Survival of the best and the fittest! With everyone aiming to get better than others in pursuit of success, are we getting or chasing the growth that each of us desires?

I’m sure the answer is NOT REALLY .

Do you know the reason?

We are working at cross purposes. The world of cut throat competition is driven by pure individualism, often at the cost of others. You might say, what’s wrong with that?

You don’t have to look afar. Just glance at the number of divorces, lawsuits, scams, distrust, bickering, back-stabbing and sabotage that is plaguing the society, in politics, sports and in the corporate world. 

You can say how am I responsible for it? What can I do?

A lot. How? Nature shows a fabulous example.

Our body is made of trillion of cells. These cells, organs, proteins and bacteria operate on harmonious interdependence. This means that cells and organs take only what they need to sustain themselves, and give what they can for the whole body’s benefit. If cells take more than what they need for their sustenance, they’re considered cancerous, can lead to disease, and can kill us.

Similarly, if a billion people are focussed totally on getting the most out for them, not caring about what others need, is it going to solve or create issues, give best or conflicting results?

Our need for mutual cooperation is the highest today as we are living in a world that is more inter-dependent than ever before.

Have doubts? Just think of the pair of sneakers of a global brand, to the toys, mobiles, laptops, fabrics, furniture, edible oil, cars, and so on, the list is endless, that is made in other countries and find space in our homes. We consume more imported stuff than in the past.

We interact directly with the world through social media. In this highly interdependent world, how can the spirit of pure individualism be a source of success and happiness to all when it works on the totally contrary theme?

Certainly, there is something wrong in our way of living and doing things.

Cross Purpose Hurts Corporates

Let’s look at the corporate culture for work. We are driven by competitive and individualistic values in workspaces. Just think, how much back-biting, sabotage and politics happens at the work places across society.

People are more uncomfortable with other’s growth than their own lack of growth. Clearly, envy and jealousy are at play most of the times. One-upmanship often is a source of conflict and distrust at work.

The general argument is there is nothing wrong in aspiring to be successful, wealthy and faster than others.

You can say it’s your right to have a good life and strive for it. After all, its your hard work and ability that makes you reach where you aspire to.

It is certainly. But the catch is NOT at the cost of others.

The reasons of all kinds of crises we face today is in an increasingly interdependent world than ever before is that we are focussed on competitive self- interests.

 Who actually suffers?

You guessed it right. The Company.

This is how competitive self-interests become the root of crises. If this could be replaced by cooperative mutual interests, just think of the possibility of how much can be achieved. Companies can save a lot of their time, energy, efficiency and productivity by promoting cooperative mutual interests among their employees.

Let’s figure out why it makes sense to promote  cooperative mutuality over competitive individuality at work.

• Teams working with the idea of cooperative mutual interests have been found to achieve more accurate work results than work teams with competitive individualistic themes.
• Companies incur huge cost due to lost productivity from employees who are dissatisfied with their superiors. This is the finding of a Gallup survey done in the US earlier.
• The greatest predictor of a team’s achievement was how the members felt about one another at a company. This is a result of a study of over 357 employees and 93 managers in 60 business units at a financial service company.
• 240% boost in performance-related business outcomes was reported when organizations successfully engage their employees and customers in comparison to an organization where neither employees nor customers are engaged.
• Coherent teams outperform individuals working alone in almost every single task, once teamwork procedures have been mastered.
• Employees can work for longer hours with increased focus and under more difficult conditions when they have a foundation of positive social interactions at their offices.

So cooperative mutuality among employees is a hands down winner as compared to competitive individuality at work.

Why Cooperative Co-Existence Matters

“It is not about you, it’s about everyone else”, says Jay Abraham, one of the top 5 executive coaches in the world. Ranking him, the Forbes magazine says Jay’s speciality is “Turning corporate underperformers into marketing and sales whizzes”.

“The biggest reason most people don’t achieve the enrichment they want on both financial and emotional levels is their self- focus. We are so consumed with us, us, us. The real fast track path of getting everything, anything and more than everything you want is putting others ahead of what you want and focussing on their needs, wants, desires and fulfilling them.

When you make everyone else’s life better, your life automatically opens up and expands monstrously”.

Jay ABRAHAM, Top Business COACH

This piece of advice coming from one of the most successful business coaches and not a spiritual master makes me wonder at the age old wisdom…..WHAT YOU GIVE, COMES AROUND.

Watch out for what is it that you are giving to the world. Is it love, happiness and harmony or ego, conflict and distrust, that you are dishing out to others?  Whatever it is that you give to people, is sure to come back to you.

If we are preaching pure individualism to our kids, we can only expect a self-centred and selfish society. It is bound to lead to conflict as our interests would clash at some time. Does this contribute to a better or a worse future?

This is in sharp contrast to the basic fabric of today’s interdependent world. Being increasingly self-centred in a mutually dependent world is like going against the tide, sailing against the wind.

From raising children, to building brands, from interpersonal relationships to global partnerships, everything needs to be reoriented to make this shift. We can flourish when we appreciate coexistence and cooperative mutuality over sheer individualism.

 There is no better time for it than now, for the world is shaken. It is time to rebuild. Building with compassion and care for others, is not just about being good to others but also for you, as you reap what you sow. We can only make a difference in our lives when we stop thinking just about ourselves.

Excerpt:

www.kabbalah.info