After 20+ years advising across Big Law, tier-one banks, and values-led businesses—from startups to 70+person teams—I’ve noticed a consistent pattern: values are the glue of business. But pride, jealousy, and envy act as corrosives. These dynamics often stem from unmet personal or financial goals. Values are our inner engines—when ignored or unfulfilled, they distort into self-protective behaviours.

Many people are conditioned to fight for themselves rather than fully participate in a values-driven organisation as a living, evolving collective.

It’s not the activity of the company that defines integrity—it’s what we do within.

Do we walk the talk? Or just wear the badge of sustainability or purpose while avoiding the real work? Are people in greener, more spiritually-aware businesses genuinely happier—or is the picture outside brighter than within?

Pride resists feedback, ignores red flags, delays key decisions.
Jealousy hoards credit, blocks talent, erodes trust.
Envy breeds disengagement, passive sabotage, and short-termism.

These aren’t just personality flaws—they create real governance risks. And because people are often snowed under—chasing growth, launches, deals, unpaid bills—they ignore contracts, delay hard conversations, and risk cultural entropy.

But these are also welcome growth signals. Every tension is a mirror.

Conflict can lead to clarity—surfacing old wounds, unmet needs, and new ways of working.

It’s fuel.

There are no coincidences in life. Ask yourself: Why does this particular group of individuals work together? What does each of us need to learn? How must each of us transform—for the collective to thrive?

Perhaps you start seeing the opportunity in your shareholders’, employment, supply chain, or contractor contracts—and begin embedding values-driven clauses, regular feedback duties, and cultural KPIs. Not just paying lip service to what’s “standard,” but asking: How can I tweak this for me, for my business?

Every contract, every relationship, is a fresh opportunity to transform.

Ask yourself: What am I protecting—position, short-termism, or the long-term purpose and influence I can have on the world within and out?

It’s not just legal paperwork. It’s regenerative and legal governance.

Beata Dunn

beata@regenlaw.com