Genuine Concern – The Lifeblood of Relationships

“Our passions are ignited when we set out to advance a cause greater than ourselves.” – Simon Sinek

Towards the end of 2023, the firing of OpenAI’s  CEO (the company behind ChatGPT)caught the tech world by surprise. Of course, less than three days later, he was reinstated to his position and life moved back to business as usual.

Yet, during that melodrama, something significant transpired which is worthy of our consideration. A majority of the company’s employees gave the board an ultimatum to quit unless their boss was reinstated within a prescribed period.

Now, think with me for a moment: Why would the employees make such a daring and bold call? Why would they risk destabilizing their livelihoods and jeopardizing their families or dependents’ well-being for the sake of a boss who ain’t even a relative? Why were they so willing to pay such a dear price equivalent to breaking the metaphorical arm and leg? To be honest, I don’t know much about Sam Altman, but I can conjecture what kind of leader would make their followers behave exactly in such a way.

It was Maya Angelou who penned down this timeless quote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Humans are emotive beings and employees are no exception. The best of leaders ain’t the one who shouts the loudest or whose presence evokes an unsettling feeling within the ‘subjects’; The most successful of leaders ain’t the one who brandishes unnecessary comments to the juniors in a bid to demonstrate their vast learnings and grasp in a subject matter; The leader whose legacy transcends the time spent in any organization ain’t a people pleaser or a clout chaser. They don’t agree with every whim that is thrown across their faces or seek relevance through uncouth actions.

Instead, the truest of leaders have a resolute purpose that is buoyed by innate values. They care about the quality of the work’s output and strive to push the employees towards doing their very best. They are emotionally intelligent so as not to exude fear or anger unceremoniously. They are no monopoly of knowledge – they understand their limits and hence remain open to critique from the lowest of people.

The bottom line is, at the core, as a leader, do you truly care for those under your charge? Do they actually feel it as demonstrated in your tone and demeanor? Or do they just think of you as a selfish and opportunistic individual whose primary goal is not their well-being but your own gain? Beyond the work setup, these learnings today apply to many other setups:

As an educator in whatever cadre, what’s your motivation for pushing your students to get the top grades? Is it because you are enticed by the promised year-end trip to an exotic destination if at all your subject dominates in the rankings or is it because you authentically care for the students’ academic progression such that notwithstanding any supposed inducements, you would still ensure that everything is grasped and passed by hook or crook?

As a professor, what’s your reason for partnering with junior researchers who reach out to you? Is it because you would like to provide mentorship so that they can unleash and surpass the potential in them or is it so that your name appears in scientific publications as a collaborator which will in turn solely boost your career advancement?

As a parent, why are you so keen on instilling discipline in your children? Is it because in times past, you were unsettled by the comments you heard others making about other people’s offspring such that you vowed to raise a well-ordered generation who’ll act as responsible citizens, or is it because you just want payback for the strokes received in your childhood days?

As a politician, do you truly envision a bright future for those whom you seek votes from, or are the exquisite projections in your manifesto only PR stunts aimed at hoodwinking the populace while the people are just mere pawns who can be sacrificed at any point in time without remorse so long as your plans excel?

As an individual, why do you write down resolutions when every year begins? Why have you even drafted the so-called strategic plan of your life? Is it in a bid to appear focused and worthy of admiration by your peers or is it because you truly desire a real change to be wrought in your physical, spiritual, and emotional life?

Let us never forget this: Any meaningful change in the family, society, community, and nation finds its catalyst and sustenance in the progenitor’s genuine care. Apart from this, all our plans and aspirations are nothing short of wishful thinking, lacking the capacity to make a real impact in people’s lives. I have made a resolution to do things differently in 2024 and I hope you’ll do the same too.

Cheers, good people to a week and lifetime marked by genuine care in everything we do!!