The Business “Consilium”

In ancient times, “Philosphia” refered to the "love of Wisdom”.

OK, don’t panic! I won’t slide into an etymological discussion. This post is not really about philosophy nor is it about consilium (the Latin word for wisdom). This is rather some “food for thought” on how each organization sets its path of growth with a “nurturing wisdom”: The business “wisdom”.

Let us start by drawing a line of distinction between the philosophy of business and business “wisdom”. More often than not, business “consilium” carries several dimensions: Vision, Values, Processes and Principles. Any business “wisdom” resides in the relation between those dimensions and the organization’s very existence.

Now, for a little storytelling diversion with Thales, a Greek philosopher who while star-gazing, fell into a ditch. When he cried for help, an old woman commented: "How can you expect to learn all about the heavens, when you can’t see what is under your feet?" The links to business logic are crystal clear; some organizations, gaining perspective through their philosophy, make the whole greater than the sum of its details. Conceptually, that makes sense.


Socrates, on the other hand, called philosophy down from the heavens and placed it in homes. He did it by talking to people, about the things that concerned them: from life and love, to growing crops. The business cliché here is that an organization’s “wisdom” would be based on taking the path of step-by-step success to achieve growth and prosperity. To be fair, that makes sense too.


Pragmatically speaking, Thales and Socrates were speaking of a “Wisdom” and “Philosphia” that we curiously continue to adopt or to doubt. Stepping away from that for a moment, another perspective of “wisdom” can be mirrored in a great example from Alexander the Great, who marched towards India with his armies. As he approached the city, he looked up towards the King of India who stood firm upon the stone wall and shouted: "My name is Alexander the Great, and I demand you surrender immediately!" Laughing, the King asked, "Why should we surrender to you and our army outnumber your troops?" In response, Alexander turned to his troops and commanded them to march towards the edge of the cliff and jump one after the other. The soldiers obeyed their leader and jumped to their death. After the 11th soldier, Alexander gazed back at the King of India who was completely astonished and surrendered immediately.


This King of India surrendered because of the power of Alexander’s “wisdom”, that which his soldiers believed in and for which they defied death. Does this sound out of context? Well any business “wisdom” should have solid grounds in terms of defining the commitment to the organization’s “Philosphia”; otherwise, it would remain suspended in air.


Back to the present, business today touches nearly every aspect of our lives. The arguments laid out here would imply that in today’s competitive market, the guiding “wisdom” in any organization would mirror its whole “Thales” path or “Socrates” step-by-step growth. Creative, transparent, efficient and sensible "Business Wisdom” is one that moves beyond fancy statements to purpose, process, and people, allowing forward business philosophers to run winning avant-grade organizations in their business playing field.


Business “Wisdom” has come a long way since ancient times, and the face of the business has changed. The point I'm selling here is that, recognizing the lessons we learn and tackling the challenges we face, will drive businesses forward by simply setting ubiquitous customer-centric “philosophia”.


With customer-centric “Wisdom” in mind, organizations should engage every customer with a partnership-based approach using: Effective Communication, Innovative Thinking, Transparent Processes, Out-of-the-box solutions, Passionate Efficiency… Lots of boring buzz words? Not only are these the backbone of any business, but for companies selling product X or providing service Y what makes them meet customers’ expectations through tangible value, is a differentiated “wisdom” to help them excel in a competitive market. A winning combination would be to couple that with a potential-over-experience team of professionals, who are driven by a clear “wisdom” and creative intuition to overtake challenges and build on opportunities, “Alexander the Great” style.


The End, in fact, would only be the beginning as we continue to grow and advance, our “wisdom” stamps every aspect of our life, holding us to it, in a promise to provide successful experiences and to exceed expectations.