Page 28 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE CASE FOR MEANING

The creation of meaning applies to countries as well
as companies. Bhutan is a small country located in the
Himalaya Mountains in South Asia. Although most coun-
tries use the Gross National Product index to measure
national success, in 1972 King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of
Bhutan instituted a Gross National Happiness (GNH) index
to assess his country’s progress. The king instituted social and
economic policies to help Bhutan citizens find meaning and
well-being in their lives. The GNH index includes measures
of the progress of sustainable development, preservation of
cultural values, conservation of the natural environment,
and establishment of good governance. Even with low gross
domestic product per capita, Bhutan citizens are among
the happiest in the world, with over 50 percent of citizens
reporting they are “very happy.” Their lifespan is in the top
10 percent of nations worldwide. Bhutan became the world’s
newest democracy in 2008 as the king established parlia-
mentary elections, Jigmi Thinley, the first Bhutan prime
minister, has said, “material enrichment and consumerist
ethics must not lead to spiritual impoverishment. True hap-
piness and well-being lies in sustainable education, health,
and living environments which include caring and sharing
relationships where extended families serve each other.” 3
In companies or in countries, leaders have the task of
creating a direction for their organizations that is charged
with meaning—that resonates with not only the minds and
hands but the hearts of those they lead. In this book, we go
beyond cases to synthesize and integrate theory, research,
and experience from multiple disciplines to propose seven
meaning drivers successful leaders have used to shape mean-
ing. An individual leader might be predisposed to focus on

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