Leading Through Business In Socio-Diverse Communities And Market Ecologies

Rowan Blair Colver
4 min readJun 6, 2022

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Lucid Leadership by Rowan B. Colver

Bio-Diversity As A Model For Human Society

The world is incredibly bio-diverse. If you look at all the different types of life that have made their home here, each species has a unique set of skills and needs that keep them stable in their ecosystem. When something changes, the finely balanced cycle can be tipped into better or worse circumstances. New predators and abundance of prey, excess vegetation and more cover, new temperatures and different weather, and many more variables each have their fulcrum embedded in the stability of the local ecology. People can be likened to this, and although we are all basically the same, what makes us individuals can be represented by the entire ecology of life. People are completely different on the mental level, our psychology determines who we portray ourselves to be and how we go about solving our needs and wants.

World Cultures Represent The Whole

Cultures in the world are groups of people with relatable and similar lives. This can be ascribed to many aspects, however, we usually think of nationality or religion when determining a person’s culture. There are smaller cells within these, too, like people who support various teams or eat a certain way. Beyond this, we once more go into even more refined cultural boundaries like dress sense and music taste. The vast array of choices in the modern world has enabled the flourishing of millions of unique and diverse human cultures that can be thought of as strains in the species of humanity.

Flattering Comparisons

We often have thoughts about our culture that benefit the choices we have made and then ascribe meaning to other cultures that also benefit our own choices. On a simple level, we can look at the football team supporters to make the point. A fan of the red team loves wearing red and will have an affinity for the area where the ground is situated. The blue team’s fans will prefer wearing blue and have an affinity for the place where the blue ground is situated. These two opposing fans might go as far as to call the other colour ugly and determine that the place where the other ground is a rubbish area. It feels fun to say things like this and it’s part of having a rivalry. This is stemmed from our ancient tribal heritage and can manifest in uglier ways.

All Cultures Matter

Every genuine culture in the world has a right to thrive and survive. The issues arise when they clash. Harm can be done when people of two cultures disagree on principles and laws that ensure everyone’s safety and ability to continue. Communities can turn against each other when one group or more becomes intolerant of the other. Businesses are fundamental in this equation because they have a foothold in many cultures and parts of society. It is up to businesses to keep a finger on the pulse of community tension and work to keep it to a minimum. This can be achieved by providing safe and effective ways of expressing one’s own tastes that do not directly reduce another communities survival. Marketing solutions and methods to thrive that do not harm others in the process are then the best way to cater for varying cultures.

The Big Picture

On a global scale, we have indigenous cultures that have been colonised by foreigners with new laws and systems of government. The globe can be roughly split into two groups, the colonists and the colonised. This historical situation still has tendrils that stretch into the modern day with various groups at odds as to how we should move forward. Business leaders understand that colonising was a mistake and that indigenous and foreign cultures have a right to exist and to make their own laws according to their own culture. It can be difficult to do this when we are brought up with strong reasons to do things the way they are done. It is up to cultures themselves to implement change according to their own agendas and in their own time. The Western culture was never rushed by outsiders and we as people cannot expect foreign nations to do what we ask. The Eastern cultures and Indigenous cultures of the world are examples of how different we can be, and there is a natural sharing of ideas when allowed to naturally flow.

Leaders Make It Work

It is up to businesses and leaders of social groups to protect the shared rights of all cultures that come through the door, to appreciate and respect the ways people think, and to respect their methods of finding morality. The priorities people express will change depending on who they are and how they were brought up, and it is up to us to ensure that all priorities are taken into account while catering for one particular angle. Bad businesses have been known to exploit minor and colonised cultures by paying small wages, deliberately offending, and patenting ancient wisdom for themselves. This is based on the old mindset of conquer and control which is never going to benefit global society. By ensuring we work together and that we protect the interests of people around the world, businesses and community leaders can fulfil their roles to the best of their ability.

Want to get involved? Take this short course to get on your way. — A Whole New Way: Leadership for a Global World

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Rowan Blair Colver

Music writer and humanities educator from Sheffield in England. Democracy of philosophy, comments are welcome. ko-fi.com/rowanblaircolver