Moral Business Practices = Success

This business owner GETS IT!

Jonathan Wallace, a New York attorney and activist that once led a highly successful tech business, has been a writer and lecturer for a number of years on topics related to government, ethics, law, economic and social issues. In 1996, he launched Ethical Spectacle, a website where he shares his views on the world. That's where I stumbled upon his online article, "Compassionate Capitalism," the day that I started this blog. The thing that struck me most about his article is the following axiom.

Two other successful businessmen who get it are Marc Benioff (Salesforce.com) and Alan Hassenfeld (Hasbro, Inc.). The former authored a book, Compassionate Capitalism: How Corporations Can Make Doing Good an Integral Part of Doing Well, in 2004, and the latter wrote the foreword. Hassenfeld, who was CEO of Hasbro, Inc., before becoming Chairman of the Board, implores his capitalist colleagues to become more socially responsible by connecting to their communities, from executive to employee and to the towns where they live. In the foreword to Benioff's book, he writes, "community service cannot be performed well in a silo. It should not be shunted off into a single department or relegated to a single manager. It should be a living, breathing part of every company's culture and mission, alongside profitability, innovation, and good business practices." He goes onto conclude that this practice will help, not hinder the ideals of capitalism.

"This will not come at the expense of business goals, but it will augment them."

Again, we see in this book and the foreword, written by highly successful businessmen and capitalists, the truth plainly stated that moral business practices, like doing good in the community, equals real success.

This same sentiment is being echoed in the hallowed halls of government. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, during a CNN Town Hall in February 2016, told a millennial that the solution to the problems caused by capitalism are not progressive policies, but trying to make wealthy people more compassionate. (See the 10 May 2017 MSNBC article by Michael J. Sainato).

In a January 2016 Op-Ed by New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof, he writes, "Back in 2000, George W. Bush did something fascinating: On the campaign trail he preached 'compassionate conservatism,' telling wealthy Republicans about the travails of Mexican-American immigrants and declaring to women in pearls that 'the hardest job in America' is that of a single mother." Kristof claimed that a resurgence in this idea, promoted by Bush in 2000, was evident on the latest campaign trail (in 2016).

Former CEO of Amway turned author, Rich Devos, outlines his 16-part "Credo for Compassionate Capitalism'' that draws heavily on the Judeo-Christian ethical tradition, then melds its precepts with those of capitalism, in his book Compassionate Capitalism: People Helping People Help Themselves, a bestseller published back in 1994. (Interesting side note: His daughter, Betsy, is currently serving as the Trump Administration's Secretary of Education).

Jonathan Wallace also promotes the Judeo-Christian ideal of the servant leader (Shout out to my conservative Christian friends!). Another great oracle he and I both admire, Gandhi, said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world." To blend these ideals and rephrase them, let me assert that we must humble ourselves and be leaders that others want to follow to enact radical change. To me, it's not just "lead by example," it is CHANGE by example!

For many, it's not just a religious ethos, but one for all humanity, regardless of religious persuasion--athiest, mono- and polytheist alike!

We can't continue to support unbridled capitalism as it has existed in America since the beginning. We need to embrace COMPASSIONATE CAPITALISM and leverage the power of the wealthy to bring about much needed change.