When I was 11 years old, a pivotal moment shaped my career perspective.
We were on a 3 month vacation that Dad had every 3 years from the British army. We were in northern India in a town called Darjeeling. As we were going out to some event, he was dressed to the nines with his regimental tie, shiny black George boots, a vest, jacket and a fancy overcoat. He looked very spiffy.
So I said that to him. “Dad. You look amazing. Why don’t you dress like that when we are back on base in Hong Kong or where ever we are posted?”
With a slight pause, he looked at me in the eye and said, “Son, you know that I can’t dress like this in the presence of the English officers.”
That’s all he had to say.
I understood. 😬
In the British schools that we attended, I understood the pecking order of the English white students, and where we, non-white, stood. It was classic, unspoken racism. It just was the way back then.
So I formed a mindset.
This mindset was that large organizations are too impersonal (the British army organization totaled over 100,000 back then). Larger companies meant individuals were lost in the mass of management layers, departments, divisions or battalions.
This is not a true or accurate statement. It was just what my mind decided was true.
For 36 years, I have thrived in the small business realm, finding joy, challenge, and great fulfillment in helping build enterprises with fewer than 1,000 employees.
It’s easier to create a culture of inclusion and intimacy in small business.
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