Who do you intend to be?

The concept that business is all about being greedy  where workers are exploited, the environment destroyed  has been a persistent thought for many years.  Stories of disgrace and dishonesty among executives and financial institutions in recent years have, of course, played a significant part in fueling the notion. 

Yale researcher Theodore Roosevelt Malloch disagreed with this thinking and encouraged people to instead take a hard look at the reinforcement and renewal of the foundations of the virtuous business, as discussed in his book Spiritual Enterprise. “The true purpose of business is to illuminate the connection between a free economy and religious liberty. It draws from the idea of spiritual capital, which refers to the kind of resource that is connected to your spiritual life,” he posited. But while spiritual capital looks beyond the bottom line, he argued that in actuality it makes businesses and companies more successful and profitable.

A primary motivation in the resurgence of the business concept of spirituality in business was that many business leaders and the people who move those institutions had developed a deep well of pious strength and tradition to draw from. To Malloch, business is the true gauge of people’s ethical existence, and those who get involved in it are in a spot where conviction in God’s goodness is the unquestionable assurance of victory.

Malloch also observed that, “There are more businesses and corporate organizations who understand that their employees are yearning for a spiritual satisfaction within their work and are not striving after profit for material accumulation alone. If this is the case, and there is a lot of evidence out there that says it is, then the enterprise sector could be ripe for greater renewal.” In the tome, Malloch discussed the “hard” virtues like courage, patience, perseverance and discipline, and “soft” virtues like forgiveness, compassion and humility, among others, and cited examples of companies and businessmen to illustrate his premises.

Courage. It is having the mental or moral might to venture and persist, to endure danger and difficulty. While most of the world was running in the direction of the mass media, Tom Phillips, CEO of Phillips International, knew that people were “drowning in information but starved for knowledge. As such, he launched his publishing company with two newsletters, three employees, and a $1,000 startup investment. By the late ’90s, the company had passed $1 billion in lifetime sales. It took courage for Phillips to start in his basement and to pursue success in the highly competitive publication world, which is now heavily involved in political action and leadership training.

Patience. It means to suffer, to bear pains and trials calmly, without complaint. Robert Price, CEO of PriceSmart, founded the company as a warehouse retail business, along with his father in 1993. It has brought the concept of warehouse retail business to warehouse clubs in more than 12 different countries. In launching PriceSmart, Robert Price learned the value of patience as he overcame the prospect of bankruptcy and the loss of his teenage son to a brain tumor.  He demonstrated amazing patience as he upheld the commitment to providing both quality and value for its members. The patience he knew came from a Torah tradition and a close reading of God’s dialogue with Job.

Perseverance. The action or condition of steadfastness, where you are encouraged to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking, knowing that God responds to the persistent prayers of His children. Sam Palmisano became chairman and CEO of IBM Corporation through perseverance.  He was largely responsible for making IBM the first company to receive more than 3,000 patents in a year. Even as a deeply private person, he was able to persevere because of his strong Catholic faith, which kept him ever-focused.

Discipline. It can be found in what is commonly called “the John Wesley rule”: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. Don Soderquist exhibited both discipline and biblical wisdom in running Wal-Mart, the biggest company in America, during its glory days. He believes that ethics in business is not a luxury for organizational success, and that senior leaders bear the responsibility for building an ethical organization.

Forgiveness. This entails giving up resentments or claims in response to an offender. The healing effect of forgiveness is not achieved by ignoring the injuries. Rather, it cleanses the spirit from the poison of hate and anger. John H. Tyson, CEO of Tyson Foods, led a company that strives to live out its values. And at some point, when employees filed a class-action lawsuit, he had to dig deep to forgive. Tyson piloted a huge organization in the cutthroat world of agribusiness. He went through bankruptcy and learned to forgive based on his own personal experience.

Compassion. It means to sympathize, to bear or suffer. It is a virtue and character trait that balances the health of societies. In the midst of a successful acting career, Mel Gibson formed Icon Productions and signed a multi-million, four-picture deal with Warner Bros. The film Braveheart made Mel the biggest star in Hollywood. He, however, bet his entire career on the highly acclaimed Passion of Christ. Gibson financed the production with his own money, but nobody would touch the movie. So he created his own distribution and marketing strategy, and the project generated over a billion US dollars in worldwide sales. That’s what you call compassion for the Passion.

Humility. It is being low and humble. It is the first virtue in spiritual life. Every virtue that is not accompanied by humility will likely be destroyed by pride and selfishness. Thus, when God grants you a talent, pray that He may also give you humility so you will be able to preserve it.  Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, had achieved financial success before the age 30. But as his business prospered, his health and marriage suffered, and he felt his integrity was compromised, too. These crises led Millard and his wife, Linda, to renew their Christian commitment. As a result, they searched for a new direction and found it in creating a ministry in housing. To date, Habitat for Humanity has built thousand of homes in thousands of communities worldwide.

Faith. It’s all about trust. In the practical sense, it implies an adherence to duty or loyalty to one’s promise. In the spiritual sense, it entails sincerity of intentions and a belief in and devotion to God. William Pollard, chairman of ServiceMaster, lives out his faith in the marketplace. The company grew enormously, and this is undoubtedly attributable to his commitment to honor God and develop the people in his organization.

Honesty. The just and clear-cut conduct that sticks to the facts. It mirrors an uprightness of character and action, and implies a refusal to lie, steal or deceive. Steve Reinemund’s approach to honest leadership led to his rise as CEO of PepsiCo. Constancy and evenhandedness have been critical elements that reinforce his leadership style. His success model is “like a chair with four legs. In the center is God. Family, friends, community and work are the four legs.”

Respect. The art of looking back. To respect someone means to regard with deference or esteem.  Michael Volkema, chairman of Herman Miller, is one of the most respected CEOs in America, and for 19 of the past 21 years, Fortune magazine has ranked his company as the “Most Admired” company in the furniture industry in its annual survey of American corporations. The success of Volkema and his organization spoke of resilience.  He focused more on relationships than résumés, and preferred to be known for taking up his responsibilities as a husband and follower of the risen Christ.

Generosity. Characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit, by a magnanimous heart and liberality in giving, it is one of the best ways to demonstrate love and friendship.  John Templeton, founder of The Templeton Funds, is universally known as a forward-thinking and progressive investor. And, having made billions through his innovative approach to investing, he has become one of the world’s greatest philanthropists. His commitment to expanding and deepening spiritual knowledge has resulted in the John Templeton Foundation, with billions of US dollars in hundreds of assets that fund projects, publications and award programs worldwide.

Gratitude. Thankfulness is its evidence. It is one of the   most powerful tools for creating joy, healing, contentment, spiritual growth and lasting relationship. Truett Cathy started the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain using meager savings and a small loan. From zero, Cathy built it into a respected franchise, where religious values form the core and guide behavior. A devoutly religious man, he mandated that all of his restaurants be closed on Sundays to allow his people to attend church and show gratitude to God, and to spend quality time with their families.

An authentic spiritual business is not a public relations stunt since honorable business goes beyond corporate social responsibility. As Malloch wrote, “It’s a process of baring your corporation’s soul and not just an exercise in window dressing. And in a spiritual enterprise, the first question for every leader is: ‘Who do you intend to be?’ not ‘What are you going to do?’”

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