Warning wealth management leaders—the Great Resignation is far from over. The talent revolution just catapulted to another realm thanks to the illustrious business mogul and renowned artist extraordinaire, Beyoncé. In her latest single release, Beyoncé bundled resistance and resilience by cleverly calling out employers and encouraging listeners to avow “you won’t break my soul.”
Queen Bey’s anthem liberates and grants the masses permission to exit soul-crushing workplaces while dancing to the soulful rhythm of house beats:
I just quit my job
I’m gonna find new drive, damn, they work me so damn hard
Work by nine, then off past five
And they work my nerves, that’s why I cannot sleep at night
Motivation
I’m lookin’ for a new foundation, yeah
Wealth management leaders, can you imagine your employees singing this song down the hallways or belting the lyrics when offered the Zoom mic? Do they have rightful cause based on your firm’s work culture, employment practices and managerial styles?
The last two tumultuous years—marked by George Floyd’s horrific murder, a relentless pandemic and senseless gun violence—pushed households over the edge with no safety net at the places they spend most of their time: work. With inflation the highest it’s been since 1994 and rapidly rising interest rates on debt, employees are now seizing control of what’s in their control—their human capital. Today’s talent rejects being undervalued and underappreciated and demands that their interests be recognized and rewarded equitably in a self-assured way:
Release ya anger, release ya mind
Release ya job, release the time
Release ya trade, release the stress
Release the love, forget the rest
Here’s another leadership reflection point: Does your firm’s culture allow space for your CEO to release an employee-centered mantra with integrity, as Beyoncé demonstrated with “Break My Soul” as the CEO of her own business empire? By centering her music on the individual, Queen Bey reinforced her global brand by promoting self-empowerment without flinching as a leader and manager. Who wouldn’t love a CEO boldly practicing what they preach?!
As a Black, Gen X business owner and financial planner, I broke a sweat dancing to this song to celebrate my release from work environments that I allowed to tarnish my soul. I also dance on behalf of my business colleagues and fellow advisors who took the leap and went independent before losing their souls at traditional wirehouses and RIAs. My heart goes out to those who left financial services with the hope that they are “on that new vibration.”
Most importantly, I hold close team members as beautiful souls deserving of care and compassion in the workplace. By uplifting the humanity of our employees, we advance the most valuable investment of any business—human capital. There is no question in my mind that a firm’s greatest asset is its people. Talent knows this fact in their minds, hearts and souls. What about you?
Lazetta Rainey Braxton the founder/CEO of Lazetta & Associates and co-CEO at 2050 Wealth Partners.
