Doing the right thing

Given all that has happened in the lead up to, and aftermath of, the financial crisis of 2008, people, nations and businesses are feeling the pressure and the imperative to 'do the right thing'. Abraham Lincoln suggested that "when I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad; and that's my religion". Could it really be this simple for leaders? The pursuit of profit is nothing new after all: Western capitalism has been defined as the 'honest pursuit of profit', while Eastern capitalism attaches to profit a set of 'ethical' (not just legal) responsibilities. Both recognise, and attempt to frame, the innate drive for profit.

In compiling The Dharma of Capitalism, the leaders I interviewed and considered to be most successful at 'doing the right thing' confined themselves to five key roles:

Inspiration They inspired through authentic example and personal conversation, enabling others to develop volition and a commitment to achieve

Values-based unity They created a powerful unifying force within the organisation around common values

Relationship management They developed and sustained relationships within and across the organisation. Trust and contribution to the organisation were constantly reinforced

Recruiting and training leaders They placed care and attention on creating the conditions that enabled leaders to flourish, from initial selection through to succession planning, with their direct involvement in training and development

Vision They delegated decision-making across the organisation, allowing the CEO to focus on delivering longer-term, values-based strategies aligned with the vision and values held in the organisation.

As I listened to top leaders tell their stories, I observed the lack of attachment they all had for their 'top job title'. They were well aware of the specific 'role' to play and made deliberate attempts to ensure their responsibilities were distinct from those of the execution managers. Their identity and sense of purpose in the world was not caught up in the job title alone. They often sought little personal credit, though took the blame.  This proved to be remarkably powerful, having a profound effect on everyone around them. It left these leaders free to make decisions based on what they felt was 'right' without managing the politics or personal career goals. They recognised that personal motives can and do influence decisions made if they are left unchecked.

So what happens when we overlay personal motive or sense of purpose on our carefully crafted corporate vision? Can we take into account personal qualities like humility? I think we can. The social, economical and political alternatives to a more equitable form of capitalism are far from attractive.

We expect our leaders to deliver on company values and vision but, if a leader does not have a personal sense of purpose, can we really set the expectation that he shows up at work with one? Identifying that higher sense of purpose isn't always easy. And creating and managing the conditions that allow employees to not only connect with their organisation but also flourish in it is even tougher.

As a global society we are waking up to the need for profit to mean more than just money - and that it should connect to a higher purpose that contextualises the corporate vision. Leaders who don't recognise this will be left behind along with their organisations.

Nitesh Gor, with Marie Laidig of the Dharma Consultancy