Forgiveness as a Business Tool
The knee-jerk reaction of too many people in leadership positions when they feel wronged is righteous indignation and the urge for revenge. But one factor that sets truly transformational leaders apart is the ability to forgive – to let feelings of anger, resentment and blame fall away and become something constructive.
Great leaders know the art of reconciliation. They realize the havoc that can be created by an unforgiving attitude… holding grudges is a form of arrested development; it holds people back.
Many businesses today are like gulags. People are anxious, there’s a lot of paranoia. But what should be remembered is that people who don’t make any mistakes don’t do anything. They’re too busy covering their backs. They’re not going to try anything new.
In organizations where you know that if you make a mistake you’re going to be fired, there is a culture of fear which stifles productivity.
Leaders who can tolerate mistakes, who see them as learning opportunities, are those who create a great corporate culture. Forgiveness offers people the chance to take risks, to be creative, to learn and to grow their own leadership capabilities.
A great example would be to take a look at two very different African political leaders.
When you fly over Zimbabwe you see a wasteland, when you fly over South Africa you see something very different: two leaders with very different attitudes towards forgiveness.
At the end of South African apartheid and after 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela forgave his oppressors and encouraged many of his party’s members who clamored for revenge to do the same.
In comparison, Robert Mugabe opted for bitterness, vindictiveness and hatred, against white Zimbabweans and the nation’s black citizens who opposed him. By encouraging supporters to forcibly occupy white-owned commercial farms Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of southern Africa, became the poor house. Under his rule, unemployment rose to between 70-80 percent, life expectancy fell. In mid-November 2008, Zimbabwe’s peak month of inflation is estimated at 6.5 sextillion percent—making the national currency basically useless. A “clean-up campaign” targeting the slums where his most hardened opponents resided left 200,000 homeless.
It may seem impossible forgiving someone you believe has slighted or taken deliberate action against you. But the price for bearing a grudge can be high. Numerous studies have shown that bitterness and hatred create stress disorders, negatively affect the immune system and are positively correlated with depression, anxiety, neuroticism and premature death.
In comparison, taking the high road of forgiveness contributes to greater spiritual and psychological well-being, lower anxiety levels, less stress, lower blood pressure and lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse. People who forgive more readily also tend to have fewer coronary health problems.
Be it an employee, potential client, co-worker, or partner – let’s forgive and grow – today!
Happy Tuesday & Happy Selling!
Kevin