10/03/2022
Why do people want to be business owners? Why do people want to be leaders? Because they want to be their own boss? Because they want to be in control of their own destiny? Because they want to make more money? All of these are legitimate reasons people go into business for themselves. However, being a boss and owning a company also looks like being a leader in your community and leading other people on a daily basis. For me, when you whittle all of it down, that is actually what it is all really about in the end. People who are good business owners, who make ethical decisions and have integrity in every area of their business, are that way because they lead people from a servant heart. It takes a special type of person to run a business. It’s not all about true grit, sleepless nights, impeccable work ethic – at the end of the day successful business leaders care about people. We often define successful leaders and business people by the bottom line, and I think that is an inaccurate definition. There are plenty of amazing leaders who own small businesses that not many people know about, but they make a positive impact in their community and the people who work for them – something a lot of the other businesses can’t say for themselves.
This is why the concept of businesses always chasing the bottom line and trying to grow bigger and bigger every year is outdated. We have all heard the cliché phrase “quality over quantity” but honestly it’s cliché and overused because it’s so true. As a business owner I want to grow my company at a slow, sustainable rate. I want to ensure that each of my customers is satisfied, that we are providing top notch service, that we are growing our scope of business within the clientele we have already acquired, and MOST importantly that the people that work for me feel valued and have a greater quality of life because they work for me. If I have said it once I will say it a billion times – People over Profit. People are more important than any other resource a business has, not just because they are irreplaceable, but because they are the WHOLE REASON FOR THE PARTY. We are all just here walking each other home. As humans it is our job to help other people make it through this life a little softer, a little lighter. How much money any of us had and what all we did will pale in comparison to how we made other people feel.
I think it is time for us to change our capitalist structure to fit the bottom line and raise the bar by redefining profit. What if profit meant shared value? What if profit was only calculated if both people won? What if the whole structure was changed to incentivize honesty, integrity, and ethical business decision making? I don’t think we get rid of capitalism – I think we redefine the structure under which it sits.
Just a thought on a Monday afternoon…
