Are You A Corporate Mystic?

“If we plant a seed in the ground we know that the sun will shine and the rain will water, and we leave it to the Law to bring results…Well, the desire you image is the seed, your occasional closing of the eyes in imagery is the sun, and your constant, though not anxious, expectation is the rain and cultivation necessary to bring absolutely sure results …”

Francis Larimer Warner, Our Invisible Supply: Part One (1907)

I am certain that if you check the curriculum at Harvard Business School, Wharton or the London School of Economics, you won’t find a course on corporate mysticism. After all, succeeding in business is a competitive, numbers-driven game that relies on hard facts, financial analysis and exploitation of markets, isn’t it? What a vested interest many of us have in that belief. After all, could we actually succeed in business by employing our intuition, by tapping into a collective consciousness of readily available signs and guideposts to bring our intended result?

Believe it or not, the evidence says yes. Although some of the methodologies and strategies that are taught at Harvard and other revered institutions may be good measurements of how well a company is operating, the overwhelming reason why business decisions are made by the top executives in most organizations is “intuition’ or “gut feelings.”

Are you kidding me? Business decisions being made by “feel” rather than cold, hard market data? Well, it certainly is a growing trend. The evidence is all around us. Most people are familiar with the “odd stories” of Thomas Edison awakening from a nap carrying the solution to a seemingly daunting problem. Or Richard Branson “just happening” to be at the right place at the right time to make the most of a business opportunity. Quite honestly, these seemingly unrelated patterns or sequences are as natural as the sun rising every day.

Tapping Into Collective Wisdom

So what are today’s keen business owners and entrepreneurs “tapping into” that propels them to one success after another with little or no resistance? They are tapping into the collective wisdom that is readily available to everyone. In his book, The Wisdom Of Crowds, James Surowiecki points out that this collective wisdom “has endless ramifications for how business people operate, how knowledge is advanced, how economies are organized, and how we live our daily lives.” Simply put, we all have cognitive powers that can be employed (in the very real sense) to assist us in making important business decisions. After all, how many times have you said to yourself in hindsight, “I just knew it,” or “If I only listened to myself and bought that stock (real estate, etc.)”?

The powerful truth is, you already know what to do. Most of us have strong intuitive senses about business decisions, but we tend to override these senses with “rational thinking.” There’s a rule of thumb I recommend in these situations; use your intuition to bring you to the decision and use data to help you execute the strategy. This methodology has been incredibly effective for many of the world’s great entrepreneurs. Steve Jobs used this strategy when launching iPod for Apple. Li Ka-Shing has stated, “Actually, I don’t consider myself a good businessman,” despite his uncanny ability to “sniff out” good deals.

Being a Source

There’s more. In their groundbreaking book, The Corporate Mystic- A Guidebook For Visionaries With Their Feet On The Ground, Kate Ludeman and Gay Hendricks studied hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners from companies such as Motorola, Dell and many more. Their conclusion: “If you open up to being a source of integrity, vision and intuition in your organization, you step into leadership regardless of what niche you occupy. Many people wait to be instructed or reminded to take full ownership of these powers. The Corporate Mystic knows that real power and real fun comes from being a source. When you are the source, you take full responsibility for bringing into being the corporate culture you want. Everyone can be the source, and when they think they are, they are. If you are willing to let go of your resistance to being a source, you claim a type of spiritual power that others can feel.”

Does this mean I must be the “spiritual” leader of my organization? Well in a sense, yes. The way business is being conducted today is changing rapidly. Today, business is all about collaboration, not competition. It’s about building communities (of customers) not just building brands. The dinosaurs of the business world were necessary. They served their purpose. But now they are going extinct. Why? The leadership in these companies forgot to be the source. They made decisions for short-term profits, which represses intuitive and inspired action.

So decide what it’s going to be for you. Decide what your vision for your company is and use your intuitive capabilities to see you through.

Here’s a quick roadmap from The Corporate Mystic to help you along:

* Focus on contribution. Be deeply concerned about the empowerment of other people.
* Be on a continuous journey of self-knowledge and apply what you discover to your business decisions.
* Laugh a lot at your workplace.
* Get to know the pure essence of your customers and give them what they want.
* Embrace change and use your intuitive abilities to create the change that is most advantageous to your mission.

Last, keep in mind that business is supposed to be fun. As an entrepreneur or business leader, you have one unequivocal responsibility: to increase the value of life through the delivery of your business mission. Be eternally conscious of and honor your personal spirit. Thereby you will expand opportunities for everyone you come into contact with.