Jeff Klein's Blog
December 3, 2012
The Business of business is…
The Greeks have a saying that goes “you can’t hide behind your finger.” You get the idea. It is something like the Emperor’s new cloths. Everyone can see you are trying to hide behind your finger, the same way they can see that the Emporer is butt naked (if they allow themselves to see it).
When I hear “the business of business is business” I see the naked Emperor or someone trying to hide behind their finger. Let’s give ourselves permission to see beyond this ruse. The business of business is to create value for human beings – for the people who create the business, the people they serve and, ultimately, for the broader community, society and species.
Informed by our deepest evolutionary drives, business – as is any human social organism – is organized to sustain life and to foster flourishing. Otherwise, it will ultimately cease to exist. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we need to ask, how can business serve humanity? how can business enhance life? Rather than how can business serve the interests of business (unless business embraces the definition of business as an extension of humanity).
The next time you hear someone say “the business of business is business” or “the purpose of business is to generate return on investment for shareholders,” ask the question “what are you hiding from?” or, perhaps, let them know that their suit is, well, transparent!
When I hear “the business of business is business” I see the naked Emperor or someone trying to hide behind their finger. Let’s give ourselves permission to see beyond this ruse. The business of business is to create value for human beings – for the people who create the business, the people they serve and, ultimately, for the broader community, society and species.
Informed by our deepest evolutionary drives, business – as is any human social organism – is organized to sustain life and to foster flourishing. Otherwise, it will ultimately cease to exist. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we need to ask, how can business serve humanity? how can business enhance life? Rather than how can business serve the interests of business (unless business embraces the definition of business as an extension of humanity).
The next time you hear someone say “the business of business is business” or “the purpose of business is to generate return on investment for shareholders,” ask the question “what are you hiding from?” or, perhaps, let them know that their suit is, well, transparent!
