When I first got involved in the Michigan College Access Network I was given a book. I don’t remember the title but one concept really stands out to me from the book. Regarding running a school system like a business, the author said it is a good idea in theory but used the following example to point out one major difference between a business and a school system. Imagine you are the owner of an ice cream company. You are making blueberry ice cream when you open a shipment of blueberries to find that the blueberries are in terrible condition. Some are squashed, others are moldy. What do you do? You would probably contact the blueberry supplier and get new berries. You would not use them in your product. You can send them back if they aren’t perfect. But in a school, students can’t be sent back. You can’t request a new student when one is having behavioral issues or trouble grasping a concept. You can’t send students back to a distributor in order to produce a “better” product. Imagine running a business where you had to accept all materials you received. It would be drastically different in many ways.

That book made me view schools in a different way. I remember another change of perspective I had when I first heard Ruby Payne speak on poverty. She helped me realize that people in generational poverty have a different reality than people not in poverty. That’s why things they do may seem like bad decisions to those of us not in the same situation. The example she gave was of people who we see using government assistance to purchase groceries, yet they have name-brand clothes, a smart phone, a manicure and their hair colored professionally. Many people would view this as an issue of misaligned priorities. But to that family, they want to do what they can to appear “normal” and not in poverty so they make decisions that will make the best use of their resources. They can spend money on the things society views as “normal” (nails, phones, etc.), and use government money for food. If they chose to spend the little money they have on food, then they wouldn’t have money left for things that make them feel and appear more “normal”. It made me re-think how generational poverty should be addressed.

I have heard many business people mention how difficult it is to find good workers. I believe this is a great challenge; however, I was recently introduced to a new perspective. It is part of the work on conscious capitalism that I have been studying. The information came from a book I am reading called, “Everybody Matters”. The book is authored by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia. The authors address the idea that maybe there aren’t as many “bad” employees as we think and that maybe we need to consider changing leadership styles. The argument is that profits will grow when people are no longer managed as objects or functions of the business. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Bob Chapman, CEO of the $1.7 billion manufacturing company, Barry-Wehmiller, realized the power businesses have to change lives. He realized that people give their time, an average of 40 hours each week, to their employer. The way they are treated and the way they are led, can profoundly impact their lives and value they provide the company. Where else does the working population spend that much of their time? Businesses have an immense opportunity to change the world through the way they treat employees.

I already appreciate the value of conscious capitalism, but this is a different way to view the opportunity that exists for businesses to impact society. Giving people the opportunity to be challenged and trusted and to grow would have a tremendous positive impact on the businesses and our economy.

It isn’t just technology and science making advances. The way we understand people and human potential is also constantly evolving. To allow ourselves to become stagnant in our leadership, or stagnant in our beliefs is unfortunate and will not move us forward. I appreciate opportunities to expand my mind and learn new perspectives. It makes me a better leader, friend, and person. I’d like to know how your perspective has been changed. If you can’t seem to think of anything, maybe it is time you changed that.