New Book Defends Conscious Work Culture and Generational Leadership
DeLinda Forsythe’s new book, Inspirational Generational Leadership: Your Guide to Designing a Conscious Culture, begins with a powerful opening statement: “Doing good and doing good need not and should not be mutually exclusive.”
Forsythe is the founder of Innovative Commercial Environments (ICE), a furniture contract company that started from a spare room in 2006. It now has more than two dozen employees and has enjoyed unprecedented success in its industry. Forsythe herself was surprised by the success of the company, so she set out to understand what had caused that success. She realized that she was unconsciously employing the ideas of conscious capitalism, as well as intuitively adopting certain principles that resonated with her mostly Millennial persona. In Inspiring Generational Leadership, she shares the story of how ICE has successfully built its business using these principles and concepts, as well as her role in the community, and interviews she conducted with other business leaders who share her mindset.
At first, Forsythe simply set out to create a work environment that wouldn’t “kidnap your soul.” She herself had been in bad work environments and she didn’t want that for her own company and her employees. Instead, she wanted her business to be a force for good in the world and an inspiration to her employees. What she has created is a workplace that she describes as a “source of happiness” where people treat each other like family and respect each other while sharing a common goal. She argues that if other companies don’t adapt to the values of conscious capitalism, they are destined to struggle because the values of the Millennial workforce mirror those of conscious capitalism. Forsythe builds on the work of other authors, including John Mackey’s Conscious Capitalism and Raj Sisodia, who state, “The truest true purpose of business is to uplift humanity and create value for all stakeholders.”
Without going into the theory of conscious capitalism here, I will say that Forsythe makes a convincing and revealing argument for why conscious capitalism works, illustrated with numerous examples from the history of ICE. The book is divided into thirteen chapters that focus on the key practices that have made ICE so successful. Among those topics are: Beginning with the End in Mind: Mentoring, Embracing Family in the Workplace, Creating Crazy Fans, Vulnerability in the Workplace, and Building Community.
Forsythe talks in depth about her relationships with her co-workers, especially Alysse Cooper, one of her first hires who has been groomed to succeed her. She shares how staff meetings are run to keep them fun and productive. She talks about the challenges she has faced during the coronavirus pandemic and how communication with staff during this time and the strong bonds employees had already formed kept them motivated to succeed in the face of the crisis.
One of my favorite things about the book is the focus on the importance of sharing mistakes at work. Forsythe has created a safe environment for such exchange, stating: “Any mistake is acceptable, but it is never acceptable to hide it; that could be grounds for termination. In an effort to promote self-forgiveness, in all circumstances we encourage each other others”. forgive his teammates. Sometimes our biggest challenge is forgiving ourselves for letting our team down. Sometimes tears are shed, but they are a sign of how much the employee cares.”
Other revealing practices at ICE range from having an employee book club with built-in incentives to focusing on mission statements in ways that go beyond simply talking about them. Together, the employees created a list of shared workplace values that are regularly emphasized. The company’s role in the community is also discussed through its charitable practices, as well as Forsythe’s own network with other business leaders in the San Diego area to create a better community. He talks about the importance of treating all employees equally because “everyone’s work and voice is equal and relevant.” Perhaps most importantly, she encourages employees to be themselves and strives to be authentic herself: “Appearing as the authentic person you are creates a safe workplace for creativity to thrive.”
The book’s title on generational leadership is spelled out in Forsythe’s awareness of how what we do today affects future generations. She states: “As we positively influence our co-workers, we are laying the groundwork to positively affect the emotional well-being of our employees’ children and even descendants, which will ultimately impact thousands of people. The potential ramifications of this domino effect when viewed through a more timeless lens are expansive!” This perspective keeps her ever aware that business goes beyond making a profit to creating a personal legacy and shaping future generations. Ultimately, Forsythe wants that training to extend beyond his own workplace to many others, which is why he has written this book, hoping it will inspire other business leaders to create work environments where everyone can be successful. She challenges other leaders to “lead through enlightened leadership skills, including kindness, empathy, and a generous spirit.”
I can’t remember the last time I read a truly all-encompassing business or leadership book in as focused and inspiring a way as Forsythe has in Inspiring Generational Leadership. While some of what she advocates may at first seem too good to be true, I encourage you to try applying Forsythe’s advice in small chunks, never losing sight of the big picture. Her employees will thank her and, in time, I think they will thank Forsythe for the conscious new path for business that she is helping to lead.