A friend pointed out an interesting interview appearing in USA Today earlier this week with Robert Mazzuca, who is the chief executive of Boy Scouts of America. The entire interview is worth reading, but I want to highlight answers to two questions. Here’s the first:
Q: When people of business discuss leadership, they use words such as vision, passion, charisma. Why do the Scouts use these 12 words: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent?
A: Charisma and other personality traits may determine how far up the ladder you go, but the 12 points of the Scout Law define your character. If you don't have integrity, you're not a good leader no matter how charismatic.
Every election year, the question comes up “Is character important?” It absolutely is, and the Scouts get this point right. The exciting thing is that if you get it right as a young person, you have a much better chance of getting it right as an adult.
If you are a manager who hires people, you know it is important to look for character in your candidates. Of course new hires need the basics: they need to have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job for which you are hiring, but in addition to that you want a person of character. If a person has character, you know you can trust them, even when you cannot watch them. If they have character, you get the sense they will go the extra mile when something unexpected happens. Competence and skill are all you need when everything is going fine, when everything is going the way it is supposed to. But if something unexpected happens –- like the economy sours, your businesses suffers a setback, or personal problems diminish the ability of some people on staff to work to their potential –- then it is people of character which will get you through that crisis period.
Character, of course, is a euphemism for faith. Character means putting others ahead of yourself, which generally only happens if you believe in someone other than yourself. And the Boy Scouts get that, too. Here’s the other question I like in this interview:
Q: Scouts require a belief in God. Many business leaders are religious, but they keep their faith to themselves so they won't offend customers and employees who have a diversity of beliefs.
A: The Scouts have a duty to God, but we in no way have tried to define God. We have wonderful Jewish Scouts and Christian Scouts and Muslim Scouts.
We accept any faith, but they have to embrace some faith. In the middle of faith are the principles of good and the kinds of things that are good lessons for business. Most good business leaders are men of faith.
But you don't have to wear it on your sleeve. "If you're coming to work for my company by God, you're going to be a Christian," I think is not acceptable. But the idea that we live a life of faith and don't hide from a life of faith is an important part of who we are.
I like that: “We live a life of faith and don’t hide from a life of faith.” That’s the GEO Principle. Take the faith that you are living on Sundays, that you are living at home, and live it in the work world.
Amen, brother.
Posted by: Jackie Hilgert | July 25, 2008 at 08:20 AM