Guestblog: Spirituality in business
How often have we heard the maxim, “You have to be a dick to be good in business?”
Many businessmen (investment bankers, real estate moguls, attorneys) fresh-faced and bright-eyed, ravenous to carve out their path in the world have taken this approach to heart and fully digested it. They seem wholly convinced such an approach will grant them immunity from being their competitor’s din-din. Such men and women know what they want and will stop at nothing to get it – preferring to be a shark in the game rather than a hapless minnow; or at least that is how they perceive themselves to be if they are….oh, I don’t know….nice.
I wonder what would happen if these sharks introduced the application of the Good ‘Ol Golden Rule to their lives which also includes <<Gasp!>> business practices. So Bernie Madoff, how’s that working out for ya? What about you Kenneth Lay? Have any regrets? We would be here for days if we were to shine a light on all of the greed, corruption and egocentric practices in business that have, at the end of the day, blown up in their faces.
Can we really afford to separate the universal laws of cause and effect, of “Do unto others as you would have done to you” from our business dealings? Do universal laws such as “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” simply fly over anything having to do with business and accumulating money? Do such laws only apply to personal relationships but not professional dealings?
Of course not. To believe such a thing is not only naive but completely ignorant. The reality is if one is unethical in his business practices it may “seem” like he is getting away with nefarious, self-serving acts, but the negative repercussions will inevitably manifest themselves in some way at some point in the future. From the most subtle manifestations of “dickdom” to the most blatant, let’s examine a few and analyze how truly effective they are.
How many managers have we worked with or under who are downright abusive, volatile, moody and who justify their behavior as being necessary to “get things done?” How effective is this? The differences between getting things done and using fear and intimidation tactics to sublimate employees are stark. There is very clearly an error in thinking which confuse so many into using this “rookie” tactic of being a jerk.
Having high standards and expectations need not be synonymous with acting like an unscrupulous, careless, “Me-focused” child throwing temper tantrums at will or steamrolling over those in his path with no acknowledgment or responsibility towards his treatment of another human being.
To be sure, this “rookie” practice of not taking responsibility for how one treats others in business seems to largely come down to insecurity. When one deems himself as outside of the universal laws of cause and effect he eventually gets a wake-up call and will take a hit to his business in some iteration or another.
- Image via Wikipedia
Compare this with the manager who has always been honest and ethical in his business dealings, grown slowly and accumulated the trust and respect of both his employees, and yes, even his competitors.
Who do you think will have the longer staying power?
When systems fall and collapse that we have had a hand in creating, it behooves us to look at why they disintegrated and take responsibility for our part in such negative manifestations. Will we continue to breathe life into a system or code of business practice that has failed us? Or will we soberly examine how it was our principles and ethics (or lack thereof) that led to the demise of the model. Whether it be the shame around AIG, or a company’s high employee turnover due to mistreatment, such companies will take a hit in some way. To believe that certain universal principles don’t apply to sharks in business who succeed at the expense of the customer’s loss is an illusion.
Conan O’Brien, on his last night of his 7-month stint on the Tonight show, exemplified what it means to be successful in business as well as to be successful in human affairs. He went out with class and expressed not his bitterness but his gratitude for the opportunity and that kindness and hard work are always rewarded. This is why his fans love and respect him. It is easy to be a jerk and to react in a small or selfish way in business dealings. This is the way of a child. It is not always easy to think of others before ourselves when the holy carrot-and-stick called Money is hanging over our heads tempting us to breach our own codes of conduct.
At the end of the day, it is the Conan O’Brien’s and spiritually-driven SalesForce empires who reap the rewards – not necessarily the short-term rewards, mind you, but the long-lasting ones. These are the people who can look themselves in the mirror at the end of the day with dignity, with integrity and can be proud of the example they are setting for their employees, their successors and even their children. How many children do you know who would feel proud bragging to his friends, “Yes, daddy drives a Lambourghini and I will easily go to any school I want, but he’s in prison and I can’t play ball with him like the other kids and their daddies.”
To inject the Golden Rule into business dealings might seem to some trite and naive, but to ignore this rule carries with it a steep price, ill health, unwanted stress, embarassment and a loss of respect. The most successful businesses (Southwest, Google, SalesForce.com to name a few) are rooted in service, good will, honesty and a deep appreciation of their employees. The Bernie Madoff’s of the world may win the battle but they will lose the war. And for what? Spirituality in business is not some New Age frou-frou concept, but a necessary ingredient for long-term rewards, respect and success.
To deny as much is a fool’s errand.
Carrie Rinderknecht
Carrie Rinderknecht works in PR & communications in the US
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
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13 Responses to Guestblog: Spirituality in business
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Hi Carrie
Thank you for the guest blog, it’s appreciated
As someone whose husband has an ethical business, I know it can be hard to do things the right way, the growth is slower. At the same time, when the recession hit in the UK, we were in a strong position to survive it and continue, and that’s down to him doing business in what he sees as an ethical manner.
Personally what annoys me, and makes me rant is how a lot of the business people you mention are people that are seen as role models, as the way to be, as if making more money than you can possibly spend is the only way to be.
Exactly. It pays off in the short-term, but ultimately not in the long-term. Kind of like the illusion of Conan’s dismissal. It seemed like he lost, but I really feel that after the wave of a huge new crowd of fans, he is winning in the end. His ratings at TBS have topped both Leno and Letterman’s – and along with the ratings he as respect. Can’t beat that.
Hi Carrie
Thank you for the guest blog, it’s appreciated
As someone whose husband has an ethical business, I know it can be hard to do things the right way, the growth is slower. At the same time, when the recession hit in the UK, we were in a strong position to survive it and continue, and that’s down to him doing business in what he sees as an ethical manner.
Personally what annoys me, and makes me rant is how a lot of the business people you mention are people that are seen as role models, as the way to be, as if making more money than you can possibly spend is the only way to be.
I think I would call it Ethics in Business rather than Spirituality in Business.
I would always claim to be an ethical busineswoman, and it ticks me off when I get screwed over by people who aren’t. In fact, when I judge who will get my business, their ethics is a prime motivator for me. In cloth nappy world, for many years I would not stock the goods of one manufacturer, even though I got almost double the wholsesale discount, because I strongly disapproved of his business methods. In the end, we were forced into it by our customers, but I have never promoted that line at all.
Sadly, ethics do seem to be a minority line, and I do wonder what all these “role models” are teaching our future generation. All I can do is try to counteract it. I very much teach my children the Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I think I would call it Ethics in Business rather than Spirituality in Business.
I would always claim to be an ethical busineswoman, and it ticks me off when I get screwed over by people who aren’t. In fact, when I judge who will get my business, their ethics is a prime motivator for me. In cloth nappy world, for many years I would not stock the goods of one manufacturer, even though I got almost double the wholsesale discount, because I strongly disapproved of his business methods. In the end, we were forced into it by our customers, but I have never promoted that line at all.
Sadly, ethics do seem to be a minority line, and I do wonder what all these “role models” are teaching our future generation. All I can do is try to counteract it. I very much teach my children the Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
there is far too much walking over people in the world to get what we want. I have great admiration for those that reach for their dream without feeling the need to step on others and treat everyone with respect. It’s not much to ask for after all is it, a bit of respect?
there is far too much walking over people in the world to get what we want. I have great admiration for those that reach for their dream without feeling the need to step on others and treat everyone with respect. It’s not much to ask for after all is it, a bit of respect?
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Spirituality and business? Of course. Opening up some of the higher chakras leads to intuition, deeper insights, creativity, and even fame or followings.
Spirituality is no religion. And spirituality which is linking or becoming one with divinity is by far the greatest way to become Omnipotent (all powerful).
One only has to examine the life of masters to understand that through spirituality they became the greatest source of fame, fortune, and creativity the world has known.
Spirituality and business? Of course. Opening up some of the higher chakras leads to intuition, deeper insights, creativity, and even fame or followings.
Spirituality is no religion. And spirituality which is linking or becoming one with divinity is by far the greatest way to become Omnipotent (all powerful).
One only has to examine the life of masters to understand that through spirituality they became the greatest source of fame, fortune, and creativity the world has known.
Thank you for posting about this Carrie!
I carry in my mindset on a daily basis, “how can I be of service?” and end my day with my personal time with gratitude. Those two mindsets frame my day and ultimately frame my company.
Cheers,
Bambi Weavil
OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.
Thank you for posting about this Carrie!
I carry in my mindset on a daily basis, “how can I be of service?” and end my day with my personal time with gratitude. Those two mindsets frame my day and ultimately frame my company.
Cheers,
Bambi Weavil
OutImpact.com – Making a positive impact in the gay community. Make yours.