Week 12 - Becoming a Change-Maker

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Great power involves great responsibility.” Through our reading this week, we learn that this statement is easily applied to our professional success. As we work hard to reach our goals and aspirations, it’s important for us to remember that the Savior teaches us through his example of service to others. We are also taught that as we do the Lord’s will, we will be blessed in our righteous endeavors.

This relationship of work, success and service is illustrated to us over and over in the scriptures. We are commanded by the Lord to “look to the poor and … needy and administer to their relief that they shall not suffer.” While we are not required to do all things for all people, we are commanded to do what we can when it’s necessary and as we do, we will be sanctified. In his talk Are We Not All Beggars, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland says of God, “He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts of discipleship if you are conscientiously wanting and praying and looking for ways to keep a commandment He has given us again and again.”

This week we were tasked with an in-depth study of Charles Handy’s What’s a Business For and to post our thoughts here this week. Specifically, the following questions were asked of us:

Why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy? – Virtue and integrity are vital to all parts of life and business/economy is no exception. As the healthiest relationships are based on genuine trust and honesty, so are our business endeavors and associations. When a company, government or economy proves to be trustworthy and exercises good intentions, the customers, citizens and participants will in turn reward with loyalty and support. When building a business you are only as strong as your customer base so it is important to build a relationship of integrity in order to sustain the longevity of your relationship needed for continual success.

What is the “real justification” for the existence of business? – Handy is quoted as saying, “The purpose of a business, in other words, is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That “something” becomes the real justification for the business. Owners know this. Investors needn’t care. To many this will sound like quibbling with words. Not so. It is a moral issue. To mistake the means for the end is to be turned in on oneself, which Saint Augustine called one of the greatest sins.” The true measure of success in the business world should not only be how much the business makes monetarily, but more a measurement of the positive impact that business is making in the world through its success. Just as answered in the above question, when a company proves its intentions full of integrity (in terms of producing a better product, creating more opportunities for employees, listening to and solving customer needs, etc.), the reward of a loyal customer base will prove to be more sustainable in terms of financial success moving forward.

What are two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? – Handy suggests that,” The language and the measures of business need to be reversed. A good business is a community with a purpose, and a community is not something to be “owned.” He also advises that, “We should, as charitable organizations do, measure success in terms of outcomes for others as well as for ourselves.” Both of these suggestions tell us that businesses that demonstrate a real understanding of their customer base and the world in which they live will find the must long-lasting success. Embracing the community as an integral part of the business functionality and purpose gives your customer base a sense of ownership in their experience with your company. The measure of our success as business owners can be found equally in our financial results and the impact we are able to make on our community as a whole.