Businesses have always been a family affair. Family-run businesses account for the vast majority of organizations across the globe. In the U.S. alone, these types of companies make up 64% of the country’s gross domestic product. An astounding 78% of new jobs emanate from family organizations, according to the Conway Center for Family Business.

For me, my business is my life just as my family is. I see no difference between the two because there is a deep connection between my family and our organization. My organization is simply an extension of my family. I am very proud and lucky to have my children involved in significant ways in our company.

Even before my children were born, I had made a deep connection with rural weavers. I wanted to make a meaningful impact in the world and knew I could do this by working with these talented artisans and helping them nurture their art. In this sense, a lifelong relationship was born between the artisans and me.

This was the beginning of my pursuit of a purpose-driven company. I was – and am – more interested in the overall well-being of people than in profits. We do not view the artisans as mere makers of a product. Our goal is to nurture their talent so that they flourish. Instead of mechanically churning out rugs, the weavers’ natural creativity is enhanced, and their wisdom is used in the business process.

From this, our Manchaha (Artisan Originals) collection was born. This was an experiment that metamorphosed into a movement for exploration, professional growth, and empowerment. Rather than relying on a designer’s work to make a rug, artisans are given full artistic freedom to create a unique piece.

By doing this, we hope to demonstrate to the weavers how valuable they are to our organization while at the same time tapping into their ingenuity. When a person is given the freedom to do what he or she wants, the sky is the limit. We want the artisans to feel trusted. Trusting employees is one of the simplest things an organization can do to build confidence and loyalty. Happy and fulfilled workers stay with a company and outperform others.

This is especially important with a family company, who after a few generations, can decline into a sense of well-being and eventually lose that founder’s mentality that made them a success in the first place. The key to regaining that passion and drive is to make sure that anything you do in an organization is done with “we” in mind and not just “I.”

When you conduct business with the primary purpose of enriching just yourself, that comes from an egocentric place and has few benefits. But when you look at the whole picture and become as inclusive as possible, you can make real social change. These are companies that enjoy sustainable and long-term success. Better yet, they make an organization with meaning and purpose.

Creating a successful business means developing the company culture that attracts world-class talent to your organization. Without a supportive and creative culture, the people you hire will be temporary, and you can forget about accomplishing any long-term goals.

These days most companies are working hard to create a culture that fits their needs and organization best. However, try as they might, some businesses end up creating a toxic environment, which can be worse than having no established culture at all.

“A great culture can encourage recruitment, retention and long-term happiness among employees,” according to a post written by the Forbes Coaches Council. “A toxic culture, on the other hand, leads to high turnover, low productivity, and poor team morale.”

There are clear warning signs to look out for if you suspect that a toxic environment may be formulating. While it is best to recognize and fix the problems as soon as possible, sometimes we cannot see what is right in front of us. One sign of a bad culture is that there is a false sense of peace and unity. In turn, it leads to a climate in which people are afraid to be honest if negativity arises. In the long run, this creates resentment among employees. The solution to this is to ensure everyone that they are free to speak their mind when issues arise. Make them feel comfortable when discussing negative things about work. No one should feel like they will be punished if they complain about something.

Second, restricted interaction among employees and teams can hamper progress seriously. When people keep to themselves, there is not a free and flowing exchange of ideas. Creativity is hindered, and the organization does not move forward. Gossip is one thing that is hard to avoid, and it is difficult to find a company where people do not partake in this bad habit. However, an organization that has people continually gossiping is one that does not have a strong foundation. In this kind of environment, people feel free to talk negatively about their bosses and co-workers instead of respecting them. In turn, this wastes time and creates hostilities. While it may be hard to enforce, it can be a good idea to create a policy that discourages gossiping. Then make sure that workers are listened to so that they do not feel the need to gossip with others.

Lastly, an obvious sign of a toxic environment is a high turnover rate. Employees won’t stay long with an organization if they are unhappy and feel stifled. Creating an environment where everyone is valued and respected can lead to long term results that will bring your company’s culture to the next level.

Jaipur Rugs

Big companies mostly operate within a set hierarchy. The CEO is at the top and, top-level executives trickle down to manage the masses. There has always been a clear delineation between the employees and those who tell the employees what to do.

Thankfully, things are changing, and conscious companies are breaking the mold of the traditional business model by allowing employees to delve into a self-management style of working in the company culture. Having a rigid management style does not make sense because we, as individuals are quite capable of completing tasks when we are away from the office.

The sun rises and sets every day by itself; flowers continue to bloom without supervision. No one manages these natural forces, nor is a there is a manager or CEO who runs the entire world. So, it does seem counterproductive to put up such restrictions in a business environment.

In traditional business models, more time goes on getting solutions to issues than creativity and innovation. In this type of environment, the employees are not able to bring their wisdom and decision-making strengths to the table. Blocking the employee’s creativity is a missed opportunity to gain valuable insight. Just because an employee may not have a fancy degree or formal higher education does not mean that his or her idea holds no value. On the contrary, some of the most intelligent people I know have never been inside a classroom.

I had always been under the impression that I was the one managing my company. But I slowly realized through mindfulness and consciousness, that as a leader, I was not managing my employees. Instead, I had been restricting them by not letting them make their own decisions.

That is why we initiated a self-management trial with 600 weavers in various villages of Rajasthan wherein they were trained to ensure 100% on-time delivery with zero defect and zero wastage. The weavers were encouraged to be accountable for their own decisions. They were supported in their failures and assured that every mistake is just another learning opportunity. So far the results have been very positive, with 70% of the weavers participating in the self-management program reaching 100% on-time delivery with zero defect and zero wastage!

As leaders, we must be humble enough to trust our employees. Micromanaging does not achieve anything. But, many leaders feel that if they are always on top of employees, only then the work will be done faster and better. Indeed, it is not the case.

In the coming 2-3 years, Jaipur Rugs will be the world’s first self-managed company at the grassroots. And that will be a global case study.