The Line Between "Good Business" and Being Human

We’ve all heard the phrase a million times: “It’s business, not personal.”

As a business owner, I actually agree with that statement. When you are the one steering the ship, you have to make incredibly hard, objective decisions. You have to look at numbers, strategy, and operations without letting pure emotion cloud your judgment.

But lately, I’ve been asking myself: Where is the line?

When did we start taking the human side completely out of running a business? When did "being professional" turn into being cold?

A Tale of Two Bosses

I was recently talking with a client whose husband experienced sudden, immense pain and had to be rushed to the Emergency Room. Both my client and her husband naturally notified their respective bosses about the emergency.

The two responses they received could not have been more different, and they perfectly illustrate the divide in modern leadership.

• The Wife’s Boss: Immediately said, "Oh my goodness, go take care of your husband and don't worry about a single thing here. I hope he is going to be OK."

• The Husband’s Boss: Responded with a standard, "Okay, keep me updated and let me know what’s going on."

Both bosses seemed understanding at first. But as the day unfolded, the husband was admitted to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. The wife texted her boss to let them know he was in surgery, would be kept overnight, and that she would provide an update the next day. Her boss immediately told her to take the next day off to be present for her husband and rest after such a stressful ordeal.

Meanwhile, the husband’s boss spent the entire day texting for updates.

Even after being told the husband was in surgery and would be hospitalized for at least two nights—possibly through the weekend—the texts didn't stop. Instead of sending messages of support like, "We hope you heal quickly," or "Focus on resting," the boss was laser-focused on one thing: When are you coming back to your desk?

The Sour Taste of "Corporate" Culture

The husband ended up being out of the office from Wednesday through Friday. Showing incredible dedication, he even logged in remotely on Monday to help his boss out, despite having a doctor's note signing him off until the following Friday.

But the damage was already done. The constant hounding during a medical emergency left a sour taste in their mouths.

All in all, it begs the question: Where did we, as leaders and business owners, stop remembering that our teams, our employees, and our clients are human beings?

The husband’s boss didn't lose his employee's productivity that week because of the surgery—he lost his employee's loyalty because of his response to it.

Building a Foundation of Humanity

If you are currently scaling your business, hiring your first team members, or drafting your very first employee handbook, I want you to keep this story in mind.

You don’t have to wait until you have 50 employees to decide what your company culture looks like. Culture starts with employee number one. If you choose to Show Aloha—to lead with genuine compassion, empathy, and respect—with your very first hire, you create a foundation that will naturally carry through as your team grows.

Employees look to their leaders for direction. What you model for your team is exactly what they will return to you. If you treat them like line items on a spreadsheet, they will treat your business like just another paycheck. But if you treat them like humans, they will show up for you when it matters most.

Yes, make the hard business decisions. Protect your bottom line. But never forget that the heartbeat of your business is the people running it.

Need help building a business foundation that balances smart strategy with a powerful team culture? Let’s connect at Lanakila Partners and build something you're proud of.