As a business leader, I have spent much time reflecting on the best ways to bridge my personal convictions with those of the capitalist business model of seeking greater returns for my shareholders. So often, business is conducted in a quid pro quo manner: You do something good for me; I do something good for you.<\/p>\n
I find myself wondering if business can work from a different paradigm. I have explored an idea that hinges on the question: Can you be successful in the corporate world and still do business by a set of values that aims for the greater good? In other words, can the philosophy of purposeful partnerships \u2014 where we put aside self-serving agendas \u2014 actually exist in today\u2019s competitive business climate?<\/p>\n
The concept of maintaining values in business that look toward achieving a greater good is debated in classrooms, offices and conference rooms. I feel I must respond from my own experience.<\/p>\n
People define partnerships differently. Everyone has his or her own idea of what a \u201cpartnership\u201d means. My own ideas and expectations about partnerships were shaped early in life and began as a reflection of my role models. I was fortunate to have mentors who put other people first and who taught me, through example, that we all are interconnected.<\/p>\n
First, there was my father. He was a beacon, a guiding light for me. He always put his family ahead of himself, working two jobs to make sure we had a good life. His selfless acts truly showed me how to live.<\/p>\n
Another strong role model was my high school basketball coach. He taught me the importance of putting the good of the team first and accepting individual glory later.<\/p>\n
Growing up, I was surrounded by role models who taught me what it meant to be fair and truthful. Perhaps what impressed me most was that they always considered what was most beneficial to all concerned. Through their guidance and behavior, I learned that people matter more than things and money. Thanks to those mentors, I also learned early on that the world does not revolve around me. In fact, I discovered that when we put others first, good things happen for everyone. This concept is one of the key principles of my value system, to this day.<\/p>\n
Based on my own experience, not only is it possible to be successful in the corporate world and still follow a set of values that aims for the greater good, it is preferable.<\/p>\n
Albert Einstein once said, \u201cStrive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.\u201d This message resonates with me. It is about being a \u201cgiver\u201d and not a \u201ctaker.\u201d When we aim solely for success, we really are focusing only on ourselves. We are concerned about our own egos, and are being selfish rather than selfless.<\/p>\n
When we work toward being \u201cof value,\u201d we are focusing on the well-being of others. We are striving to be of service to others and to society for a greater purpose. The path to aiming for the greater good then is simple: Put others first.<\/p>\n
At Investors Bank, we believe our purpose is to serve others. Banking is a service business, and our goal is to provide superior service and products each and every time we touch a customer. But it is about more than good customer service. I\u2019m proud to say that at Investors Bank, we\u2019ve remained true to our roots as a community bank. We work hard to contribute to the prosperity of our local communities. We believe our strategy is a win-win because it means doing business in a way that is most beneficial for all. It is embedded in our core values of character, commitment, cooperation and community.<\/p>\n
The best business leaders put the interests of others ahead of their own. It is as simple as asking, \u201cWhat can I give this person?\u201d instead of \u201cWhat can I get from this person?\u201d I have found that this kind of leadership is the most rewarding path.<\/p>\n
When you truly care about other people and put their needs first, they follow you. Not because they have to or were told to, but because they want to. I\u2019ve learned that it is the servant leader \u2014 not the self-serving leader \u2014 who wins trust, respect and loyalty. When you genuinely care about other people, they know it. They feel understood, recognized and respected. It connects you on a very basic, human level \u2014 and it brings out the best in everyone.<\/p>\n
I think our core values at Investors Bank \u2014 character, commitment, cooperation and community \u2014 reflect the five key habits or attributes of a good business leader:<\/p>\n
I am very proud of Investors Bank employees, for example, who lend their time and talents by working at soup kitchens, teaching financial literacy and serving on the boards of nonprofits.<\/p>\n
These are the habits that inspire a culture of ethics and trust, encourage the servant leader, and support the creation of purposeful partnerships. This is also when all kinds of fruitful and inspiring things happen. I have found that success follows.<\/p>\n
When I think about Investors Bank, I have no doubt that the more we have done for our community, our customers and our employees, the more we have prospered. When we focus on being of value \u2014 rather than just being successful \u2014 we are directed toward the well-being of others. We are striving to be of service. That, I have found, is the basis for good relationships and fair business practices.<\/p>\n
Banks \u2014 and really all businesses \u2014 can make a difference and be of value when they provide not only smart solutions for their customers, but also incorporate civic involvement in their everyday operations. Government cannot solve all our problems. Being a good corporate citizen creates self-sufficiency, encourages growth and fortifies our communities. From my perspective, purposeful partnerships \u2014 with employees, customers and community \u2014 are those partnerships where the collective good is the goal.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, these partnerships emerge and flourish because our value systems are aligned. Perhaps the best example is when two people \u2014 or two groups \u2014 come together to make a difference for a cause they both believe in. This is often the case with community service.<\/p>\n
For me, personally, and for everyone at Investors Bank, giving back to the community is a responsibility we take very seriously. Every year, our foundation awards millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations in the communities we serve. But more importantly, our employees are out in the communities volunteering their time and talents.<\/p>\n
These alliances with nonprofits are perhaps our most purposeful partnerships. Investors Bank supports a wide variety of charitable causes simply because it\u2019s the right thing to do. Our values are aligned with their values. We believe in their missions \u2014 be it services that improve the quality of life for children, families in need and the physically challenged, or educational and arts initiatives that open people\u2019s minds and hearts.<\/p>\n
At Investors, we do not believe that being \u201csuccessful\u201d is enough. We strive to be significant. It is moving from success to significance that enables a company to create a purpose and a legacy \u2014 one that has a lasting impact on its employees, customers and the communities it serves.<\/p>\n
It is through purposeful partnerships with community organizations that we strive, in our own small way, to create that lasting legacy that serves humanity and the greater good. We believe nothing could be more important, or more purposeful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The CEO of Investors Bank explains why reaching for success isn’t reaching high enough. As a business leader, I have spent much time reflecting on the best ways to bridge my personal convictions with those of the capitalist business model of seeking greater returns for my shareholders. So often, business is conducted in a quid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4550,"featured_media":10,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-2021","category-success","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4550"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":405,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99\/revisions\/405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/inthelead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}