I can’t even begin to count the number of business owners and CEO’s who have told me that their people are their organization’s greatest asset. They are very proud when making the statement.
I truly wish this statement was true. I wish when you watched those business leaders in action you saw that philosophy in their words and actions. That you saw people being cared for, nurtured, and developed. That’s what you should do for people. Sadly, most of those business leaders really do treat their people as just another asset.
People are not assets. They are people, real life honest to goodness, human beings.
Back in 2010, I had dinner with a former colleague. He was the CEO of a major software company. He was one that often told me that the organization’s people were their greatest asset. He tried to hire me, telling me each time what a positive impact I could have on their people.
Unfortunately, the company was formulating a plan to lay off a significant number of employees and he seemed genuinely troubled by the idea. He said I was an excellent human resources executive and in times like these he really needed that expertise. I asked if he had considered every alternative to laying people off. He said he thought so.
I said, “so you’ve eliminated executive perks like company cars, significant meal allowances, fitness club memberships, and similar perks. His answer contradicted his “people are our greatest asset” statement. He said those things had indeed been considered but were rejected. He said it didn’t make sense to disrupt the lives of the executive team to save “maybe 10 or 20 jobs.” I’ll bet it would have made sense to the people losing their jobs.
Businesses are predicted to face significant headwinds in 2023. My advice to many business leaders would be to dial back the “people are our greatest asset” line. Because when push comes to shove those assets may be the first thing you decide to do without. That’s not a great look.
Of course, there may be a chance that your organization is one of the many (thankfully) that still chooses to behave as if your people truly matter more than anything else. Your actions match your words. Not only do your people hear that they matter, but they also feel it.
You lead your people rather than manage them. You invest in them. You develop them. You provide them with the best job security of all. You grow them into people who will always be in demand, even if circumstances prevent them from remaining a member of your team.
As an Authentic Leader you know that words matter. You know that thoughts matter. You know that if you think of your people as an asset, like your building, a computer, or inventory, then that’s how they will be treated. Your thoughts and words shape your actions. That’s how it works for everyone.
So, you see people for what they are. Human beings. That makes a difference in every decision you make. It means that when things get tough, you’ll ditch the executive fleet of cars and drive your family Ford.
It means that when you get to the last resort of having to separate with some of your people it will truly be a last resort. Because you know that you don’t actually run a company, you lead people and they run the company.
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