Is that the most beautiful decision you could make?
I was asked recently how one could simply and directly apply beauty into leadership?
Imagine a company, a large automotive corporation is having a board meeting. The company is under pressure, decisions have to be made to counter its current poor performance of its sales and financial performance. A number of the board have come up with a ruse to be untruthful at an industrial scale about the emissions of their engines. This would enable a story extolling high fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions to be told.
Its a risky plan because were they to be found out, the act would be seen as criminal. Other consequences would be damage to market valuation, loss of trust in the brand which will impact sales, and fatal damage to the leadership team, the costs of legal action that could bog the company down for years and even class actions. This could be the legacy of making such a choice. There are multiple scenarios one could choose from.
Nonetheless, the consensus is growing for the plan.
What if someone asked a simple question, “is that the most beautiful decision we can make?”
Such a simple question, yet it is packed with many important frames for decision making.
Empathy
Imagination
Intuition
Creativity
Values
Legacy
Time
Positive outcomes
This simple question could steer a conversation and ignite the imagination to see an alternative path and walk upon it. It could inform wise thought and right action. Perhaps try this question, within your own organisation. It does not have to be of high strategic importance, it could be everyday. The question still reframes what a good outcome could be.
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