A Diwali lamp

We often forget that commercial capital comes largely from community capital. The quality of the relationship between people within an organ...

We often forget that commercial capital comes largely from community capital. The quality of the relationship between people within an organisation constitutes its community capital. In a rich community, trust among its members is very high. A culture of consensus prevails in such a community. Such communities can mobilise its resources better than isolated individuals. Here is an ancient story that tells us about the power of community capital.

A man was dying of old age. His seven children were worried that he had not left behind any substantial inheritance. He had neither land nor gold that the seven children could call their own.

Seeing the clouds of disappointment on the faces of his children, the old man decided to call them together to his deathbed. He gave each of his sons a small stick and asked them to break it into pieces. Each of his sons easily broke the fragile sticks. Then, the old man put together many pieces of sticks in a thick bundle and asked if any of his children could now break the bundle. All his sons tried in vain to break the bundle. The old man then turned to them and said, 8216;8216;Before my death I want you to inherit this precious wealth of knowledge: if you stick together you will stand strong and prosperous.8217;8217;

Strong communities not only work together, they also live together. The wealth of a community is shared. Here cooperation is valued more than competition. Relationships are honoured more than personal success. Modern corporations based on individual success and competitive rivalry are poorer in community capital.

Francois Bonvalet, the director of the Rheims School of Business in France, tell me an interesting story about the human resources manager of a French Company. He says that this particular manager would not get into the same elevator used by her employees to go to office.

She did this because she did not wish to meet them face to face. The reason she cited for her strange behaviour was that she could not face the same employees who she would be forced to let go later. You can imagine the poverty of community capital in such a company.

The truth is that the success of an organisation is largely dependent on a human system based on faith and trust. Such an organisation is a hi-fidelity system, in which every unit feels responsible for the whole organisation.

Excerpted from 8216;Light the Fire in your Heart8217;