With the increased talk about war, I was reflecting on the role of business leaders and business in general to play a role in establishing peace. We are so used to delegating the responsibility for peace to world leaders and politicians. Or the United Nations. Or NGOs.
But don’t we all have a part to play in creating real peace?
Peace is an expression of our humanity. It takes work for sure especially when we consider that every day some small (or large) conflict or another arises in our lives. And that’s the nub of it my view.
If each of us – all 8.3 billion of us – took on the responsibility to address every underlying tension, every disagreement, every rift and find ways, step by step to heal wouldn’t peace naturally follow?
I’m sensing the naïveté of what I’m saying. Of course it’s more complex. But is it really? If we all choose love. If we all choose kindness. If we all choose understanding and a willingness to really listen. A desire to seek common ground. If we let go of the need to hold onto power or seek more power and control.
If we heal ourselves….
But let’s come back to business and its role in this apparent ‘utopia’…
Well, isn’t it the same gig? Instead of an intense focus on competition, winning, growth of profits and more, more, more, what if we put more focus on the leadership of inner growth? On strengthening relationships? On establishing/strengthening a core of practices built around the highest ethics and values? On truly brokering collaboration – within and without the organisation?
The need for peace in our world is becoming more urgent by the hour. Conflict on a global scale is happening on our watch. As leaders isn’t it our job to help change that?