Redefining Success
For generations, the archetypal boss has been painted as a caricature of power and control, reminiscent of old Gilded Age robber barons. While these exaggerated portrayals might seem antiquated, their echoes persist as we witness a stark power imbalance between the haves and the have-nots. Employees long for better conditions, poignantly evidenced by the post-quarantine Great Reshuffle. But fast forward to recent years and we see the exacerbation of a disturbing trend of regular outsourcing and an increasingly perilous employment market. The result is a growing divide and a climate of discontent.
Amidst the turmoil, a fundamental question arises: how do we reconcile this? In a society increasingly focused on individual gain, compassion and empathy are often overlooked. But, as highlighted in this Freakonomics podcast with Andrew Yang of Humanity Forward, Krista Wyatt of TimeBanks, and Do Good Institute research director Nathan Dietz, these neglected elements can help our most valuable resource—people. We can alleviate these tensions by shifting our focus from the bottom line to our shared humanity. After all, being a true leader isn’t about power and control. It isn’t about wielding power over others—but inspiring and uplifting them.
As posed by anthropologist James Suzman in this Big Think video above, we can create environments wherein people thrive and organizations simultaneously flourish when we foster a culture of mutual value and respect—when we prioritize our humanity. The true measure of leadership is in our ability to connect with others, to understand their perspectives, and to build trust.
Through tools like the SurePeople Relationship Advisor, we can aim to redefine success and elevate our goals beyond the bottom line and to the ever-crucial human element.
“The greatest asset of a company is its people.”
– Jorge Paulo Lemann
Author
by Faraz Gafoor
Faraz Gafoor is a content strategist, writer, and human-data aficionado. His passion for scientific analysis of everything—from the presentation of data to the way we communicate—is driven by a deep love of understanding how we process and make sense of our surroundings. His curiosity and a never-ending search for prolific and poetic perfection poignantly fit his Prism Personality of a double Scientist.
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