A weekly thought for leaders with the courage to introspect.
Money and water.
I ran into Berend again. After years. โHey Hans!โ I heard behind me. I turned aroundโฆ
And there he stood.
Berend.
Euphemistically speaking: well-fed.
At his leisure. Slightly shuffling.
In a lambskin coat, a leather coat with fur everywhere.
In his hand: a box of cakes.
From the pastry jeweler, of course.
Berend has been 'inside' for a long time.
Money like water.
Floating in abundance.
And you know whatโฆ
Money and water are more alike than you think.
โ Without money nothing grows.
โ Without water, nothing grows.
Both are always in motion.
It comes in. It flows out.
Both are difficult to master.
And a little waste is part of it.
Are you going to leave it alone?
Then it starts to stink.
Are you letting it evaporate?
Then there is nothing left.
But there is something elseโฆ
Just like water, you have to allocate money wisely and strategically.
Not too much in one place.
Not all in one pond.
Not everything within yourself.
Abundance is not healthy at all.
I'll put it more strongly:
People don't do well with abundance.
We thrive on scarcity.
You. Me. The King. The Queen.
Berend.
We are all made for scarcity.
Scarcity keeps us sharp.
Scarcity keeps us desiring.
Scarcity keeps us moving.
It makes us creative.
It makes us alert.
It makes us grateful.
Scarcity gives value to what you have.
And so
What should you do when you live in abundance?
Very simple:
Build in scarcity consciously.
Divide your money wisely.
Strategic.
With policy.
Just enough in every place.
Invest in what you value.
Support people and companies you believe in.
Create something for others.
Create a scholarship fund.
Have an emergency fund.
Help people move forward.
Because remember this:
The most valuable resourceโฆ
Is always a scarce resource.
Money that keeps flowing.
Water that keeps moving.
That makes you live better.
—
The space between the words is where insight arises.
Until next week when our thoughts touch again.
Hans Ruinemans,
The Boardroom Monk โฏ๏ธ