The conscious leader focuses on benefits, not features. Real benefits, not marketing fluff. Tangible results that benefit all stakeholders (not just one or two).
Whenever we are creating (or redesigning) something, be it a business, a product or a service, it makes sense to ask the question: “what are the key benefits that each stakeholder seeks?” Then, do your best to make that happen.
On Friday, July 31, 2015 our team traveled to the new Whole Foods Market (WFM) in Ashburn, Virginia. It was packed with the lunch crowd when we arrived. The usual energy (love buzz) we have come to expect from WFM was present. This is despite having only been opened for a day.
Conscious leaders eliminate the word ‘should’ from their vocabulary. They replace it with the word ‘could’ or ‘will’ or ‘what if.’ After that, there is a totally new energy that shows up. Rigid thinking disappears. They can then weave new ideas and new habits into their daily life with the intended outcome of increasing health, happiness and freedom for everyone. The impossible becomes possible.
To a large extent, we act ourselves into the situations we find ourselves in. What may have seemed like a good idea at the time, often ends up with consequences we do not want. Yet, we can be sure that the original choice had those consequences embedded within it. They come as a package deal.
Besides downright unethical practices, one of the most annoying things that come out of old-model businesses is the idea of bundled services. Or the idea that they know what is best for the customer.
Communication bridges the gap between people (there is no real gap but it seems like it based upon physicality). A meltdown in a parking lot assumes there is a separation. See to it that your words or lack of words do not become a flood that washes away the bridge, leaving you stranded on the far shore.
Where has a lack of common courtesy (and common sense) sabotaged your communication efforts? Does your organization send out customer correspondence that reads like it is “yelling” at the customer?
The old saying that “the eyes are the window of the soul” may apply in the case of what we watch on our screens. Many studies indicate that the violence portrayed on TV, movies and video games does damage to children and desensitizes them to violence. The more the exposure, the higher their rate of acting out in violent ways when they get older.
A bureaucrat is more concerned with perks than contributing. Rather than becoming a valuable member of the organization they are a liability. Their focus is on status to the exclusion of all else. Their attitude is, “I’m great and you are not.” They drain enthusiasm and energy.
Are the characters that are showing up in the news from old-business-model businesses-- accused of waste, fraud and abuse--simply men who lack honor?
Whole Foods Market a.k.a. WFM has taken some heat lately for a decrease in their stock price. This dip is attributed to competitors who have started to offer healthier (not healthy) products at a lower price. This has exacerbated the use of the moniker that many non-Whole Foods folks love to repeat, “Whole Paycheck.” It comes from people who want their cake and to eat it too.
In a recent interview with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, Joe Polish mentions the sentiment of most businesses on the planet, “we’re not happy until you’re not happy.” Here’s the interview.
Some purists may argue that it is beyond the scope of government but the USDA Organic program rocks. If you see the USDA Organic label on a product, you know straight up that there are no artificial ingredients, additives, colorings, toxins, stabilizers, or glow in the dark substances. That’s huge. And even better, you know there are no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in there either.
Last year (2014), we participated in a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. hosted by UDC. During the event, we shared the four principles of Conscious Capitalism. We explained how it is possible for a business to have a Higher Purpose and practice stakeholder integration while at the same time being highly successful.
We congratulate Chipotle Mexican Grill for their recent announcement that they are dumping genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as they move to source more natural ingredients for their restaurants. Chipotle has already had a major impact on farming practices and the way animals are raised. All of this is a boon for everyone, especially their customers and employees.
Can old-line businesses re-invent themselves into more conscious businesses?
In the IT world, you “get” early on that everything in a system is interconnected. A network is made up of many component parts, all of which must be operating, for the system to function optimally. If you neglect any one component for too long, say a server, the system will crash.
