Focus on purpose and people, the profits will follow
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review highlights the need for a more humane leadership in light of global health, social, economic and environmental crises. It states: “In the face of these challenges, there is a growing realisation that business and society cannot thrive if employees, customers, and communities are not healthy; if our planet is on fire; and if our society is fractured. More and more leaders believe that creating a better and sustainable future requires corporations to serve all their stakeholders — not just their investors — in a harmonious fashion.
For business to be part of the solution to our collective challenges, we as leaders must see companies not as soulless moneymaking entities, but as ‘human organisations’ made of individuals working together in support of a shared goal.
While the article is positioned as a rallying cry for transition, what is interesting to me is that this has been the overriding philosophy of Kyocera from the start: “To provide opportunities for the material and intellectual growth of all our employees, and through our joint efforts, contribute to the advancement of society and humankind.”
At a time when the world is only just waking up to this new reality, our company’s founder, Dr. Kazuo Inamori’s philosophy has long embraced the concepts:
- That it is no longer about maximising shareholder value; it is about making a positive difference in the world.
- Leaders should maximise performance by embracing, mobilising, and serving all stakeholders.
- What is required now is a leadership approach that puts purpose and people at the heart of business.
Our efforts as a global organisation to contribute to environmental conservation through reduced energy consumption and resource usage, as well as through our contribution to biodiversity conservation is just part of a larger approach to creating solutions that feel good. Focussing on people and the planet is core to Kyocera’s identity and something I am very proud to be a part of.
Paul Wendlandt - Customer Services Support Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
