The Need for a Significant Culture Shift & the Corporate World
The world is struggling for a good leader right now. While we compromise with mediocrity and dying ideologies, good PR campaigns are projecting the likes of creepy Joe as do-gooders. Women in biggest democracies are hitting their head against the glass ceiling while the smaller nations are having stories of progress presented on social media nicely.
To get the real pulse of progress, ask the middle class. Neither here nor there, tongue tied and apathetic, working like robots with the occasional armchair activism.
The private sector has done quite well with adoption of technology at a furious pace. Yet the culture of innovation has not bred progressive thinking. Why mustn’t we take the state of our politics seriously when it affects our economy? In MBA we had chapters for organization politics and macro environmental factors tho no one wants to play in the dirt and soil their clothes. So who does that leave to? Why are we so fixated on the machinisation of things when the real mess is in our approach? Really, in the end it begs for the question. Will corporate world play better politics for people vs betterment of business? In my opinion they are equal. Else the likes of Bezos don’t know where else to put their money while small businesses struggle to raise funds to keep afloat.
Actually when you look at things closely, all the macro issues begin with schooling and upbringing of individuals. When we fail to encourage the real “out of the box thinking”, we end up with cookie cutters. As practical as these cutters maybe they bring life to a dull standstill. Ask any human being if they like to see stagnation in their life. You may surprisingly get a few yeses but mostly it’s a big fat NO. What we are seeing by this is a complex web of interdisciplinary struggle to untangle the society’s views on a ‘normal life’.
Education, politics, governance, economy are key to showcase development of any country. While there is a proven track record of these factors bringing in progress, there is another power cable pulling them down, the one that is filled with greed, regressive thinking and insatiable hunger for power itself. Sadly its impossible to see a fight based on social strata. The poor have no voice, the middle class don’t want to rock the boat and the rich see no need to find a voice. When the world is being thwarted by a powerful few, lack of unity among remaining humanity has left the earth in tatters.
Gone are the days when art and culture sensitized people on day to day issues or provoked the conscience of society to look at glaring problems created by the ones hungry to grab everything that came their way. Monopoly in business, lack of transparency in governance, silence of the fourth estate — it all makes one think that man has been dumbfounded more than ever now.
Very well. Some of you maybe patting the backs of those successful people who reduced society to nothing more than a legal framework which everyone but you choose to ignore. However, look inwards. Look at your own kin. Are you proud of how things unfolded amidst all your aspirations? A great career in the United States of America is not a measure of your success. Your success is in how many great careers you created for others. That is why you were the fortunate one, to be educated and help others achieve the same level of education as you or more. There is no quixotic angle to this. This is the only sure way you will succeed. To rise above all odds and inspire.
I am sure this change is much needed in a large democracy like India and Corporate India can support such an initiative of co-learning and extend their CSR programs to more meaningful activities such as building teams, knowledge pools and clusters of expertise in every field (arts, science and commerce). Every small firm can help. Every individual can make a difference. Will this VISION come true in the next 5 years? Because it’s never too late to start and nothing wrong to rush. This is self-sustainable model for many years to come if dealt with focus and commitment. That’s a learning for another day.
