by Jonathan Jones
Nearly all business owners I’ve worked with over the last 20 years have told me that what they most want from work is not an outlet for their passions and not a reflection of their desires but rather a sense of “peace of mind.” Peace of mind, as they describe it, may include a strong balance sheet with growing revenue and healthy margins to fund the future. But mostly “peace of mind” means a certain level of health and well-being for themselves, their companies, their employees and their families.
To one of the first questions I ask my clients, “What keeps you up at night?,” most invariably give the same answer: “My people.” When I ask why, they typically offer a variety of concerns such as, “I am not sure they are qualified,” “I wish they could get along,” “I don’t know how to find the right people,” “We quarrel so much that we can’t focus on our product or market,” “I have few people I can trust,” “I have no idea if we’re on the right track to be successful” and “What happens if something happens to me?”
Creating the healthy culture that is the bedrock of any successful company is the work of a lifetime. It requires a continual learning of lessons that need relearning simply because they center on understanding human nature – your own and that of your people – in order to systematically address the challenges that can threaten your organization’s stability and ultimately its success. It is the path to what every leader really desires: peace of mind.
Jonathan Jones (jonathan@jonathanjonesconsulting.com or 314-608-0783) owns Jonathan Jones Consulting.
Submitted 10 years 90 days ago