Envy & Lust in Business

ENVY

Have you ever heard about the ‘green eyed’ monster of envy? Well, this might be manifesting in your business and sabotaging your success.

 Ever felt irritated and  resentful of a colleague, client or other business owner?

Ever felt tempted to spread negative  gossip and rumours? Or to write a negative review about them?

I admit to having felt this way and it’s all about wanting a smidgen of their success or a desire to own their possessions. Just so I can ….feel better about myself.

I’m sure there’s someone in your network who constantly compares their success to their competitors. Who gets riled up, bitter and twisted when the competitor achieves more than them.  And it doesn’t end well! …Does it?

Lets take this one step further...

The obsession to bring the competitor down or simply ‘get ahead’ stops a person focusing on self improvement, and on ways to improve the growth of their own business.

Like a fly on the wall you’d watch them making a string of bad and poorly informed decisions.

Simply because their actions are coming from an ‘energetically’ negative place.

At this point you might be tempted to say “Joy, I never get envious, but I do feel a tinge of jealousy.”

OK, I hear you (living in the Land of Denial?). Because jealously is best used to describe intimate personal relationships. A human being who thinks they have ownership rights over another ‘human-being’ …as opposed to material things.

But envy’s not done with you yet!

Unless reined in and tied down firmly, envy continues to go on the rampage fuelling a sense of inadequacy.

Creating low self-confidence & esteem, and literally leading you into temptation. Because you might stoop even lower by engaging in unethical practices that break your moral code.

LUST

This manifests as a desire for more control or more power, not just regarding people but regarding ‘things.’

Have you ever fallen head over heels in love with your ideas?

Or Become so enamoured with a particular product or service you have? ...So how did things work out for you? Let me guess. It ended up with you making a huge investment of time and resources. A blatant disregard for profitability, practicality or sustainability.

How about expanding the business too quickly without the right infrastructure, or taking on extra debt?

Lust makes a business owner vulnerable to making poor, impulsive decision making ...based on a burning desire.

Like envy, lust can lead to unethical practices and ‘bending’ the rules. It manifests as inappropriate relationships with employees or clients, i.e. exploiting employees or customers for personal gain. And we’ve all witnessed the sexual exploits and shenanigans of those in power hit the headlines.

COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?

Unfortunately, there have been many real-time examples of people who have fallen prey to envy and lust in the business world.

 ENRON: The company executives were driven by envy and greed. They lusted after personal wealth, which led to unethical accounting practices …and ultimately their collapse.

UBER: Former CEO Travis Kalanick's lust for growth and market dominance led to prioritising aggressive expansion over ethical behaviour. It resulted in numerous scandals and a tarnished reputation.

PRACTICE THESE 11 STRATEGIES

To avoid falling victim to excessive envy and lust in your business, consider doing the following:

Firstly …promote and cultivate self-awareness and personal development.

1. Notice when the desire for personal gain might be clouding your judgement or compromise your values.
2. Stop obsessing over a competitor's success.
3. Stop  trying to replicate other people’s strategies without  considering how (if) they fit your own business model.
4. Avoid making impulsive decisions based solely on desires (allow your brain to engage!)
5. consider the long-term implications and sustainability of your decisions.
6. Foster a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability.
7. Prioritise ethical behaviour and maintain a strong moral compass.
8. Encourage employees to speak up if they notice inappropriate or unethical behaviour. Make sure there are consequences for those who engage in it.
9. Ultimately  ….The way forward is focusing on your own goals and success rather than constantly comparing yourself to others.
10. Focus on your own game and staying in your own lane. Improve it, rather than obsessing over your competitors.
11. Be aware when paranoia, stress and the imposter syndrome begin to cloud your judgement.

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 PS: The lines between envy and lust gets blurred. They overlaps with the deadly sin of ….greed. Learning to draw your own line in the sand, and hold yourself accountable is a great skill. Plus if you put your pride aside you’ll  allow others to point out your ‘blind-spots- and hold you accountable too.

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see you soon!

Joy