show me the... capital...?

 

I love the simplicity of the four questions to creating value or building worthiness that are offered in Kolp & Rea’s book, Leading with Integrity (2006). These value-laden questions guide us as we become better human beings in the world, whether our world is career, home, social. As we progress to become better leaders by being aware, paying attention and taking action we also can progress by asking ourselves to do the following: reflect, be compassionate, act for social justice, and learn from mistakes.

It is such a simple idea that as we are better in the way we relate to others, more socially capable, grounded and “good” (as in value-filled, worthy) so it goes that our influence and outcomes in the world increase. Ironically, simple is not always the most modeled and practiced. I love to think that we could move to developing individuals – leaders – who invest in social capital as a first step in building effective “capital” making.

This definitely strikes home for me, as I had a relative who truly was an entrepreneurial genius. His ideas were bound to make money – and they always did, ultimately, for someone else. The reason he was never successful was due to his lack of integrity in the way he did business and treated other people.

And so, maybe as human beings, we really are looking for leaders and business people who can show us the capital (social!)… because that’s what counts.

Comments

[Heidi Marmen]

My grandfather, with the 8th grade education, started a business more than 50 years ago and it is one of the few small businesses from that era still in existence today. My grandpa was a strong advocate for social capital. A devote religious man, he believed it was his duty to help others. He was the first to offer a job to those in need and was always willing to lend a hand. Sometimes at the consternation of my grandmother - he once purchased 10,000 cases of sardines because a man was going to lose his business. His measure of success was the ability to help others.

[Michelle Brenes]

I love your point of making (social) capital the ultimately goal, and see how that leads to the other type of capital that is so often the driver. As is frequently the case when I think of these type of things, I am struck by how easy it would be to instill these values and lessons - building social capital first, building competence and character, leadership skills, etc - into school curriculum. But it's not there formally, and what is there is not consistent or aligned to other parts of a child's academic life. Oh how I hope to see the day when our society GETS what will create health and wealth for all, and starts integrating those lessons at a young age. Because if we value it, it will be taught, and if it is taught, it will be done. Idealistic, yes . . . but true.