Moving Beyond Greed to Create Sustainable Corporate Cultures
Aparigraha in Leadership
In a world where we measure business success in quarterly earnings and growth charts, the yogic principle of Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding) offers a radical yet necessary reframe for leadership and corporate responsibility. This fifth and last article in our Yamas in Leadership series explores how Aparigraha can inspire healthier organisations, more conscious leaders, and a more equitable economy.
How Short-Term Greed Is Undermining Our Future
We shaped our current economic system by short-term thinking and unsustainable greed. Many corporations today are trapped in a culture that rewards frenetic busyness rather than meaningful progress. Instead of harnessing the power of diverse teams and fostering genuine innovation, individuals compete for visibility and influence in a zero-sum game, often at the expense of others. Pursuing profit and personal gain breeds internal power struggles, widespread burnout, and lasting harm to the environment.
We've created a work culture that encourages people to focus on themselves rather than the greater good. Many companies boost pay for top executives and inflate stock prices using clever financial tactics, but when things go wrong, they ask everyone to pull together and share the burden. Large parts of our economic system reward leaders who act more like machines than humans, focused on quick wins rather than long-term success, and this has left businesses short-sighted and disconnected.
In a A Bit of Optimism Podcast with Simon Sinek1, Scott Galloway, professor of Marketing at the Stern School of Business at New York University, argues that today's economy represents not true capitalism but a form of "brutal individualism." Companies enrich executives and shareholders while demanding solidarity from workers and society only in times of crisis. The consequences of this mindset are evident everywhere: climate change, widening wealth inequality, and growing social fragmentation. No one is getting more screwed financially than young people.
Redefining Success Beyond Possessions and Profit
Aparigraha invites us to pause and reflect: What is enough? It asks us to take or use only what we truly need, to release attachment to possessions, titles, or perks that do not serve our higher purpose. In the corporate world, this means rethinking both individual leadership behaviour and systemic incentives.
At the personal level, practising Aparigraha could mean letting go of attachment to status symbols, whether that's the corner office, the biggest team, or the prize for the most visible project. It encourages leaders to shift from "This is mine" to "How can I serve?" This mindset shift fosters humility and purpose, replacing competition with collaboration. For me, this also prompts an ongoing reflection on what success truly means. I've come to realise that, for me, success is closely tied to bringing my personal (Clifton)Strengths to life. This is something I look forward to exploring further in a future article.
At the organisational level, the principle of Aparigraha invites companies to rethink what truly defines success. It is long past time to evolve key performance indicators beyond profit alone, and to embrace measures that account for social, environmental, and cultural capital. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), introduced in the early 1990s as a more holistic alternative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), offers a model that captures dimensions of national well-being that GDP overlooks, including ecological health and social equity. Similarly, frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Science Based Targets initiative help organisations adopt true cost accounting, ensuring they internalise environmental and social costs rather than shifting them onto society. These tools pave the way for a more just, sustainable, and resilient economy.
Moving from Scarcity to Abundance
Corporate greed is often rooted in a scarcity mindset, the fear that there will never be enough: enough market share, enough profit, enough recognition. This mindset can manifest in counterproductive behaviours: unspent budgets wasted at year's end, hoarding resources between departments, or leaders clinging to power rather than enabling others to grow.
Aparigraha teaches us to trust in abundance. When leaders and organisations act from a place of generosity and trust, they create cultures where collaboration thrives. Fostering organisational emotional intelligence, rethinking working time models, and embracing diversity are all ways companies can embody Aparigraha in action.
Practical Steps for Practicing Aparigraha at Work
Anyone working in a corporate environment can begin to cultivate Aparigraha through small, intentional actions:
Examine motivations: Reflect honestly on what drives your work. Are you motivated by purpose and service, or by a desire for recognition, status, or security?
Rethink success: Support and celebrate performance measures that value collaboration, innovation, and positive social or environmental impact—not just individual achievement.
Question accumulation: When considering a new opportunity, project, or resource, ask yourself: Do I truly need this? Will it benefit the team or the broader mission?
Practice generosity: Make it a habit to give freely—whether it's sharing knowledge, offering help, or acknowledging others' contributions without expecting something in return.
Foster transparency: Share information, ideas, and resources openly to help build trust and collective responsibility within your organisation.
From Greed to Purpose
In times of planetary and societal crisis, Aparigraha is not just a personal ethic. It is a leadership imperative. Leaders who embrace non-greed help create organisations that are resilient, humane, and capable of contributing to a sustainable future. As we rethink what it means to succeed, Aparigraha offers a compass pointing towards purpose, equity, and collective well-being.
How do you define success? And why is that? And what’s underneath this wish?
Have a great week!
Graziella
Galloway, S. (2024). The War On The Young. [online] A Bit of Optimism Podcast. Available at: