerating pace of change. It is little wonder leaders struggle to manage and often fail. 

Let me propose that taking time to reflect on the challenge from fresh perspectives might help us see through the fog. We may be able to simplify matters and adopt more pragmatic ways of looking at issues. And this approach could help us identify what information and advice could be useful. More importantly, we may start to see the 'bigger picture'.

Of all the questions we might ask, I believe those that help us understand our own guiding philosophies, and those of the organisations we are a part, will be of the greatest importance. We must then ask, are these philosophies congruent with each other? And are they congruent with what we hope to achieve, and what is expected of us by those we depend on – customers or clients, employees, suppliers, investors, and society (often referred to as stakeholders)? Any incongruence is a source of friction and risk.

With the goal of wanting to simplify matters, I suggest we get personal. By that, I mean dropping the language, theories, and practices that dehumanise the way we manage businesses and organisations. Recognise ‘stakeholders’ are people or groups of people. Next, we should stop trying to control or manage our relationships with them. Instead, we should aim to nurture healthy relationships. The difference may sound subtle, but it is fundamentally different. 

The fundamental difference can be seen if we understand the concept of power. In healthy relationships, we recognise the value of “power with”, rather than “power over” as advocated by Mary Parker Follett, writing in the early 1900s. We do not command, coerce, or manipulate. Nor do we pretend to “empower.” Instead, we cultivate relationships based on respect. Respect for the human value needed in forming healthy relationships. The kind of relationships that genuinely empowers people to be the best they can be, by fully realising their true potential, for their own benefit and the benefit of others.

Power is a complex topic and I cannot do justice to it in this article. Nor do I need to in order to make my next point. Readers will be very aware that the way power is used has a great impact on relationships. In particular, it has a great impact on the sense of dignity felt by those in the relationship. 

Harvard professor, Donna Hicks, author of two books, Dignity and Leading with Dignity, speaks of the importance of “Dignity Consciousness.” We all know that the way power is used has an impact on the parties in a relationship, and the abuse of power can leave one party feeling their dignity has been attacked. The feeling may be mild, it may also be extreme and result in conflict. And what is true of relationships between individuals is also true of the relationships between groups of people, communities, or even nations. In the latter, conflict may result in war.

The concern of this article is with the leadership of enterprises. In this context, an abuse of power as an attack on dignity can produce several responses, from passive resistance and disengagement to disputes or resignations. The dangers are increased when people feel they are being coerced, manipulated, or controlled. Such actions disrespect the sense of self-worth of a person - a sense of self-worth being a way to define what we mean by dignity.

The concepts of "dignity" and "self-worth" are related to "identity" and our sense of "being" – all of which make us who we are, and make us human. For these reasons it is impossible to over-stress the degree of importance we should be attached to Dignity Consciousness in managing healthy relationships - as a leadership skill, and in managing healthy organisations.

Based on my conversations with Donna Hicks, and based on my own research and thinking, I would go even further and make the following claim. Since the success or failure of every decision made by a leader depends on the quality of relationships with people responsible for carrying them out, or those people impacted by them, Dignity Consciousness is the most important leadership ability.

Dignity is a concept most people agree is important. They may have some understanding of its meaning. But few have a clear understanding of what it is or how important it is to the quality of our relationships. Now that you have read this article, I hope you will stop and think about it more. 

It is, I will argue, the thing we value most as human beings. Faced with a terminal illness the biggest fear most people have is the fear is losing their dignity. To be able to endure incredible suffering in their fight for their rights many campaigners are empowered by their sense of dignity. And dignity is a central value of all major world religions. It is for this last reason it became the first, and foundational, article of the thirty articles in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights established more than seventy-five years ago, rights that have been ratified by almost every nation on earth.

My hope is that all leaders will see the sense in developing a much stronger understanding of the need for Dignity Consciousness. For this reason, Donna Hicks and I have developed an Executive Education Course. And the first cohorts of facilitators of the program will soon be certified to deliver the program. So, let me encourage you to take a look at the course for executives by downloading the brochure.

Whilst I hope you will want to develop Dignity Consciousness in the coming months, there is something you can do immediately to benefit from the insights I have shared in this article.

Do a quick sense-check before making decisions. Ask yourself how the decision will impact on the sense of self-worth of the people affected by the decision. And if you are not sure, delay the decision until you are sure, if you can. And ask yourself how the decision affects your own sense of self-worth. Does it sit well with your own philosophy on life? I am certain that if you ask these two questions you will make better decisions – decisions that you are less likely to regret. 

By taking the steps I have suggested you will already be rehumanizing Business. Your own sense of personal integrity will also be enhanced. I also believe you will be able to cut through much of the noise and complexity I spoke of in the first few paragraphs.

Let me finish with reference to Kazuo Inamori, the former CEO of several successful Japanese businesses over more than half a century. His personal life and his life as a leader were never in conflict, both being guided by his philosophy - “doing what is right as a human being.” This is entirely consistent with the idea of Leading with Dignity, which is certainly a human-centred approach to leadership.

Leading with dignity also applies beyond human relationships. Leaders might also use Dignity Consciousness to respect the dignity of other things and beings, including the inherent worth - the dignity - of the planet and our natural environment. 

For all the reasons already outlined, and many more that I will outline in future, I urge you to consider adopting Dignity Consciousness as the core of your leadership and management philosophy. Inamori did at the age of 27 when he became a CEO, having had no management experience. He saw it as the way to build trust and confidence, and the basis of healthy relationships, both inside the company, and in the relationships with other stakeholders.

For the kind of long-term success enjoyed by Inamori and his companies, nothing is more important than cultivating healthy relationships, and Dignity Consciousness is of central importance in doing so.

This and other topics will be discussed in the Healthy Organizations Forum LinkedIn Group It will support the design and development of the Healthy Organization Forum and its future activities as part of the Enlightened Enterprise Academy.