This past week I attended one of my favorite annual business conventions, “Business as a Calling 2007”. It is hosted by MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) an international organization known for its innovative approaches to helping the poor around the world improve their lives through microenterprise loans and business training. The theme of convention was “Trust in a World of Change” and that sparked my thinking for this week’s blog entry.
Eric Pillmore, former Senior Vice-President for Corporate Governance at Tyco International, was the keynote speaker for the opening session. He spoke about his experiences trying to rebuild trust and an ethical culture at Tyco after the company’s CEO was convicted of tax evasion.
One of the key questions he posed was, “Have we relied too much on the reputations of our leaders and not enough on evaluating their behavior and their values and their character?” In line with my posting from last week, how does measuring effectiveness fit with this important concept? Who in your organization has the job of evaluating the character of your key leaders? Would you even know how to begin?
Trust is earned by leaders who know what is non-negotiable in their life. These leaders aren’t swayed by ego, popularity, or the latest opinion poll. They have a set of values that is lived as authentically as possible, even in the face of opposition. They surround themselves with persons that tell them the truth and challenge their thinking when they are headed in the wrong direction.
Our political system and business organizations have done little in recent years to command the trust of voters, employees, and customers. Perhaps it is time for each of us to rededicate ourselves to evaluating character in ourselves and others. Will you join me in the conversation?
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