Too Prideful to Respect Your Wallet?

After the French and American Revolutions, the private sector made a critical leap in leadership complexity. A style of organizational culture emerged that included the hierarchical, formal role-based structure that had previously marked the limit of human business design. 

This emerging style included the process and structure benefits of the previous stage, but transcended those confines that, at their worst, signify an organization that is built to last, but unfortunately is slow to change. Sometimes these companies are so slow to change that the best people don’t even get the job, the people who have the most seniority do. This means the best ideas don’t win, and, well, innovation that the market demands isn’t happening. 

This new “level” of organizational complexity I’m referring to came with loads of benefits, including a meritocracy and new levels of accountability that shook up the Good Ole Boys club nature of the previous hierarchically limited structures. This gave us the economic powder keg that is not notably defined as corporate America. Thanks for Walmart, MP3s, and exponential economic expansion!

Like any evolution, this new design had its limits. In many respects, the biggest limitation of this machine-like structure, to use Frederic LaLoux words, begins to break down when the impressive bottom line earnings aren’t enough for employee fulfillment. In fact, more than 70% of American workers are not happy at work. As it turns out, cubicle life made us lots of money, but not lots of happiness.

As of writing this, some (but not all) organizations have evolved a step or two beyond the stage described above in an effort to expand into an expression of business that holds space for fulfillment, stakeholder balance, and culture. This would explain all the people quitting their jobs and enrolling in yoga teacher training in our town and the finance guys who bail on their BMW leases for a  more meaningful start-up. 

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you may be one of these people living and working a version of life that places value-driven work first. You’re not “in it for the paycheck” so to speak. If so, let me remind you that the healthiest evolution (as Ken Wilbur would say) “transcends and includes” previous iterations. For you passionate ones, here’s a warning. Don’t let pride put you in a position that forgets to make a living. You don’t need to starve to do your best work, meaningful work, and value-driven work. Some of you need to hear that it’s OK to make a damn good living and respect yourself in your quest for meaningful work, albeit teaching fitness or creating a company that is the TOMS Shoes-of-whatever. 

Logan Gelbrich  

@functionalcoach