Common sense suggests that self-referent visions are likely to appear when organizations really do care only for themselves, or when people in leadership positions lack either imagination or a compelling insight, or when the products and services that an organization provides truly do not make a significant contribution to any group of people (who really needs non-nutritional foods, for example). However, scholar and author Alfie Kohn suggests a more subtle and pervasive cause for self-referent visions. In his book The Brighter Side of Human Nature, Kohn argues persuasively that the prevailing view of human nature emphasizes its darker side at the expense of its brighter side. He wrote, ‘‘We raise our children, manage our companies, and design our governments on the assumption that people are naturally and primarily selfish and will act otherwise only if they are coerced to do so and carefully monitored.’’ This assumption provides impetus for those who hold leadership positions to settle for self-referent visions and political commitment. If people are primarily selfish, self-referent visions make sense as a way of gaining their commitment. And if they are primarily selfish, then their commitment can only be bought rather than won.
Kohn’s survey of studies about people helping other people shows that the assumption is erroneous. He wrote, ‘‘People of all ages usually do go out of their way to help, particularly when the need is clear and when they believe that no one else is in a position to get involved.’’ Human beings, Kohn concludes, want to do things that benefit other people.
Bonnie Wright says it this way, ‘‘Fundamentally, people need to help other people. Look at September 11; the first reaction was not ‘let’s go get the guys that did this.’ The first reaction was ‘How can I help?’ ’’ And Pat Croce, perhaps best known as the former president of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, and someone we will meet in more detail in Fostering Hope said, ‘‘Too many times in our society we think that doing well has nothing to do with doing good. When you know you have done good, you will do well.’’
Even when groups of people or organizations care for something other than themselves, have imagination and a compelling insight, and offer products and services that do make a significant contribution to a group of people, their leaders still must guard against the assumption that human nature is inherently and primarily selfish. Those who hold leadership positions but settle for self-referent visions or political commitment may be vastly underestimating the capacity or desire of their people to commit to something noble. Bonnie Wright says this in a positive way: ‘‘Leaders help people help.’’ In that statement she captures the essence of a leader’s role in bringing a noble vision to fruition.