Enlightened Organisations
Leadership and management in our organisations should be based on the nature of human beings, recognizing our desire for direction and to strive to do good, to express and receive praise and reward, to achieve success in unity, striving towards common ends and improve the lives of those around us…. This is the first in a series of blogs that draws on my experience in management over the past three decades and sets and out my views on effective leadership and requirements for organisational success…
The early morning sun streamed through my window and it was a “good day in Wellington”, but my heart was racing and I felt slightly nauseous. I recalled the feeling before, while watching “Jurassic Park” at the movies. I prepared for another day at the office.
The ethos in Government Departments and Crown Entities at the time in Wellington was such that you were rarely praised for what went right and as a CEO you were personally only as good as your organisation’s last mistake. There was something savage about it. Good people dropped from high positions like flies, swatted by critical officials who felt it was their moral duty to identify others’ mistakes and destroy the perpetrators.
Something about this felt very wrong to me. Threats, manipulations, subtlety and bullying were not pleasant experiences and were not motivating for me. I felt that management should be based more on the nature of human beings - recognizing our desire to do good, to express and receive praise, to work in unity towards common ends and improve the lives of those around us.
My views on organizational development and ideal organizational relations spring from a deep belief in the potential of every human being, magnified immensely when organized in a unified team. Humans are inherently resourceful and talented: “Regard thou Man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.…”[1]
In formulating my ideas I have been influenced not only by my Baha’i perspectives, but also by the experience of thousands expressed in many walks of life and in many fields. In the field of management and leadership I have benefited from the views of individuals such as Greenleaf, Drucker, Peters, Covey, Senge, Du Pree... I have also been strongly influenced by research from sociology and education.
There is a parallel between one organizational sociologist’s research on national developmentone the one hand and research in education on individual progress on the other. Etzioni’s national planning model categorized countries into four based on their directions, incentives and control structures, with those most successful as having both strong societal directions and incentivesand strong social controls and laws.[2]Likewise, champions of Authoritative Parentingargue that praise, more than reprimand is a necessary ingredient of achievement. Here is something from an article on authoritative parenting that I have found insightful:
Authoritative parentstake a moderate approach that emphasizes setting high standards, being nurturing and responsive, and showing respect for children as independent, rational beings. The authoritative parent expects maturity and cooperation...This combination distinguishes the authoritative parenting style from both authoritarianismand permissiveness. Like permissive parents, authoritative parents are responsive, nurturing, and involved. But unlike permissive parents, authoritative parents don’t let their kids get away with bad behavior. Authoritative parents take a firm stand, expecting their kids to behave responsibly. Like authoritarian parents, authoritative parents enforce rules. But unlike authoritarian parents, authoritative parents show high levels of warmth, and they emphasize the reasons for rules.[3]
The principles of positive direction, reinforcement and accountability mentioned in the educational and sociological research and analysis have application to our organisations. An authoritative style in leading an organization brings with it a strong focus on success and meeting high quality standards. There is an inherent belief in the potential of the staff to achieve great things and on the value of the products or services to make real difference to people’s lives. There is a focus on learning and growth, the “right to make mistakes” and learn from these is enshrined in the culture of the organization. Organizations are developed by people learning skills and walking on a pathway towards human perfection.
The recognition of enlightened and motivating behaviour, however, does not mean that the “shadow-side” of human nature is ignored. In fact the opposite; there is recognition that there will be dishonesty, manipulation, self-serving behaviour - such as withholding information, driving extorted bargains to get people over a barrel, and so on and so forth. All these will be evident, if not in our organisations, then in the broader business environment in which we operate.
Responding to these behaviours, however, does not require getting into the gutter and fighting “fire with fire”. While negative behaviour, particularly recidivist negative behavior, is not tolerated, it is addressed with firm but fair responses in which people are given the opportunity to change their actions; however, giving into injustice is not an option. Audacity, steadfastness, perseverance, wisdom, improvisation and creativity are often needed …in these situations - qualities of the human mind spirit that overcome the easiest and often self-destructive responses.
The philosophy of enlightened organisations does not mean there is no focus on profit and results; the opposite is true. There is a recognition that long-term sustainability depends upon building sound relationships and trust, growth, change and adaptation, upon implementing effective processes, and upon delivering quality to the hearts of customers. Material as well as intellectual or spiritual reward is the outcome. A good job - done well and rewarded well - is the goal.
The philosophy of enlightened organizations is not just a theory, nor it is a product of some vague idea that suffers from lack of praxis. We have many examples in our environment around us – successful organisations and leaders who influence the lives of many and provide a good service. It has been my privilege to work with a number of these and I will be using them as examples in this series of blogs that will follow. In these, I will be outlining what I consider enlightened strategies, systems, processes, procedures, people and resources. I will also use those organizations I alluded to as examples of various aspects of their systemic ingredients that lead to their success and sustainability.
[1]http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-122.html
[2]See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitai_Etzioni
[3]Kids raised by authoritative parents are more likely to become independent, self-reliant, socially accepted, academically successful, and well-behaved. They are less likely to report depression and anxiety, and less likely to engage in antisocial behavior like delinquency and drug use. - See more at: http://www.parentingscience.com/authoritative-parenting-style.html#sthash.FMsUrbjt.dpuf