In a philosophical and religious context, the “soul” is seen as the non-physical, the immaterial essence of an individual, that is believed to survive beyond the physical body; something that has life after death.

Every individual has a soul. The question that arises is, do organisations have souls too? The simplest answer is, “yes,” they do. Having established that every constituent in an entity has a soul of its own, it follows that an organisation represents a collective pool of souls, different and distinct from each other. The culture of the organisation binds them into a common force.The soul is beyond the physical assets. So, what does in true essence define an organisation?

The human capital deployed to achieve an objective makes for the creation of a “soul of an organisation.” I once worked for a global organisation whose declared corporate purpose was Submission to God and Service to Humanity. The organisation had godliness attending to its operations, with few aberrations relating to the non-acceptance of the noble purpose by a few members.

Since each individual has a “soul,” the collection of human resources contributes to the soul, each uniquely distinct, but all with an inherently noble nature. Several constituent souls make up the soul of the workplace. Surprisingly and interestingly, the soul of an organisation lives beyond the life of the organisation. There are many Fortune 500 companies that have faded away into the dustbin of the corporate graveyard, but the spirit lives on. As a reference or case in point, British Caledonian (a private airline of Britain) had the service slogan “We never forget you have a choice,” a stark example of how the service legacy lives on.

An organisation is about people. Those who work for it and those who deal with it create a certain ecosystem of their own, which represents the “values” these employees subscribe to, both individually and collectively. The codified embodiment of core values, involving corporate culture, vision, and mission, determines the soul of an organisation. The culture of an entity defines its identity in the marketplace.

As philosophical and abstract as it may sound, all organisations, whether private or state-owned, including the government itself, have a corporate soul. Business and corporate history records that organisations that have achieved success on a long-term and sustainable basis are those that had a unique soul. In an article in the Forces magazine, Dede Henley, a thought leader, wrote, “The soul of a business refers to those intrinsic qualities that make it unique, like the distinctive character traits of a person. For example, you might describe ‘Apple’ as innovative, design-conscious, iconic, and maybe secretive. Those are the qualities that reflect its ‘soul’.”

In a LinkedIn post today, a lady corporate banker in a non-friendly neighbouring country had this to say: “I have been a victim of harassment... The consequences of these behaviours extend far beyond individual harm, impacting team morale, productivity, and the overall reputation of the organisation.” She further makes these recommendations based on her harrowing experience: “Creating a safe and respectful workplace necessitates a multi-faceted approach. This includes robust policies against harassment, comprehensive training programmes for all employees (including senior management), and clear, accessible channels for reporting incidents without fear of retaliation. Furthermore, fostering a culture of accountability is paramount; those who engage in toxic behaviour must be held responsible for their actions.”

The tragedy in this incident, which I am more than certain is prevalent locally too, is that the CEO and Supervisor, who were officially informed, did nothing; they just turned a blind eye. Such a reprehensible attitude on the part of senior management seriously dents the purity of the organisation’s soul. The perpetrators gain a boost of encouragement. The action should have been swift and decisive, leading to exemplary termination. People form the soul of the organisation, but soulless individuals corrupt the environment irrevocably.

It is imperative for the Board, CEO, and senior management to enshrine friendly policies towards external and internal customers. These policies must reflect an attitude of care and concern, and, if I may dare to be a corporate heretic, to add and include empathy and affection. The presence of these sentiments creates a long-term positive impact upon the “soul of the organisation,” and the lack of them renders the institution ruthless, unconcerned, and indifferent. Ignoring incidents of belligerence gnaws at the roots of the entity’s edifice. The result is a tarnished and damaged reputation.

Leaders and organisations that pay attention beyond the lip service of vision/mission statements—whose sole purpose is to adorn the corridor walls of the entity—to creating a work culture of friendliness usher in a certain element of piety, godliness, and divinity in their environment.

“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul” (Victor Hugo—Les Misérables). The physical facade of the organisation is of value only if its non-material interior is of excellent quality.

Sirajuddin Aziz
The writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Columnist.