286 Global Ethics for Leadership
approximately 1600 employees. It is a global leader in a niche market.
The shares of the Foundation have a market capitalization of approxi-
mately CHF 150 million and about CHF 4.5 million are available annu-
ally for the purposes of the foundation.
Walter Linsi was one of the six founders of the company. Gratitude
as basis for ethics in the formation and development of the company
Belimo was very significant:
- Six founders with a clear corporate strategy, EKS
Gratitude is the only way to respond when six founders come togeth-
er in a common business strategy and remain together for more than
forty years. It was clear from the outset that high ethical values should
form the basis for the company. But they form only one part of the EKS
strategy. EKS stands for Engpass Konzentriert Strategie (a strategy fo-
cussed on organizational bottlenecks). The company is seen as a social
enterprise and its leadership has to ensure that positive energy flows at
all levels (e.g. material, informal, financial, power) and that all involved
are able to be contented and grateful. When an organizational bottleneck
develops—something that is quite normal—then it needs to be analysed
and dealt with in a focussed manner. All involved are grateful if the bot-
tleneck is identified at the right level and eliminated. Especially in to-
day’s difficult economic climate, it is important, not only at the financial
level, to identify and eliminate bottlenecks. Our company is also cur-
rently heavily affected by the strong Swiss franc. All employees know
that we have to face this situation and are ready to make their contribu-
tion. They are grateful and motivated that the leadership is not calling
jobs and wages into question but instead is promoting innovation. - Concentration of energy
One of the main principles of EKS is the concentration of energy.
This principle has a lot to do with gratitude. We are grateful for the
senses, energy and resources we have been given as creatures. Gratitude