Psychology and the Business World: The Spiritual Journey of the Corporate Warrior

Details: Last Updated: Sunday, 27 October 2013 20:37; Written by Barry O'Connor

The human mind has a remarkable propensity to dream, and whether in our waking hours, or while asleep, each of us has the ability to move beyond our existing framework, in order to consider new realities, new potential and most important of all, new ways of undertaking even the most simple of tasks.

Barry O'Connor
Managing Director, Corporate Strategies Ltd.
Auckland, New Zealand

Massey University, Albany Campus, 10 October 1996

Without this gift, we would not have moved beyond our brother and sister species, with whom we share this remarkable planet, in order to create the world of the 20th century, with its giant strides in medicine, technology, weapons of mass destruction and last but not least; management.

My title for this address, 'The Spiritual Journey of the Corporate Warrior,' may perhaps have raised a few eyebrows, owing to the different interpretations that may be placed on the term 'spiritual.' So let me from the outset, lay any misconceptions to rest, by stating, that when I refer to spirituality, I am not referring to religion, but rather to that sense of rightness and well being, that is always present, when humans are encouraged, either individually or collectively, to bend their psyches to a purpose that has worth.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'spirit' as the 'animating or vital principle in humans, the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person.' So therefore, we are dealing with that unique part of ourselves, that even today, appears beyond the ability of science to quantify in material terms.

In the approach to the new millennium, modern, mass humanity, has reached a pinnacle, that represents the striving of our species from the time that we first pulled ourselves upright and walked on two legs. And yet, as we push ever further outwards, to expand the frontiers of our scientific knowledge, we somehow seem to be losing something of importance, in the process of achievement.

It would appear, that the trade-off for undreamed of material success, is isolation, rationalisation, the loss of important symbols that previously transcended the individual, and the development of a business culture based on an increasingly narrow concept of eternal profit.

It would be tempting for me to widen my address, to issues, that impinge on the impact of modern life on the individual, and his or her thinking, for this is also very much part of the equation that business has to contend with. But I will avoid this indulgence, and continue to focus on the central theme to my address; that is, my personal belief in the 'natural creativity,' that is present within all human beings.

So what is this term, natural creativity?

Well to come straight to the point, I believe that human beings are born with latent creative potential. If I was to put it in another way, I can utilise a concept developed by the Swiss psychiatrist, Karl Jung, and state, that within the human psyche, there is an archetypal potential, to creatively input to the time and space within which the individual exists.

Now indeed, I am stepping on dangerous territory, to make such a sweeping statement within a university campus. For the immediate response may likely be, 'this is very interesting, where is your proof?' And here we get on very sticky ground indeed, because I must say, with total humility, that I have none that would satisfy the demands of empirical science.

'Ahaa,' may then be the response, 'without proof, your views are subjective, therefore you are being philosophical, or at worst, a mystic.' And to this, I must respond, that this is the very nub of the problem that plagues us today, that is, achieving a balance between subjective and objective endeavour, in reaching for a better way of doing things.

However, being a terrier with a bone, I choose not to slink from this building, with my tail between my legs, because I cannot meet the empirical standards demanded. But rather, I would like to fall back on my experience, built-up over the past 30 years, in which I have observed the continuing impossible quest of businesses, who seek the holy grail, that place of nirvana, where endless profit is the birthright of those who believe in the rightness of the cause.

But to appreciate where I'm heading, I think we should first understand what is this thing we call business? For each of us, likely, has a differing concept of the term, depending on our personal training, experience and development.

The starting point, is to deal with uncomfortable concepts, encompassed within the terrible word 'reality.' Because in our modern world, image has replaced reality, and in fact, even worse, image has become reality. Businesses, world-wide, pour hundreds of millions of dollars into creating an image, behind which, the reality, is too often, vastly different.

In his psychology, Jung refers to the concept of the persona, the face that we as individuals, project to the world. As it is a projection, it means that we can change our persona to suit our circumstances, be that business, family, play, or perhaps even in giving this speech. The same principle, in my view, applies to organisations, who paint on their persona, with the able assistance of 'spin doctors,' thus, creating an external reality, that too often has little if any relationship to the inner world of the organisation.

Therefore, merging inner reality with external image, can at times constitute a task of extraordinary complexity, owing to the fact, that to do so, requires moving outside the framework of management control. Lets face it, in this modern world of ever increasing speed, whose got the time to work consistently with that most difficult of animals ..the homo sapien, with all the contradictions, challenges, angst and alternatives, that the human mind can throw up in the course of strengthening something, in order to make it better.

So therefore, my first observation is, that when your business is trying to achieve something, first identify the gap that exists between the persona, and the factuality of what lies behind, before you launch out and once again disappoint a market ever-hopeful of being delighted by a true reality.

The next issue that I would like to focus on, is 'the shadow' that lies within every business. Now before you all search through the filofaxes of your mind, trying to remember in what MBA or management paper the term 'shadow' was discussed, please relax, because I am sure that it was never mentioned at all.

However, the Oxford Dictionary, identifies the term shadow, 'as pertaining to the dark part of the picture, room etc; or the patch of shade or dark figure, projected by the body when intercepting light rays.' And this is a very apt description of the shadow that exists within every organisation.

The shadow, is the where all the unrealised potential of a business is dumped, the grave yard of poorly finished strategies, half realised potential, forgotten dreams, unimplemented ideas and bitter personal rivalries. It lies there, exerting its historical pull on the conscious attitudes of today's management and employees. It cannot be consciously willed-away, owing to the fact, that it is inextricably tied to both the individual and collective unconscious that comprises the organisation. It is effectively, repressed values, the net result of which is driven into the background of the business, where the shadow exists.

As an example, what do I do, when I first go into an organisation?

Well, after listening to senior management, I have a compulsive desire to get to the lowest levels of the business, as fast as possible. I want to talk to the people who know and don't say. I want to dig around in the organisation's shadow, and find out all the positive and negative things that live there. In digging around in the dark areas, I gradually work my way upwards, through the supervisory ranks; into middle management; and finally back into top management. For then, and only then, am I in a position to talk both reality and potential.

In doing this, it is important for you to be aware, that this shadow work, is not just engaging in a consultant driven talk-fest, regurgitating the obvious, for that would be a waste of my time, and the organisation's money. But rather, it is a search for the signposts that indicate both negative energy, impacting on organisational processes, and latent potential that can be utilised for future business success. Many things live in the organisational shadow, which over time, can become very large, resulting in an organisation that fragments up, down and along its structure; masked of course, by the trappings of externalised corporate success.

As I stated, at the commencement of this address, I know that latent creative potential exists within all of us, and therefore within organisations. But before I extend this theme, it is important that I clarify, what it is I mean by being creative.

Unfortunately, there are many theories and misconceptions concerning the term creativity. For some, it is the ability to express what is within them; for others, it is the creation of some work of art, or perhaps a sculpture. Then for others, it is the enormous leaps of logic that result from scientific endeavour, reinforcing the unassailable position that science has claimed for itself, within our research institutes, universities and wider society.

But in addition, there is an unfortunate tendency for us to equate creativity with the genius associated with Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein, Christian Barnard and The Beatles; in other words, with the pinnacles of creative achievement. This trend undermines, or even worse, ignores the fact, that there are levels of creativity that can be successfully tapped at every level of our societal framework. Nowhere is this more evident, than in the work place.

To me, the term creativity relates to the use of latent potential, and in this, I am more than comfortable with the definition of Jung when he stated:

The creative process is an act of re-balancing, that is, moving back to the mid-point of human progression. Removing the shackles of absolute proof for every statement. To blend with the possibilities arising from every statement. To be freed from the fear of ridicule. To be at one with the possibilities, that arise freely within oneself, and from there, to apply, in its proper time, the value of directed thinking.

Whenever I go into the work place, I see the shackles of society. This too often results in managers, who are perceived to be successful, lacking the essential skills to release the creative talent that surrounds them.

Therefore a paradox arises. Organisations genuinely seek to successfully expand the possibilities inherent within them. But when inadvertently, the motherlode is discovered, managers can be frightened by what confronts them in terms of questioning of the existing system. I have seen this phenomenon in many businesses, the paradox being, that to seek, is to be seen to be doing something, to find, means to actually do it.

Thus, excellent concepts, that have arisen within the organisation, are progressively, to use an Australian term, 'white anted,' until the net result is either a dwindling of the intent, or worse, the implementation of a weakened concept that cannot be sustained. Thus, management, once again, resumes its search for the holy grail, while another potentially creative solution is consigned to the shadow.

But hold on, you might well say. Look at all the successful businesses that exist within New Zealand today, businesses that have creatively carved out their place in the sun; and I would reply; that is true. But in the same breath, I would ask, how are we to measure success?

The greatest problem facing modern business, is the one-dimensional nature of 20th century economics. It is this, that fundamentally destroys latent potential, and turns it from a positive into a negative.

'Ahaa,' you may think, 'now he's getting political.' The fact is, that the mathematical mentality, that has so infatuated business in the past decade or more, has produced a modern manager, who is often so divorced from the realities of the work place, that all she or he can see is a bank of numbers in a computer screen or on a print-out. Businesses are only rated as being successful, by their ability to continuously produce a quarterly, half yearly or annual result, that is better than the last, no matter how this is achieved. Thus, the philosophical basis of business is destroyed by the myth of eternal profit.

But hold on, you may ask, what do I mean by the term 'the philosophical basis of business?' And to answer, I would pose a philosophical question; 'is a successful business there to make money, or is the making of money, the result of a successful business?'

In too many instances, board, management and employees act as stratified sectors within the organisational equation, resulting in the development of a survival mentality at every level of the business. This is a factor deeply burned into the unconscious processes of many organisations, as a consequence of the slash and burn profit mentality, so prevalent in recent times.

This see-saw of humanity in and humanity out, not only creates a continuing instability within the business, but even worse, managers, so totally focused on numbers and continuous restructuring, that they never see the potential that exists under their very noses. They leave this for me, as a consultant, to tap into, often being totally surprised at the quality of what they assume to be my thinking. I can assure you, I soon disabuse them of this misconception.

The most important point that I can leave you with today, is that all organisations have a specific energy. It is the energy represented by the hopes, dreams, skills and aspirations of every person that makes up their reality. All organisations have the potential for positive energy, and nowhere is this more apparent, than in a business in start-up mode, where the need to achieve, transcends the burden of structure and process.

But as organisations settle, the skills required to ignite latent potential, progressively dilute, until the complexities of human psychology undermine the very goals that have to be achieved. This is where the management of numbers, with its propensity for neatness and order, becomes very much more appealing, than the management of living tissue, with all its contrariness and unpredictability.

I can assure you, that the human spirit, with its desire for growth and achievement, is a very real part of the natural order of things. All of you present in this room today, are a living example of the magic of time and space, and therefore represent the sum of your total experience from the time you were born.

This group, if required, could release stunning creative energy, owing to the fact that each of your individual life experiences, to this point-in-time, is absolutely unique. Therefore, the power of the total contribution, is always the sum of the individual parts. This is the law of organisational creativity. The more you restrict the input, the more you restrict the latent potential.

It seems so obvious doesn't it? But at times, that which is right in front of our noses, is often the hardest to see.

Therefore, the first step in the process of releasing latent potential, within any organisational framework, is to remove the disease of 'judgment' and replace it with 'expectation.' Modern organisations, are a minefield of judgments. Let me give you some examples: she's only a typist, he's only a clerk, she's only a machine worker, if only he wasn't 50, he hasn't performed, they haven't performed, the numbers aren't right, and so on and on. It seems that as our species, enters the last part of the old millennium, we have wrapped ourselves so tightly in the cloak of projection, that we can no longer discern what in fact may be the real problem; that is; ourselves.

Let me state, that the human spirit is subliminally attuned to outcomes when encouraged. Judgment destroys spirit, and drives it inwards, back into the shadow where non-utilised potential lives. I have seen too many examples in my adult lifetime, to doubt this reality. However, as I have already stated, creative potential cannot vanish, it either stays within the organisation as a negative, or it flows outwards, back into the lives of the individual, that is, away from the workplace.

That's why when I work with a group, one of the first questions I ask, is, 'what are your interests, in your personal life.' Invariably, after a moment's hesitation, one gets a diverse response, which includes: gardening, philosophy, reading, managing a theatre group, taking papers at University, acting, helping others, politics, managing a sport's club, painting, fund raising, my church, travel, and last but not least, my family.

It is here, rather than the work place, where the greatest amount of creative potential is ultimately realised. Or as one person once put it to me, 'I go to work to feed my family, apart from this, I enjoy life.'

If creative potential is restricted, this leaves a small group of managers, to carry the burden of creative activity, for that is what it ultimately becomes. This burden, is rather like a one-day cricket match, as time passes, the run rate gets harder. The net result is usually, that after 3-5 years, individual managers move on to fresh pastures, or are moved on, to pursue, what I believe is euphemistically called, personal interests.

Thus, as new managers move in, fresh and eager for the fray, they invariably implement a review, consider the implications within the management team, and then introduce structural changes designed for short term results, while everyone else hunkers down. Last year, it was quality circles; this year, offices are banned, and its all about open spaces and interaction; next year, its what best catches my desperate attention; and so the search for the holy grail is perpetuated.

In the ultimate, what is required, is a balancing of opposites in achieving organisational success. As a businessman, I cannot argue against the fact, that economics are an important part of the business equation. But what I cannot accept, is that an obsessive infatuation with numbers, is the only way in which to manage a business.

Yes, managing the individual and collective human psyche is very very difficult. And yes, it does consume endless effort, to get creative potential properly focused and contributing. And yes again, it does run out of steam, and always needs further management attention, in order for the process to be sustained. For creativity moves in a great spiral that encircles a central column of purpose. It wills itself upward, but often meets resistances that thrust it downwards, thus creating a continuing cycle of realised and unrealised potential.

Every organisation has free choice; manage the entity on the basis of the numbers; or, manage the organisation within a balance between the numbers and the potential.

It is quite an extraordinary feeling to first walk into an organisation, and within a very short space of time, accurately sense what type of management it follows. Those managed on the basis of the numbers, have caution stalking every floor. What is presented, is often not what is really true. The vice of mathematics, often precludes adventurous thinking, except within very narrow parameters.

The Strategic and Business Plans are invariably a master piece. Everyone knows what should be done, and by when, don't step outside the plan for the market is ever watchful for signs of heresy. Monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly reviews, are all part of the master mechanism. The individual is there to conform to the statistics, and a rigorous monitoring is maintained.

Eventually, the statistics establish a life of their own, breeding a population of numerical alchemists, who look for any variances that may ruin the perfection of the formula. Thus, in the ultimate, the only path of proven success, is to drive down cost, drive down cost and drive down cost. And in these situations, I have observed the truly wonderful creativity of managers, who, within the strait jacket of their budgets, are still able to successfully get around the system, in order to effectively manage in the world of reality.

Negative it may be, but it is still creativity.

Therefore my question is; how can the human spirit, with all its potential, function within this claustrophobic management process?

This type of management approach, while pleasing the market, and certainly successful in the short term, is arid and sterile, leading eventually to profit decline and a wasteland of abused potential. The end result, is a company that plays itself out, for ultimately everything reaches its bedrock. At which point, the market, unconcerned with the mathematics of past success, turns on the organisation and hastens its demise.

Such is the law of the jungle.

Therefore, I believe that it can be fairly stated, that we humans with our science and our apparently unlimited future potential, have become rich in knowledge, while poor in wisdom. Rich in material wealth, while poor in human spirit.

The balancing of opposites, in achieving organisational and market success, is quite another strategy. First and foremost, it recognises the very real impact of economics on the successful management of the organisation. Thus, the economics of the business are clear to everyone. What is expected, and what has to be achieved, are clearly stated within a framework appropriate for the whole business. Directness and honesty, is a hall-mark of this style of management, with particular emphasis on treating everyone, from top-to-bottom, as an adult with the potential to contribute.

The management of this style of organisation, is balanced. The Chief Executive ensures that no one management function is positioned to dominate executive processes. All disciplines, have equal value, within a framework that is economically concise. The shadow within the top team is brought into the light of day and clearly understood, for if the executive team cannot recognise its existence, what hope for the rest of the business.

There has to be a readiness to recognise latent human potential at every level of the business. But in saying this, there should be no head-long rush into achieving overnight success, for this strategy style is doomed to failure. A decade or more of restructuring and reform, has invariably driven latent potential deep within the organisation, and it is not easily resurrected.

There needs to be a real understanding of the pressures on modern mass humanity, through our growing obsession with technology, instant communications, speed of response, entertainment, the difficulties of living in increasingly large impersonal cities, the pressures of gender, political correctness, alienation of the generations, and the projection of the human psyche into externalism, and away from the traditional symbols that have now been rendered powerless.

This is the real environment, within which each organisation must exist and ultimately be successful. As I have already stated, it really is easier to just run the numbers, and move on when the going gets too tough.

However, once an organisation has understood its real environment, it then needs to focus key managers at every point of its structure, for every organisation is unique unto itself. In many businesses, divisions are often, psychologically, quite separate from each other. This results in 'no go' zones, where it is very difficult to achieve true commonalty of purpose. Thus, as strategies rise upwards for board or senior executive approval, they are often crafted to represent a particular point of view, that is not always the correct one for the business in its totality.

With the achievement of focus, it is time to introduce the interplay between directed and non-directed thinking, managed by an executive team who understand the process and support it. At this stage, what in effect is taking place, is the first steps towards reaching for latent potential.

When I work with a group of employees, the first thing that I have to achieve, is to temporarily alter their habitual pattern of work place thinking. This, in the first instance, is achieved within a framework of suspicion that can include: 'I'm not telling him anything! If I say anything, I will only look stupid! Not another consultant, what happened to the last one! Stuff him, he's getting paid thousands of dollars an hour, let him figure it out! I'm not raising my head, when John did, he got it shot off! If they'd only offer me redundancy, I'd be out of here! Management, what management! All he's going to do is borrow our watch, tell us the time, then charge us for it!'

Therefore, it is essential to introduce, within the group, a sense of the unexpected. The human soul is always delighted by surprise, if at least temporarily, before the ego reasserts its sceptical dominance. Then once the group is relatively comfortable, which usually means a see-sawing between a wish to be involved and a desire to be elsewhere, the process of non-directed thinking is applied.

Non-directed thinking is to literally remove the shackles of conformity and judgment, while in the process, permitting an opportunity for the expression of the knowledge, instincts and feelings, richly present within each person. The initial response is always variable, but essentially, it progressively establishes a new framework, within which the group can function. The important factor, is to encourage, at an early stage, a contribution, regardless of the quality or otherwise of the input. Most importantly, it should not be confused with the concept of brainstorming, but rather with encouraging a fuller use of each individual's hidden potential. Honesty, is a cornerstone of the process, even through at times, this may be painful.

Each individual has to transcend his or her inner resistance, in order to make a contribution. For some, it is very easy, while for others, very hard. At the early stages, I'm not looking for massive leaps of creative insight, but rather I am seeking creative confidence. Conscious and unconscious processes are at work, that seek their release within a forum free from judgment and ridicule.

The individual must first sense their own worth, a not easily won situation for those brought up on a diet of conformity, before any move can be made to form a creative group. As the process proceeds, it is always self-correcting, owing to the fact that the group ultimately knows what will work, and what will not, what is sensible and what is not.

While modern business is always seeking the great leap forward, somehow it does not see that creative incrementalism, at every level of the organisation, can add a consistent value, that can then be linked to competitive advantage.

Once the non-directed thinking reaches a visible peak of activity, it can then be channelled back into the framework of directed thinking. This is the normal process of structured thinking, that we use in our daily existence, the clearest expression of which is science and the techniques fostered by it. It is thinking, in which we consciously and deliberately utilise the pattern of our lives and its experiences, in combination with the knowledge that surrounds us.

The energy released in the non-directed phase, is blended with normality, with the express intention of producing a charge, that sparks a sense of reality, within which is melded the potential for creative alternatives. Thus, both sides of the brain have now been activated, within a new conceptual framework.

Now this all sounds very simple, but let me caution you that this is far from the case. Positively activating a set of minds, at a point-in-time, is relatively simple, when an experienced person manages the process. However, sustaining the spiralling potential, within a functioning business, is entirely another question. This requires a number of values to be cemented into place, that include:

An understanding of the nature of 'spirit.'
Cohesion within the executive team.
A clearly articulated financial framework.
An ability to withstand internal criticism (particularly in the first phase).
An ability to listen, and where appropriate, make changes.
An ability to recognise creative potential, wherever it may exist, and to encourage and reward it.
A reduction of the expectation for instant gains.
An ability to manage the process within a clearly defined framework.
Courage, in recognising, and then reducing, the organisational shadow.
Well briefed and trained lower management, who understand what is required.
Encouragement for staff to continue to contribute, even though their initial contributions may stutter and stumble.
And finally, an ability to weave the potential progressively emerging, back into the normal processes of the business, so that ultimately, they become one and the same.

I began this address, with the concept of the Spiritual Journey of the Corporate Warrior, and to this end, I would reinforce my presentation with these final conclusions.

If we humans did not have a sense of spirit, then we would not be sitting here today, enjoying the benefits of the striving's of our ancestors. It is our sense of spirit, that has enabled humans to question the perceived boundaries and push them beyond our planet to the stars. But in reaching the pinnacle of human achievement, we have gained, while at the same time losing. Our 20th century obsession with proof, has shackled us with a fear of expressing subjective views, in which there may be much that could form the basis for objective truth.

Increasingly, conformity works against the desire for each individual to contribute to the success of her or his world, no matter how large, nor how small. Seemingly today, an unqualified individual cannot contribute to success, notwithstanding the fact that he sees, she thinks, they reason. Therefore creative potential is compressed into the upper echelons of management, who continuously have to come up with the right solution, the right next step, the right next strategy, under a cloud of unknowing termed, commercial confidentiality.

This is an impossibility to sustain.

Of paramount importance therefore, is the need to utilise the entire creative spectrum in order to achieve a wholeness, and in the ultimate, a new reality. Unless this is achieved, human potential remains latent and unfocused; often freeing energy for channelling into negatively charged responses, that pits individual against individual and group against group in a battle for intellectual and territorial dominance.

A Spiritual Corporate Warrior, is a man or woman who is prepared to come out from behind their computer screens, from behind the overlapping consulting advice, from behind the protection of his or her office, from behind the excuse that there are too many meetings and not enough time, and with unbiased eyes, reach into what truly exists. The experience may be painful, but pain has ever been a crucible for growth.

A Spiritual Corporate Warrior, is a woman or man who is prepared to benefit from the experience of classical management training, while at the same time being able to transcend the framework of conformity, in order to reach within him or her self, and in doing so, trust the experience and instinctive potential that is part of his or her birthright.

A Spiritual Corporate Warrior, is a man or woman who can identify fact from fiction, and in utilising the natural talent of others, is able to create and manage a framework that permits latent creativity to both flower and sustain itself.

A spiritual Corporate Warrior, is a woman or man who is able to understand the difference between creative genius and creative contribution.

And finally, a Spiritual Corporate Warrior, is a man or woman who can successfully manage a balance between economics and humanity, by fully comprehending, that without humanity, economics could not exist.

Thank you.

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