As leader, you
are the environment.
The ideal environment is one that transforms obedient citizens into functioning individuals. People are empowered to perform at their best in an environment of freedom, justice, and peace.
The
premise is that good ideas come from anywhere. So while
cracking
the whip may get people hopping in a restaurant or construction site, what makes
great organizations is their ability to tap into the core strengths of
each individual.
We are shaped by our environment. And we in turn shape our environment.
We choose our environment, by choosing our job, friends, and where we spend our time. Choose your environment carefully, as you’re really choosing the next version of you.
What are barriers to creating a great environment?
Freedom and fairness are often incompatible concepts. Case in point in politics: Liberals and Conservatives. Conservatives believe in freedom over fairness. They want people to keep what they earn, and exercise their freedom of choice. Liberals believe in fairness over freedom. They want everyone to have equal opportunity to education, health, regardless of money.
Balance in a great environment is difficult. Imbalance is natural. Here are some examples:
- Freedom without Safety - Extreme freedom by definition results in anarchy, like giving guns to everyone.
- Freedom without Fairness - Extreme freedom allows the rich to exploit the poor, the strong to extort the weak. Without rules, many will suffer.
- Fairness without Safety - An eye for an eye, and soon we're all blind.
- Fairness without Freedom - The concept of democracy is majority rules, not necessarily protecting minority rights.
- Safety and Fairness without Freedom - Communism tried and failed, as freedom is what gets the best from people.
There are so many signs of imbalance, for example, in the American situation.
- The richest one percent of America owns half the country's wealth that's not balance
- Medicare - Is it fair to let the medical system to financial bankrupt the sick?
- PATRIOT Act - Is it okay to take away basic freedoms, with the promise of improving safety?
- Revenge and Death Penalty - It's fair right? But
an eye for an eye means the violence may never end.
Should the environment
make everyone happy?
Happiness is not the ideal environment for learning and performance.
Just
as the grain of sand causes the oyster to produce the pearl, great
success stories are the result of some irritant that causes someone
really focused to overcome.
“One must choose in life between boredom and suffering” -- Mme de Stael
Farmers complain in the spring when the weather was too
good. That's an odd complaint, isn't it? The
farmer elaborates, knowing if the weather was too
good then the crops will not grow deep roots, and will not survive a
storm or drought.
When we're needy, our sensitivity and appreciation rises.
- If we're broke, then every penny counts. And we work harder.
- If we're starving, then everything tastes better. We appreciate food.
- If we're suffering, then we look for solutions. We're open to change.
How much pain is enough?
What's the
ideal pain intensity?
It is pain deep enough to gets the most attention,
but not deep enough to cause long-term damage..
- The pain of loss of a loved one, can decapacitate a person for life.
- The pain of losing a leg, well let's just say it's not good.