These are the words of Dan Price, founder of Gravity Payments, a credit card processing firm in Seattle. Mr Price has taken the issue of wage inequality head-on by declaring a minimum of wage of $70,000 for the employees of his firm. Even further evidence of his leadership mojo is that he dropped his own salary from $1 million down to $70,000 to help pay for the wage increases.
When you decide to go to the edge you might just feel like freaking out.
Mr. Price saw an issue to be addressed and he did something about it. He listened to his team members, was willing to see reality, empathize and take action. He believes it is in the best interest of his business – ALL of his constituents – to change the rules of the game in favor of those working on the front line.
Dan Price is an extraordinary example of the kind of leadership required for a changing world, someone willing to declare a new way of being when the old system no longer works. And, at the very heart of his decision is a very ordinary thing, the equitable treatment of talented people who have come together to accomplish something worth doing.
This will always be true: if you’re not freaking out, you’re nowhere near the edge of possibility.
DAVID BERRY is the founder of RULE13 Learning. He writes about the complexity of leading in a changing world, especially the parts where he doesn’t handle it very well. If you enjoyed this post someone else might, too. Please pass it along.
