"Altruism" is rarely mentioned in discussions of management strategy.
It's human nature to put ourselves first, but this rarely leads to the best decisions and outcomes in the long term. When considering past economic booms and busts, it is easy to see how focusing on personal gain can be detrimental to business outcomes and society at large.
For example, in boom times when easy investments pay off, it is far too easy to get trapped in the thinking that decisions which benefit us personally must be good. We should stop and think whether the investment or project really helps someone else, or merely brings us personal gain. While a project started for personal gain can achieve short-term success, other stakeholders eventually lose interest if they don't benefit equally.
In contrast, working with an altruistic mindset creates a virtuous circle where success for others benefits us as well, leading to more and more positive outcomes.
More on the Kyocera Philosophy here:
https://global.kyocera.com/inamori/philosophy/words25.html
It's human nature to put ourselves first, but this rarely leads to the best decisions and outcomes in the long term. When considering past economic booms and busts, it is easy to see how focusing on personal gain can be detrimental to business outcomes and society at large.
For example, in boom times when easy investments pay off, it is far too easy to get trapped in the thinking that decisions which benefit us personally must be good. We should stop and think whether the investment or project really helps someone else, or merely brings us personal gain. While a project started for personal gain can achieve short-term success, other stakeholders eventually lose interest if they don't benefit equally.
In contrast, working with an altruistic mindset creates a virtuous circle where success for others benefits us as well, leading to more and more positive outcomes.
More on the Kyocera Philosophy here:
https://global.kyocera.com/inamori/philosophy/words25.html
