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The Four Basic Commitments No One Can Make But You

Updated: May 10, 2024

Know these 4 commitments and unlock higher returns on your investments in people.


In the complex world of people consulting, the effectiveness of any intervention hinges not merely on techniques or strategies but on deeper, more personal commitments. Here are four commitments essential to maximizing the impact of your investments in people and organizational culture.


As you'll see these four commitments are nothing but small steps, but small steps go a long way. An old zen philosopher once said that taking the first step is already achieving the goal, for "to seek" is "to find", and we should never minimize the importance of taking first steps.


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#1 Commitment to Purpose


We'd say it: "No one can be you but yourself, and no one can be your company but your company.", but if you prefer Oscar Wilde's more poetic version, there you have it: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." It sounds simple - and simple it is - but we don't always realize the implication of the unavoidable truth that: no one else can make us be or become who we are, and if we're not open to expressing who we are, then any attempt to innovate, be creative, or "find purpose" is at a huge loss.


While many firms spend heavily on consulting to uncover and articulate their purpose, the true embodiment of purpose requires some degree of introspection and personal insight. It's not about adding what we don't have, but often times it's more about peeling away what we don't need, and pushing aside what simply doesn't make sense and does not resonate with our likeness. It is simple, BUT we're all humans, and we know that behind the curtains of our doubts and uncertainties normally lies one common denominator, hindering our progress towards purpose, and that is the illusion of fear.


There are options for all preferences: fear of death, fear of rejection, fear of pain, fear of failure, even fear of success! - pick your choice but also face the truth that unless we're able to find the strength to act out of purpose, not fear, little progress can be made. Navigating the world is not easy, but necessary, and the commitment to let the world be the world while we focus on bringing into the world our own uniqueness is an individual - and necessary - choice. Bringing purposes into to life normally doesn't happen from night to day, but it does happen over time, one step at a time, one decision after another. We must, however, decide if we want to take the first step and - more importantly - if we want to stay on the path of purpose rather than subscribing to fear.


#2 Commitment to Integrity


Integrity is a big word with many ramifications, and it is the cornerstone of effective leadership. For the sake of simplicity, however, it will suffice to say that any leader is responsible for walking their talk, and staying true to their principles. Just as children learn from example, not from words, true leadership is about being, not about talking a big game.


Integrity is simple in theory but challenging in practice, specially in business, and one of the reasons for that is the fact that the art of business is an art that comports many conflicting interests and it is truly hard to pick which one to abide by. Businesses need to make money, but they also need people, and at the very least should be concerned about creating a positive impact in their surroundings. So, what's the talk? And what's the walk? We must decide (and do it) ourselves.


Back in the 2000s, much talk happened around the topic of sustainability. The walk took at least 15 years to follow the talk. Around 2015, much talk about purpose emerged, and we indeed saw big transformations in the corporate world ever since. Now there's talk about people and well-being, but are we truly willing to change? It seems logical: no well-being, more burnout; more burnout, more turnover; more turnover, more cost, more work, less knowledge; more cost, more work, less knowledge, less competitiveness, less trust, less engagement; less competitiveness, less trust, less engagement, end of business. Not every leader agrees with that rationale however, and that's OK. We're all free to make our own choices, but the truth is: we must make up our minds about who we really are and follow it through.


We can hire magicians, gurus, wizards, and rainmakers, but unless the goal of ultimately creating a positive environment is met by a genuine internal disposition, one can blow sunshine and rainbows as much as they want, but little will effectively change.


Creating trust is perhaps with of the highest yielding investments any company can make, for the return is huge and the financial cost can be really zero. It's not about the perks, not about the benefits, not about "image", but more about choice, attitude, purpose, and coherence. "Where integrity goes, business flows". That's the power of leadership.


Thus before thinking about investing in people, perhaps we should try to answer to one simple question as honestly as we can: "What is it that we truly want with this business?" or even "Why do we do what we do?". If all we care about is the money, then let that be the discourse and save everyone time from empty discourses. There's nothing wrong in doing business for money, but what is definitely not productive is to claim to want to "build a team", and continue to consistently burn people out. Balanced business, harmonizing financial results with people and purpose don't have to be perfect either, they just have to be sincere, and genuine in the understanding that: we will grow as a team and learn along the way, but we'll grow together, and we care about one another as much as we care about the business.". That's it. That's the first step of integrity: coherence.


With a first step, every tool, service, and guidance will be at your disposal to help you figure out the next steps in the journey of creating a company that is both results-driven and people-oriented.


#3 Commitment to Respect


If Integrity is an infinite ladder of virtues, respect is definitely the first step on the ladder. Nothing can be built on disrespect. Many of the sages of ancient times recognized respect as the most basic and fundamental condition for collective harmony. That was true for Confucius in China, to Socrates in Greece, and to Hillel the Elder, who when asked to summarize the essence of judaism while standing on one foot is told to have said: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—go and study it!"


Respect is the fabric that holds teams together and allows diverse individuals to work towards common goals in harmony. It begins with the fundamental acknowledgment of each person’s humanity—their inherent value and contributions, regardless of their role or background. Respect is what enables individuals within a company to feel valued and understood, fostering unity and creating the motivation to collaborate.


Respect involves actively nurturing an environment where differences are not just tolerated but valued. It allows for disagreements and debates that are constructive rather than divisive, holding space for listening and keeping non-violence as the basis of every dialogue. In such a culture, respect means setting aside ego to focus on collective outcomes, understanding and appreciating the diversity of perspectives each team member brings to the table, significantly enriching the organization’s approach to challenges and opportunities.


Just as the other commitments, no magic wand, groundbreaker, or expert can make us adhere to the virtue of respect if we're not willing to do so, and projects centered on people are not likely to bear any fruit in an environment dominated by violence, discord, and disrespect.


No journey in the sphere of people development is linear, and we all go through ups and downs - moments of crises and successes -, and particularly in moments of crises, respect tends to be overlooked. If this is the situation in which you find yourself in, then the focus of whichever people-centered project the company is looking into hiring should be solely focused on rebuilding respect first, taking this important first step in the ladder of people development - and what a huge step that is.


#4 Commitment to Self-Responsibility


Lastly, let's talk about blame. We blame everything these days - the whether, the aliens, the new world order, capitalism, communism, technology, politicians, our neighbor, our boss, the media -, and obviously we all have a "share of guilt" in the making of the world, but unless we're able to move from looking to the side to looking at our own plate, no progress will be made. If our attitude is centered on "blaming", progress will always be "something" we can never achieve because of "someone" who prevents us from being successful.


It is a sad story to live by, and there is something powerful about the stories we believe in. Joseph Campbell called it one of the powers of myth: the ability to guide our behavior - at least to some degree. So unless we're able to call upon our own power to change our own myth, we'll always be a victim to the story we believe in, waiting for a hero to save us. It is only when we sit on the throne of our lives and determine - for ourselves - what is it that we will do to take care of our lives, that action is possible.


One of the most famous sayings of Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher who greatly influenced Marcus Aurelius, was: "Learn not to worry about the things you do not control, and learn how to focus on the things you control". And if we do that, we'll realize that there is great opportunity in the things we control, and everything behind us will serve us as a learning experience.


Whether we're sad, mad, happy, or fed-up, life never ceases to support us, and the days continue to follow the nights. Every day is a new day to let go of what must go and define a new course of action centered on our own personal power, and our ability to lead our lives, one step at a time. When we shift our mindset to the things we can control, there is no more "villain", only ourselves and the resources at our availability. There's no more "hero" either, only ourselves. And guess what, there's also no more "victim", only ourselves.


If - however - our obstacle is not a story but an actual impediment in our way, then it might be a good measure to call upon our birth right to set clear limits, based on respect, and allow ourselves the space we need to exist. This is the essence of what Socrates described as the "reward of justice", and what Saint Augustine defined as "freedom": the ability to choose to stay in coherence with what is right and to act accordingly, being the leaders of our own lives. Thus even in the scenario of a real impediment, the responsibility for setting the limits is ours, and like the other commitments, if we don't take care of our space, our bodies, and our realm - nobody will.


As an evolution, perhaps, of self-responsibility, we can move from taking care of our own space, our desks, our bodies, to effectively developing our space, our desks, and our bodies. What is it that brings us joy? What is it that brings us fulfillment? What is it that brings us stability, vitality, a sense of accomplishment? What is it that we can do better? What are our attainable goals? If day-by-day, little by little, we take consistent action, very soon our garden will flourish. For an old zen philosopher also said that: "every long journey begins with the first step".


Everyone is a leader. Again - everyone is a leader, and it is the leader's responsibility to provide clarity on their limits, their needs, and to take action on their part, for the advancement and the benefit of themselves and of the whole.


Bottom Line


You made it! Picture the version of yourself that is committed to integrity, purpose, respect, and self-ownership. What is it that can stop you? Nothing. What can happen from there? Everything. Easy? No. Possible? Yes. One step at a time.


If you made it here, you probably invested about 6-10 minutes reading this blog post and we sincerely hope this read saved you hours and money in potential projects and investments you could have made in people projects. If you like it, share it with your teammates, see what your peers will think about it, debate it and even tear it apart if you want to, but no matter what you do, stay true to yourself, and be the changes you want to see - first within, then without. For no change is possible unless we are willing to change ourselves, honoring the basic commitments of being coherent, being ourselves, respecting others, and taking care of our space. Stay strong in your purpose, and have a wonderful day.


-Vocalis Team

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