If democracy is built and lived by actions and not by established facts, the modern and successful companies are characterised by actions.
The times when it was enough to have good communication to seduce people are long gone today, it is necessary to prove and demonstrate what one does, show where it comes from, how one produces, with whom, etc.
The level of requirements has risen, and we can welcome this tendency to have to act and no longer rely on history and reputation. While this reputation is built up over the long term, mistakes are paid for immediately and it is perhaps here that the limits to the transparency of action must be found.
Because a company can offer excellent services and act as a good citizen, a single mistake can be fatal. Therefore, quality is often no longer enough, only excellence counts.
As with democracy, it is in the relevance of decisions and actions, in the permanent search for added value, in the respect of rules and directives that a company can develop.
Believing that one can build on the achievements of democracy is a sweet illusion and the many examples around the world have shown that it takes almost nothing to challenge elements that were thought to be set in stone.
A company today is confronted with the same phenomenon as most democracies: a questioning of the foundations of society, an almost generalised contestation of leaders, a negation of the common spirit in favour of a personal and selfish agenda.
Let us be realistic, we do not live in a “teddy bear” world, but we must admit that if you do not take care of your garden every day, it can quickly turn into a devastating jungle.
In this respect, it is interesting to draw a parallel between democracy and business: both are the result of a long construction, a daily support to respect the values and objectives of society.
2021 will be a year of transition following the pandemic: it will be interesting to observe whether companies, like democracy, will eventually triumph over the current slump and doubts while reinventing themselves, or whether extremes will gangrene society. Let us remain positive.
Good reflection and good reading.