I’m saying this as someone who has perpetuated this old ‘carrot or stick’ business paradigm, personally.
It’s such a common practice, many business leaders don’t even question it. I didn’t for a long time either.
But as I continue to grow as a more socially-emotionally intelligent leader, I have awakened to this toxic workplace norm and am committed to stopping it at my company - both internally and in our business relationships.
We will not have a company culture of stress, fear and frenzied fire drills - we will co-create a culture of thoughtful, strategic and emotionally-balanced approaches & responsiveness.
I owe much of my own growth as a more gentle leader to my daily work with the flight-response of horses. Getting a 1000-pound powerful (and dangerous) animal to work with me willingly shines a spotlight on my edges. They show me where I don’t ask kindly, where I ask too much, where I get frustrated too easily…
And then I reflect, I look at where and how this shows up in my life and work, and I commit to doing better.
I would love to know - who here is doing the same?
I’m considering putting together a support framework for leaders who are doing the HARD WORK to actively dismantle this kind of business-as-usual programming. It’s exhausting to constantly push against the system but for me - it’s the only choice.
The ugly, demanding, greedy side of capitalism is unsustainable. There is a better way. And I would like to spend more time with likeminded people so we can support each other to create it together.
