People behave the worst when there’s no horizon in relationships.
That’s why expecting stellar service at a train station café is naive. The endless flow of tired, hurried strangers doesn’t exactly inspire warmth. The seller will never see customers again.
If “Agreeableness” isn’t baked into your personality, you’d start sighing, snapping, and being rude on that job too.
The peak of having no shared future is the “every man for himself” mentality. How many people wouldn’t step on others to get ahead? Only a small percentage.
Now think about this: “Are there many companies with a long-term horizon in their relationships with people?” If the answer is “No,” it’s no surprise there are so many dissatisfied employees, shareholders, and CEOs.
You could blame modern culture, which glorifies project-based work, remote setups, etc. But here’s a critical question: has leadership clearly articulated the future of the business, the one they want to build?
And I’m not talking about vague, lofty words. I mean a pragmatic, precise description of the destination you invite everyone to journey toward.
Leaders who shirk responsibility end up with a garden of problems:
Trouble hiring and retaining talent
Frequent dishonesty
Team conflicts
Low loyalty
Swelling costs
Unhappy customers
Poor returns on capital
Regular kickbacks from contractors
Below-average profits and margins etc.
But if the goal is to create value in business, extend that horizon.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.