Whether at home or at work, people who find their lives fulfilling care about those around them.
They invest themselves in those around them, actively concerning themselves with their lives, concerns, interests, and well-being.
When his textile mill burned down in December of 1995, Malden Mills owner Aaron Feuerstein suffered a terrible blow. He’d invested heavily, both with his money and his life, in keeping his business thriving in the face of foreign competition, which paid its workers inhuman wages and could therefore undercut his prices.
When the architects, contractors, and accountants tallied up the costs of rebuilding, Aaron worried about whether the business could go on. But the more he thought about the business, the more he thought about the more than two thousand people who worked for him—people who came in every morning and worked hard all day, turning out a quality product that had brought in profits even when everybody else said it couldn’t be done.
Aaron made a decision then that not only would he rebuild his mill, he would also keep paying his employees while the mill was closed during the months of construction work ahead. Tears of sorrow at what happened to the plant, and what would happen to them, turned to tears of joy on his workers’ faces.
Today, the plant is up and running, and Malden Mills workers are, according to Aaron, “about the most loyal and hardworking people you could ever meet.”
Eight in ten ceos report that a healthy family life is crucial to a productive business life and that the same key skill—“interpersonal engagement,” the capacity to express concern and interest in those around them—is crucial to both home and work.
Henderson 1999