We live in a time that regularly invites us to look at our learnings.

Thinking about it with a  friend this weekend we talked about his learning to organize his days and feel comfortable working remotely. He could see how he had evolved from uncomfortable irregular home office days to a sense of knowing when he has done the day’s work. It had taken some regularity and introspection to disconnect from a sense of expectations to live up to.

Talking with another friend about the idea that business, as usual, can’t continue, the learning was much less clear. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea to invest time and work into a purpose-driven approach and one that enables sustainable growth. He couldn’t see it as a possibility. Which was much less an issue about the possibility as such, then the belief that a CEO needs to serve stakeholders and shareholders first. He couldn’t see that both could go together. He was focusing on short term results and not imagining the possibility of a long term approach.

With his reaction, he was teaching me how deeply seated some ideas have become. Making it almost unimaginable that organizations can also contribute to society. It’s the same challenge leaders encounter when they want to base their leadership on purpose.

And yet it is a fault line that has been appearing during these last months. Many services rely on people who are being underpaid and seem to be invisible until they are needed. Food becoming a commodity where price drives the value chain, impacting all those involved in producing it.

Showing us all the places we’ve avoided to look at.

Hinting at ways we can regain our integrity.

The learning goes beyond individual learning. It invites us to question ourselves how we want to contribute to the future.