Narnia on Business

Recently I rediscovered some old classics, favorites from when I was a much younger fellow (of 40 or so). I listened to the entire series of Narnia novels by CS Lewis. I shall never become too old to enjoy a fantasy trip into those magical lands. I asked the question, what can businesses learn from Narnia?

In the book Prince Caspian, Lucy asks Aslan, the King of Narnia what would have happened had she done what he had asked of her. He replied that "No one ever gets to know what would have happened." We only get to see what will happen. It’s a great reminder because we make mistakes in business at all levels. If we dwell on the error and ponder what would have happened, we are merely wasting our energy that could be put toward courage and a solution, what will happen.

In the books, The Magicians Nephew and Prince Caspian, the King to be were asked one final question before Aslan would confirm him as king. Do you feel ready and capable of leading these people and animals? In both cases, the response was a quick, “No.” And that was precisely the answer Aslan wanted. He knew that a leader that thinks they know everything will fail in a pride enabled catastrophe. It is far better to recognize our inadequacy and lead courageously from a humble perspective.

In the book, The Last Battle, one of the saddest parts of the story is when it becomes clear that Susan, one of the most beloved queens, is no longer a friend of Narnia. According to Lucy, Susan lost the reality of Narnia through trying to grow up too fast. Truths we think incorruptible are too easily masked by convenient or pressing untruth. In IR.Tools case, the core values represent the Truth for us. We can not be like Susan, discarding truth, when back orders, financial pressures, and firefighting entice us to walk away.

Finally, we hear in nearly every book that Aslan, the anthropomorphic Jesus, is good, but he is not tame. This proverb is clearly relevant to our human, and business, condition. We expect an easy road when striving to do what’s right, when honoring God. However, losses come, challenges knock us down, and pain is there to greet us. We persevere when the help God gives is providing challenges.

So listen to the wise beasts of Narnia.

• Don’t worry about the past. Invest in now and the future.
• Don’t let pride disqualify you for the excellent work you have to do.
• Don’t let the truth be swallowed up in busyness and lies.
• Realize that Aslan is not a tame lion.