Masjid boards have a lot to learn from Netflix.

Google’s governance has a lot more of the spirit of the shari’a in it than some Islamic school boards.

I know these words may ruffle some feathers but hear me out.

The other day I was listening to a podcast with Reed Hastings, founder and former CEO of Netflix. He said something that really struck me:

“To disagree silently is disloyal.”

When facing a big decision, managers at Netflix are instructed to actively “farm for dissent.” Leaders are energized by opposing viewpoints, not threatened by them. Regardless of your role within the company, you are empowered to “say the thing you think you cannot say.”

Autonomy in decision making, open and candid communication, and, above all, a focus on people over process are the principles woven into the fabric of the company that have propelled its meteoric growth and success.

Uncles and Aunties and Boards, Oh My!

Meanwhile, the pace of change at most Muslim organizations is glacial.

Board elections (if they happen at all) often consist of a revolving door through which the same uncles (and occasional aunties) assume positions of leadership year after year.

The management structure of many Islamic schools and masjids could best be described as a benevolent dictatorship. Smiles and salaams abound, but dissent is frowned upon and actively stamped out.

I believe that Muslim institutions in the United States are increasingly reaching an inflection point.

They were founded by visionary community members who wanted to ensure that the torch of Islam be passed on to the next generation. May Allah reward them with the best in this world and the next. Ameen!

But these founders were heavily influenced by the leadership styles they experienced in their home countries during their formative years. Many of these OG board members are petrified by changes to the status quo and are resistant to major change.

I believe that Muslim institutions in the United States are increasingly reaching an inflection point.

Meanwhile, a new generation of younger, mostly American-born leaders is waiting in the wings. Their management philosophy has been heavily shaped by western corporate culture.

While this western influence might be seen as a threat, the paradox is that the policies of many western companies align more closely with the maqasid al-shari’a (the intentions of Islamic law) than those drawn from Arab governments.

Our deen is perfect, and its principles are Light.

Whoever applies them, no matter their creed, will benefit from them and whoever ignores them, no matter their piety, will suffer.

For today’s FBF, I want to explore the famous Netflix culture memo, a comprehensive document that outlines the core philosophy and business practices that underpin the corporate culture at the streaming giant.

After hearing the podcast with Reed Hastings, I did a deep dive into the culture memo and discovered numerous principles that harmonize with Islam.

Here are a few examples:

* The name of the memo itself, Netflix Culture—Seeking Excellence, aligns with the Islamic concept of ihsaan (excellence). The Netflix version of ihsaan, however, has teeth as shown in this line: “the reward for adequate performance is a generous severance package.” Ihsaan is the base expectation, and anything short of it results in a gentle termination.

* One of the core tenets at Netflix is “You only say things about colleagues that you are willing to share with them.” This sounds very much like Islam’s prohibition of ghiba (backbiting) and mirrors the famous hadith that the “Muslim is he who is safe from other Muslims’ tongues and actions.”

* Along similar lines, Netflix culture emphasizes husn al-dhann (thinking well of others) when it states, “You act with good intent and trust your colleagues to do the same.”

* The memo also echoes the Islamic concept of nahee ‘an al-munkar (forbidding the evil), with its edict: “You question colleagues' actions inconsistent with these behaviors.”

The place where the Netflix corporate culture most closely aligns with Islamic principles, however, is in decision-making.

I believe that much of the success of the company derives from how closely its decision-making process resembles the Islamic principle of shura or mutual consultation.

While many Muslim institutions pay lip service to the concept of shura, setting their boards up as “Shura Councils” or styling their PTAs as “Parent Teacher Shura Committee,” very few practice shura in an authentic way according to its etiquettes.

Our deen is perfect, and its principles are Light.

Whoever applies them, no matter their creed, will benefit from them and whoever ignores them, no matter their piety, will suffer.

One Muslim group that relies heavily on shura in its pure form is the tableeghi jamaat. All decisions of this global dawa movement are made through mashura.

I have spent many hours in tableeghi mashuras and have learned a lot about the etiquettes of this decision-making process.

For today’s FBF, I want to show five ways that decision-making at Netflix aligns with shura (and one very important way in which it does not.)

My hope is that this essay will prove instructive to many Muslim organizations that have strayed from this guidance.

1. Role of the Decision Maker

The Amir of a shura is the central decision-maker who seeks the opinions of others before making a final decision, thus fostering a sense of collective responsibility. He may ask the opinions of all shura participants, just a few, or even make the decision wholly on his own.

Along similar lines, the Netflix culture memo states “For every significant decision, we identify an informed captain of the ship who is an expert in their area. They are responsible for listening to other people’s views and then making a judgment call on the right way forward.”

Both the amir of an Islamic shura and the “informed captain” at Netflix are thus responsible for making the final decision after considering input from others, reflecting a similar central leadership role in decision-making. The amir and “informed captain” typically rotate, although some Muslim organizations do have a permanent amir for large decisions, similar to the CEO of a company.

2. Selfless Opinions and Long-Term Vision

Islamic shura emphasizes consultation with those who have a good understanding and are devout. When giving an opinion, it is imperative that it should be tied to whatever is best for the promotion of the deen and not given out of any self-interest. Shura decisions take the long-term view, considering ethical dimensions and akhira outcomes.

Two of the foundational tenets of Netflix culture are: “You seek what is best for Netflix, not yourself or your team” and “You make decisions mostly based on their long term, rather than near term, impact.”

While allegiance to the deen is obviously a far more noble and important precept, there are unmistakable echoes about fidelity to a purpose beyond one’s own selfish needs in the Netflix memo.

3. Post-Decision Unity

Once a decision is made in shura, everyone is expected to support it, regardless of their initial opinion, fostering unity and collective effort. There is no “mashura before mashura” and no “mashura after mashura.”

In fact, if your opinion is accepted, you should make istighfar (seek forgiveness) in case there was some problem with it. If rejected, you should say alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) that the group was saved from any mistake you may have suggested. If something goes wrong and a person says that it happened because his opinion was not accepted, it is considered disbelief in one of the articles of faith.

Netflix takes a similar approach: “once the informed captain makes a decision, we expect everyone —including those who disagreed—to commit and help make the outcome as successful as possible.”

Whether entering a shura or a meeting at Netflix, the goal is the same—after talking out their contrasting opinions, the entire team should be united around the decision as if it were their own by the end of the meeting.

4. Avoidance of Dictatorship Without Embracing Democracy

In mashura, while the Amir has the final say, the process is not meant to be dictatorial. The input from the group is crucial, and the Amir should not impose his opinion without genuine consideration of others’ views.

Before making his decision, the Amir asks for divine guidance, reciting the du’a, “All praise belongs to Allah. We seek His aid, we seek His forgiveness, and seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves. Whomever Allah guides, there is no one who can mislead him. Whomever Allah sends astray, there is no one who can guide him.”

Similarly, Netflix promotes listening to diverse opinions before making a decision, but the informed captain has the sole authority to make the final decision—“We avoid decisions by committee, which would slow us down and diffuse responsibility.”

Thus, both Netflix and Islam promote a middle ground between pure democracy and pure autocracy.

5. Navigating Differences of Opinion

Shura places a premium on consensus and harmony. Shura participants speak directly to the Amir when giving opinions and not to their fellow members. They are discouraged from actively campaigning for their opinions, and they must never contradict or disparage opinions of their peers.

Informed captains at Netflix, on the other hand, are encouraged to “farm for dissent.” If an employee disagrees on an important open issue, it is their responsibility to explain why, ideally in person and in writing. Before making a major decision, the informed captain asks everyone present to rate their opinion about the decision on a scale of 10 to -10.

This process was put in place after Reed Hastings prematurely made the decision to spin off the DVD-by-mail portion of the company into a separate business called “Qwikster.” While his vision about the supremacy of streaming proved prescient—great CEOs are blessed by the ability to see around corners—his decision alarmed shareholders, and he now admits it was premature.

While seeking harmony vs. “farming for dissent” seem like opposites, I believe the shura process benefits when an Amir really presses his peers on giving their authentic opinion, even if it differs from other group members.

Major Difference

Ultimately, intention or niyya is the foundation of everything. This is why masjid shura councils and Islamic school boards, no matter how dysfunctional they may appear, are infinitely more rightly guided than Silicon Valley corporations.

Although companies like Netflix embody many principles that resonate deeply with Islamic values, their ultimate goal remains the corporate bottom line, which starkly contrasts with the eternal aims of Muslim organizations.

While both take a long-term view, Islam’s extends to infinity.

This is why the same company that has so many Islamic ideals baked into its corporate culture can still produce thoroughly un-Islamic programming like Orange is the New Black and Sex Education.

Nevertheless, the strategic approach to decision-making in companies like Netflix—focusing on open dissent, informed leadership, and unity post-decision—offers valuable lessons for Muslim organizations.

These ideas are fundamental to our deen, but many of our Islamic governing bodies are less faithful to the ideals of shura than Silicon Valley brands.

Returning to the foundational precepts of shura could be instrumental in enhancing the efficiency and inclusivity of decision-making processes within our communities.

Netflix may feature plenty that's off-limits, but their approach to decision making? That's a series even an Imam can subscribe to.

Please join the thousands of readers just like you on my Five Before College email list. Every Monday and Thursday I send out college and education tips interspersed with Islamic wisdom to help teenagers succeed in this world and the next.

And, oh yeah, please hit the like button as well or leave a comment to let me know what you thought about this week’s newsletter!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamzahhenshaw.substack.com