Many organizations have built their operations with a VOC mentality, disguised in a tailored suit for Colonial Efficiency

During a conversation with an entrepreneur who had booked me to speak at his event, he shared how much he appreciated my message about human-centered organizations and employee well-being. Our conversation took a political turn when he made a comment: “Trump says ‘Make America Great Again.’”

He clearly wasn’t a Trump fan, but I was curious about his perspective and listened attentively.“Great for who?” he asked.

While it may have been "great" for one group, others were left behind.

“You can’t call that ‘great’, that’s exploitation,” he said.

He went on to explain America’s so-called glory days, and their consequences. In his words, people were stripped financially, mentally, and spiritually.

As he shared this, we both came to the same conclusion:

This is the exact same VOC mentality, just repackaged for modern business. In recent years, we’ve seen entire industries collapse. We’re living in times where everything that can be shaken, is being shaken.

Because of that, the very foundations companies were built on are being exposed.

There’s a clear pattern emerging: We see which companies fall, which survive, and which flourish during crisis.

And that gives us the opportunity to do things differently and better.

The concept of work is under a magnifying glass, and it’s being completely redefined.

What seemed to work for decades has caused real harm, to families, to individuals’ health, and in many cases, to people’s sense of worth. It can be different. It must be different.

But it will require bold entrepreneurs and courageous leaders to take the lead.

To truly flourish, a company needs more than high margins, efficiency, expansion, profit maximization, or fancy training programs.

Many organizations don’t show real leadership, they’re driven by money and make inspiring statements like:“We’re aiming for expansion, efficiency, control.”

Sounds powerful, determined, even visionary.

But let’s be honest: The VOC mentality hasn’t disappeared, it’s just had a wardrobe change:

• Mergers and acquisitions where the human side is ignored and the soul of the company disappears

• Automation to cut costs, not to lighten people’s load

• “Lean” and “Agile” used as camouflage for higher pressure and less autonomy

• People treated as “resources” in a spreadsheet instead of unique individuals

• KPIs more important than culture

• Burnout, high turnover, and quiet quitting as structural side effects

• AI used against employees, instead of with them

• Massive debt taken on by companies, leaving no room to care for people, only to pay off loans and hit targets

• Power concentrated in the hands of a few, with no shared ownership

We don’t call it colonizing anymore, now it’s called “market penetration.”

We don’t use slavery, we offer “flexible contracts with no perspective.”

We don’t send out ships, we build dashboards full of targets.

Sure, the organization might be profitable. It might even be growing.

But at what cost?

In an age of digitalization and automation where your competitor and every startup uses the same systems, similar strategies, the same consultants, and follows the same training courses the companies that truly stand out are the ones that focus on human connection, cultivation, and meaningful contribution.

The differentiating factor is no longer the system, it’s the investment in people and relationships. Yes, technology will play a key role in efficiency and growth, but it should have one main goal: To create more time for human interaction.

The world has changed.

The times demand something different.

The new generation of employees doesn’t want to work in a system where they are merely a “resource.”

They’re looking for meaning, growth, trust, and autonomy.

The new customer and investor look beyond price.

They want to support brands with a conscience, a mission, a heart.

And leaders?

The best leaders today aren’t the ones cutting the hardest.

They’re the ones investing the deepest in people. So what if we actually change course?

What if we dust off the VOC mentality and replace it with something that actually works something that’s not “one-size-fits-all,” but rooted in trust, connection, and vision?

From command & control to compassion & trust

From resource management to talent development

From KPIs above all to culture as the foundation

From short-term profit to long-term impact

From authoritarian leadership to servant leadership

We call it: Humanization.

Not as a soft alternative to business. But as the core of sustainable growth.

Because companies are built on people.

And if you don’t know how to deal with people, you’re building a house of cards.

So to today’s leaders:

If you truly want to build something that lasts It’s time to let go of colonial mindsets, hyper-structures, and distrust and return to what truly matters:

Trust. Vision. Responsibility.

The future belongs to organizations with a human face.

We must be careful not to become colonizers in suits in the business world, because that mentality comes with consequences:

1. Loss of humanity in the workplace

   People feel replaceable. Unseen. Unheard.

   If someone doesn’t feel connected to the mission or leadership, their only loyalty is the paycheck.

2. Rising absenteeism and burnout

   If you only value people for their productivity, you forget they need rhythm, rest, and recognition.

3. Innovation dries up

   Creativity flourishes in safety, not control.

   When people fear mistakes, they stop trying new things.

4. Cultural pollution

   A VOC culture breeds silos, internal competition, gossip, and distrust.

   And that impacts everything from customer experience to internal communication and brand reputation.

   
   

So how do you lead in a human way and keep people engaged and committed?

1. Have a big vision that moves people and make sure they hear and see it regularly

2. Honor your employees with words, financially, and with promotions if it helps them grow and strengthens the team

3. Involve employees in the impact of their work to deepen engagement

4. Use technology to eliminate repetitive tasks so talent can be fully expressed

5. Block time in your calendar to connect with your people and have real conversations

6. Celebrate mistakes so fear doesn’t take over and an open-door culture can thrive

7. Remove negative people from your organization when repeated conversations lead to no change

   
   

Work is being redefined in the coming years and at the core of this reinvention is servant leadership.

Not just in theory.

Not just in words.

But in how we lead daily.

Because the companies that will thrive are the ones that put people first.