Resourceful humans, not just human resources

22nd May 2020 |   Dominic Houlder

How to manage and lead through the current crisis with the wisdom of Aristotle.

In a recent London Business School poll, we asked an audience of over 1,000 senior executives how as leaders they would like to look back on the current crisis.

They could choose from five possible outcomes – for them personally as well as for their organisations:

  • The first was simply survival.
  • The second, a return to how we were before the crisis.
  • Stability in the new world was the third option.
  • Winning – through a new competitive advantage – was the fourth.
  • The last was “being known for having done the right thing” – chosen by 51% of those polled.

It must be said that the next most favoured choice, from a quarter of those polled, was to win. However, several respondents pointed out that in today’s environment winning at the expense of doing the right thing will lead to losing.

As one of our senior clients, who leads a major global outsourcing company, put it: “Those businesses that veer away from their purpose and values in this situation will find it very difficult to rebuild credibility and trust in the future.” 

Dominic Houlder

Adjunct Professor at London Business School

Dominic Houlder is Adjunct Professor in Strategic and Entrepreneurial Management at London Business School and co-author of What Philosophy Can Teach You About Being a Better Leader, published by Kogan Page.