Haris Ahmed Chicago Consultant Asks: What’s Your Relationship with Money?
Haris Ahmed, Chicago consultant and executive coach, has met a lot of business tycoons, CEOs, and leaders, and for the most part, he has found that they have admirable qualities—sound leadership style, and commendable personality inside and outside of their organization. However, there are quite a few characters that have also made an impact on him; not because of their effectiveness and efficiency as leaders, but more because of their ruthless pursuit of financial gain with nary a thought to the welfare and wellbeing of their teams, organizations, and practically everyone around them.
Does money influence your every move and decision? Does it have a power over you that’s so strong, all you can think about is how to make more of it regardless of whose toes you step on along the way? If, from the very beginning when you were still a fledgling company, money was your end-all and be-all, have you stopped and asked yourself if the people under you are happy—genuinely happy?
We’ve seen how money and greed have caused organizations to come tumbling down; even crashing global economies (remember the crash of Wall Street that caused a ripple effect on a global scale?). When a leader is primarily concerned about making money and having more of it, chances are, this kind of behavior spills over to the rest of the team. Pretty soon, without you even realizing it, you have created a culture where every man is only looking out for himself.
On the other hand, if you have a healthy relationship with money, regarding it as a means to an end—but not to the point of forgoing compassion, empathy, understanding, and the regard for the welfare of others—then you will find that money comes to you more effortlessly, in a way, because it wasn’t your main pursuit. In other words, it’s the incentive for your hard work and dedication to your organization, for exhibiting people-focused qualities that have guided others by your sheer example.
A leadership style that is people-focused is sustainable; seeing you through the ups and downs of your business. You encourage loyalty, and along the way, you build friendships that could last you a lifetime. Now isn’t this a more noble and rewarding, pursuit? Remember, you can always make more money, but relationships, at least the ones that are worth keeping, can take time to build.
It’s true that money talks, but is it the only language that you want your organization to speak? There is a fine distinction between earning as a reward or incentive and raking in the profits for the sole purpose of making more money. In the end, what organizations will come to realize is that their people, more than anything, is their greatest asset.
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