Confucius dedicated his life to convincing Chinese leaders that
they must act virtuously. But as modern organisations struggle to deal
with the increased complexity of the network era, Confucian thinking
provides a valuable reminder that we as individuals must strive to
transcend the cultures of the organisations in which we find ourselves.
Let me explain.
More than ever
before, organisations are shaping the human condition by determining how
we live and work. To improve the human condition, we therefore have to
ensure that we are consciously shaping our organisations, and not simply
being subservient to their cultures and values.
Culture
and tradition have historically been the way in which stories are
passed on, and the way in which the human species remembers. But the
networked era gives us access to so much information that we are able to
construct a much more personal, individual understanding of the human
condition.
The networked era makes it possible for us to
realise our individuality within a community.
In fact, the network era demands that we do so - this is what is
driving the demand for authenticity. The opportunity of the networked
era is that we no longer have to hide behind organisational culture -
each person can create their own culture, their own unique set of
beliefs and values.
This is what it
means to be enlightened: to be free of the passive conditioning of
culture and to actively shape your beliefs and values. And it is this
enlightenment that drives engagement.
But
isn't this dangerous? What sets our moral compass if we free ourselves
from the tyranny of culture? Is it the transparency and authenticity
that the network era brings? If we are fully exposed, we cannot hide
behind cultural practices - it is the radical transparency of the
network that makes us accountable, the fact that we are fully visible to
others. This is where Confucian thinking is invaluable: if we abuse
this new-found power and act without virtue, we risk being publicly
shamed and losing our credibility.
Organisations
are sub-cultures. But while the network era demands that we realise our
individuality, the hierarchical power structures of our organisations
make it almost impossible for individuals to challenge the dominant
culture. It is unsurprising that employees become disengaged when
confronted with the colossal walls of organisational culture.
A
core function of leaders then is to transform the lives of the people
they lead. But in the capitalist era, leadership has become too focused
on making money. The capitalist culture of shareholders has made
business leaders beholden to the profit-driven demands of people
external to the organisation, rather than to improving the lives of
those working within the organisation. This results in many leaders
breaking
Confucius' Golden Rule: "Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself".
In
the network era, the challenge is for every employee to create and
adhere to their own set of beliefs and values. The radical transparency
of the network age demands authenticity, and enables us to challenge
those leaders and organisations who act without virtue. If we are to
reinvent organisations for the benefit of society and humanity, we must
strive us to remain autonomous in the face of the dominant
organisational culture, and consciously choose to act according to our
own personal set of beliefs and values.
And, as Confucius says, to conduct ourselves with virtue.
