CORPORATE CULTURE start a fight is to attack that person ’ s background . Why do people defend family backgrounds for which they have nothing to be proud of but then find it difficult to be proud of their nations even if things are not where they ought to be ?
In a study of the best companies to work for in America , a common thread that runs through is that they are companies where the employees feel valued . This opens the door to possible causes of patriotism . No matter how dysfunctional a person ’ s family might be , as long as the person feels loved and valued in the family , they will fight to defend their family .
Our development as a people is directly tied to our patriotism but our patriotism is a direct consequence of our perception of value that the nation or entity places on us as a people . When there is a sense of value , pride will be the natural consequence .
I am a Nigerian by birth . I live in Kenya and the nation has been good to me . The result is a deep sense of loyalty and patriotism that sees me giving excuses for the nation . When on a zoom call with people in other countries and there is a blackout , I want to protect the country and I blame the darkness on my local transformer or on an electrical fault in my house .
So , while we preach loyalty at the workplace and patriotism on a national level , let us remember the family unit . Patriotism and loyalty flow from a sense of value . The good news is that no one needs a budget to make another person feel valued . As we begin to value our own and celebrate our own , the consequence will be a sense of deep loyalty and patriotism and the natural progression will be consistent development and growth . The most important function therefore of leadership is to make the led feel valued .
Organizations need to rethink leadership . The concept of the boss being someone who barks our orders and dominates by intimidation is a concept of the past . Today value is going to come through the investment of value in the team . It really is a very simple process of sowing and reaping . When we sow value to the team , they will sow the same value to the customers and we will reap greater value for the organization . The bible was right that whatever a man sows , he will reap .
A culture where people are not able to discover themselves is ultimately going to be self-destructive . A culture where people get to know themselves as they take the organization forward because they are empowered to be authentic - now that is the future and that future started yesterday ! ■
Dr . Wale Akinyemi is the Chief Transformation Officer , PowerTalks Corporate & Personal Development Consultants . He is a seasoned coach , mentor and writer . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at :
Wale @ powertalks . biz