Creating an Ecosystem that nurtures entities to thrive, grow & become sustainable for the future
The ills of corruption, we all know. It kills any good deed, denies opportunities to deserving, hijacks rights of the weak and many more. Who is not aware of this? The dilemma is whether to give some money and get the job done or fight back. How much a common person can fight? The system is tough to break. One may choose to be honest and go on but that does not make others honest and change the system. To change the system, it needs something else. Those who are honest are faced with challenges more and more. They are faced with the dilemma of taking the shortcut or staying strong and letting go of many luxuries that the shortcuts would otherwise make available. There are many other ways people make money through shortcuts and leave harmful effects on the lives of others surrounding them. They are siloed thinkers, they are focused on self-gain, and they do not contribute positively, contrary to thinking of building something beautiful for everyone to enjoy.
It is difficult to change individuals or preach honesty to someone who does not realise it. That maybe be something tried by spiritual leaders. But there is a midway solution. We can make entities honest and purposeful. Entities are key units of our ecosystem and are most critical to our survival. We can make entities clean and purposeful by influencing them and drawing their attention to an organisation's purpose beyond just making a profit. Helping them discover their purpose, as most organisations already have it, but are unaware.
"A purpose like that will work as the compass against which everyone in the organisation would verify their actions and stay aligned."
When entities as units of our ecosystem become clean and purpose-focused, people inside the organisation are more engaged and put their efforts towards the organisation’s purpose with much more synergy.
Would you agree that changing entities to become clean and purposeful is more feasible? Probably yes, because there is a business case for it.
"By becoming more purposeful and clean, entities turn to be more sustainable for the future."
They contribute positively and do not harm the bigger ecosystem they are a part of. It is the same as, if you fish out everything from the pond leaving nothing that can grow over time, then nothing will be left for the next cycle. You cannot squeeze out everything for your gain. If taxes are not paid then entities are not contributing anything to take care of the pond. To let the entities exist themselves, it is key they care for the outer world equally. Their products and services need to serve people positively. Then their businesses will survive, and they can make profits again and again over very long periods of time. If honest practices are followed, then profit levels are not in spikes but are more rational and entities thrive. Spikes attained by shortcuts are not sustainable, profits made that way are not sustainable either.
Is it the only business case for entities to become honest & purposeful? There is more. A higher purpose engages people who run their businesses. People connect with it and see their aspirations towards it. They volunteer and contribute their efforts not for salaries only, but for the direct or indirect impact, they see they can ultimately make in the real world outside.
"Purpose opens hearts and minds. It creates a desire in people to be optimistic, raises their willingness to take risks and courage to follow their convictions and be creative. It ignites innovation. Purpose kills conflicts, turns resistance into cooperation and creates synergy for solving problems. It is very powerful."
But not all entities are clean and purposeful. There are entities that are designed for the ill, they intentionally work in dishonest ways and deal with products and services that are not doing good to others. They have siloed business goals and self-centred attitudes. They pump dirty money into the system. They harm the system that is so interlinked. They are like the weeds on the farm. They are the diseased or decaying branches of a tree. They must be treated and fixed regularly to let the plant grow and stay healthy. At the same time, purposeful entities should be supported for them to spread and tilt the ecosystem towards good.
So there are two ways to look at it. Either we influence each business, or we may address it through a system. The systemic solution could be one where we enhance the financial system as businesses are so dependent on this system for their survival and growth. We make it pro-good-businesses and as unfavourable as possible to bad ones while we also focus on each business and make them more purposeful. We can thus address the problem, maybe in a more dynamic way. And thus we would be able to create an ecosystem that will nurture entities to thrive, grow and become sustainable for the future.
