The classical Greeks understood crisis as a disruption of inertia. For them, a crisis represented a period of change, and only the actions taken from that point forward would define what would follow. In practice, for the founders of Western civilization, a crisis was neither inherently good nor bad, but an opportunity to alter the state of affairs.
None of us were alive during the greatest economic crisis of the 20th century. On October 24, 1929, the American stock market suffered a drastic collapse, the result of a series of challenges faced by the global economy. The repercussions of that "Black Thursday" were not only inevitable but dramatic, bringing immeasurable losses for shareholders, the working class, and investors.
In fact, the 1930s were severely marked by the "Great Depression," as the crisis came to be known. Very rapidly, society was overtaken by rampant pessimism, triggered, among other factors, by falling commodity prices and industrial indebtedness. Unemployment reached alarming proportions: nearly 25% of the entire US productive workforce was unemployed. Despair ran so deep that an unprecedented wave of suicides was triggered by the climate of panic established in the market.
Today, in Brazil, we are facing an economic crisis compounded by a concurrent political crisis. For many in the workforce, this is the first crisis they have faced. After nearly 20 years of stability and growth, we are once again haunted by old ghosts, such as inflation, high interest rates, and unemployment. Yet, these are not unfamiliar foes; we have fought them before and prevailed! Why, then, would it be any different now?
Indeed, all sectors of the economy are already feeling the impact of these difficult times. Companies are cutting back production and, in more extreme cases, making the necessary cutbacks and adjustments to weather the turbulence. Under such circumstances, it becomes nearly impossible not to be affected by what I call the "tyranny of pessimism." Yes, I dare say that the negativity generated by this moment we are experiencing has far greater power to destabilize us than the crisis itself.
We are what we think! When we let ourselves be overwhelmed by a wave of pessimism, everything around us seems far worse than it actually is. This phenomenon even has the power to spill over into other areas of our lives. It is not uncommon to see people facing a localized professional issue that eventually becomes metastatic—spreading into their personal relationships or academic pursuits.
John F. Kennedy once said that the Chinese word for crisis is composed of two characters: one representing danger, the other opportunity. In this challenging moment, we can either lament, for instance, a promotion that did not materialize, or we can rise to perform even better at what we are already doing. Rest assured, your new role may take a little longer to arrive, but you certainly will not be overlooked, because you faced the crisis with a clear conscience—and that elevated attitude will inspire not only yourself, but everyone around you.
We are in a crisis, that is a fact; yet Lojas Renner, according to a report by InfoMoney, increased its profit by about 30% in this first half of the year. Toyota is creating job openings for its Porto Feliz and Sorocaba facilities, and GM announced this week that it will invest R$ 13.0 billion in Brazil through 2019. A crisis? Not for the retailers of São Luís! According to the G1 portal, they expect a 7.6% increase in sales this year. Amid a sea of grim headlines and clouded horizons, there are those moving in the opposite direction!
Sam Walton, founder of WalMart, when once asked about prevailing market difficulties, stated: "I held a meeting today with my directors about the crisis, and we decided not to participate in it." Yes, you can decide today not to participate in the crisis, even while acknowledging its existence. For my part, as a partner in this company, what I can tell you is that our executive team is committed to victory, not to the crisis. Sooner or later, these challenges will be overcome, and in the end, what will endure is how you fought this battle. Therefore, I invite you to join all of us and Level Group, because that is how we will turn the tables!
