To most people, Paul Newman was one of the greatest actors of all time; granted, I loved his acting, too. But to me, his importance on this earth comes from his giving - hundreds of millions of dollars from his for-benefit corporation Newman's Own. He is an inspiration to me as few others will ever be.
For more on Mr. Newman, visit www.savvycapitalist.blogspot.com
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Social Justice and Leadership by Edward Morton
The caliber of talent attracted to The Naples Institute (www.institutenaples.org) continues to amaze me. One of our newer members, Ed Morton, wrote the piece below, which he was kind enough to share.
Take out mention in the last two paragraphs of Collier County, and this speaks for all humanity, across the globe.
Social Justice and Leadership
By: Edward Morton
Leadership has been read about and analyzed from every possible point of view. My belief, however, is that when reduced to its essence, leadership can be defined by one word, influence. It is through influencing others that we collectively achieve the more meaningful things in life. Leadership is not a trait but a process whereby individuals influence others’ opinions. By influencing the opinions of others, leaders effect change within their organization and community.
Social justice has been defined in a variety of ways. It’s most common definition is the creation of an economic and social environment which protects and insures human dignity. Some seek to define social justice in terms of the redistribution of wealth while others in terms of nothing more than economic opportunity.
When many of us think of justice, we tend to think of what we may claim from others. This is an individualistic and narcissistic view of justice. But there is another instinct which has a broader sense of justice – social justice which shifts our thinking from what we claim from others to what we owe to each other.
Social justice is about duties and responsibilities, about building a better more compassionate community. Within this enlightened perspective, social justice is the obligation which falls upon us individually and collectively to meet the reasonable expectations of this community’s citizens so that they may realize and exercise their fundamental human rights. If social justice is to be a hallmark of this community, then we must fulfill our obligation in social justice to all of our citizens in terms of healthcare, housing, education and general welfare.
Our community and its leadership are undergoing a test. It is a test in the sense that we will be measured by the comprehensiveness of both our concerns and our actions. We will be judged by those that come after us in terms of what we actually accomplish and not our patronizing rhetoric.
All of us who constitute local leadership must look beyond special interest claims and partisan differences to unite this community in a new commitment to meet the economic and social conditions of our citizens.
We must recognize as was suggested by Adam Smith in his seminal treatise on ethics and capitalism, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, that our individual and collective existence is best protected by adopting a commitment to social justice. Smith implied that by avoiding the obligations imposed upon us by social justice we legitimize an ever expanding role of the state. Eventually, sufficient wealth is confiscated by the state to destroy free enterprise which alone gives rise to our freedom and liberty. Thus, it is in our own enlightened self interest that we join together as leaders (from both the public and private sectors) of this community and address the inequities brought upon by the unique challenges of living in “paradise”. We are indeed blessed that we live in a community where so many willingly give of their time and treasure; however, private initiatives will not suffice.
In the 21st century, as our social order has become increasingly complex, we must recognize that a proper sense of mutual responsibility requires, no demands, a greater presence of our local governmental leaders in insuring that all of Collier County’s citizens realize their human potential.
Let we who call ourselves the leaders of this community take a vow. A vow that we will do all that we can, individually and collectively, to dedicate ourselves to addressing the social and economic needs of all who call Collier County their home. That we from this day forward, will influence those around us to believe that what we do unto others we do unto ourselves. Social justice demands nothing less.
Take out mention in the last two paragraphs of Collier County, and this speaks for all humanity, across the globe.
Social Justice and Leadership
By: Edward Morton
Leadership has been read about and analyzed from every possible point of view. My belief, however, is that when reduced to its essence, leadership can be defined by one word, influence. It is through influencing others that we collectively achieve the more meaningful things in life. Leadership is not a trait but a process whereby individuals influence others’ opinions. By influencing the opinions of others, leaders effect change within their organization and community.
Social justice has been defined in a variety of ways. It’s most common definition is the creation of an economic and social environment which protects and insures human dignity. Some seek to define social justice in terms of the redistribution of wealth while others in terms of nothing more than economic opportunity.
When many of us think of justice, we tend to think of what we may claim from others. This is an individualistic and narcissistic view of justice. But there is another instinct which has a broader sense of justice – social justice which shifts our thinking from what we claim from others to what we owe to each other.
Social justice is about duties and responsibilities, about building a better more compassionate community. Within this enlightened perspective, social justice is the obligation which falls upon us individually and collectively to meet the reasonable expectations of this community’s citizens so that they may realize and exercise their fundamental human rights. If social justice is to be a hallmark of this community, then we must fulfill our obligation in social justice to all of our citizens in terms of healthcare, housing, education and general welfare.
Our community and its leadership are undergoing a test. It is a test in the sense that we will be measured by the comprehensiveness of both our concerns and our actions. We will be judged by those that come after us in terms of what we actually accomplish and not our patronizing rhetoric.
All of us who constitute local leadership must look beyond special interest claims and partisan differences to unite this community in a new commitment to meet the economic and social conditions of our citizens.
We must recognize as was suggested by Adam Smith in his seminal treatise on ethics and capitalism, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, that our individual and collective existence is best protected by adopting a commitment to social justice. Smith implied that by avoiding the obligations imposed upon us by social justice we legitimize an ever expanding role of the state. Eventually, sufficient wealth is confiscated by the state to destroy free enterprise which alone gives rise to our freedom and liberty. Thus, it is in our own enlightened self interest that we join together as leaders (from both the public and private sectors) of this community and address the inequities brought upon by the unique challenges of living in “paradise”. We are indeed blessed that we live in a community where so many willingly give of their time and treasure; however, private initiatives will not suffice.
In the 21st century, as our social order has become increasingly complex, we must recognize that a proper sense of mutual responsibility requires, no demands, a greater presence of our local governmental leaders in insuring that all of Collier County’s citizens realize their human potential.
Let we who call ourselves the leaders of this community take a vow. A vow that we will do all that we can, individually and collectively, to dedicate ourselves to addressing the social and economic needs of all who call Collier County their home. That we from this day forward, will influence those around us to believe that what we do unto others we do unto ourselves. Social justice demands nothing less.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Volunteerism on 9/11 - 7 years later
As my regular readers can gather - and as you can see by my membership on the board of Volunteer Collier (link to the right of this column) - I am a firm believer in the benefits of volunteering to help out in one's community... or even traveling to do it abroad.
Below is a clipping from today's Naples Daily News.
NAPLES — A wave of volunteerism swept through the country right after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
From giving blood to becoming involved with community service groups, Americans turned out in droves to make a difference.
Seven years and a sluggish economy later, some wonder if the volunteer fervor has died down.
“People do get discouraged and disheartened (in bad times),” said Sheila Phillips, administrative director for NCH’s Community Blood Center. “We are very cognizant of the challenges that are facing everyone.”
For the rest of the story: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/sep/10/maintaining-volunteer-spirit-after-9-11-remains-ch/
Below is a clipping from today's Naples Daily News.
NAPLES — A wave of volunteerism swept through the country right after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
From giving blood to becoming involved with community service groups, Americans turned out in droves to make a difference.
Seven years and a sluggish economy later, some wonder if the volunteer fervor has died down.
“People do get discouraged and disheartened (in bad times),” said Sheila Phillips, administrative director for NCH’s Community Blood Center. “We are very cognizant of the challenges that are facing everyone.”
For the rest of the story: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/sep/10/maintaining-volunteer-spirit-after-9-11-remains-ch/
Sarah Palin: Teddy Roosevelt or Dan Quayle?
Fighting for social justice, the credo of The Naples Institute, is ingrained in my very soul. You can't stay completely out of the political fray if you really care about making the world a more just place.
I have been nominated for a fellowship with a prestigious international organization. One of the conditions of acceptance is that I will be forced to stifle my political views. I have agreed to live by that, but they haven't chosen me yet. This may be my last chance to weigh in on the 2008 election!
Collier County, home of Naples, has 100,000 registered Republicans, 50,000 Democrats, and 50,000 Independents. Suffice it to say, I have quite a number of friends who are going to vote for McBush this year. As Mom always says, "What are ya gonna do?" I'm certainly not going to let it get me down.
I'm voting for Obama because I think he will do better for our economy and national defense - for one thing, he is dedicated on finding Osama Bin Laden and fixing the mess we've allowed to fester in Afghanistan. Bush has had long enough, so I'm not going to support his crony.
The following is an email exchange with a dear friend here in Naples.
The Friend passed this along:
Who Am I? Guess who. I am under 45 years old, I love the outdoors,I hunt,I am a Republican reformer,I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,I have many children, I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office. Did you guess? I am Teddy Roosevelt in 1900.
My reply:
_____, come now! TR was one of the best presidents we've ever had, a charismatic leader. He was an outcast from his own party because he was a progressive who wanted to advance human rights and fight big business's Robber Barons and trusts (monopolies), not the opposite. New York was one of the most populous states in the Union; Alaska only has 700,000 people.
By contrast, Sarah Palin is the worst VP pick since Dan Quayle. Here are a few of her faults:
* She is anti-woman's rights and anti-environment.
* Among her anti-woman's rights acts was selecting a police chief for her town who charged rape victims for their rape kits. The state of Alaska had to pass a law against that specifically because of Sarah Palin's town.
* Her lack of experience means that McCain can no longer use his best weapon against Obama, which is Obama's lack of experience. (Thankfully!)
Sarah Palin repeatedly lies about her acts as governor. For instance:
* She claims she fired her chef, but all she did was reassign her. That lady still works for the state of Alaska.
* She claims she is a reformer, but she hired a lobbyist who got her town of 6,500 people $27 million while she was mayor.
* She claims she sold the governor's plane on eBay, but the state actually sold it through a plane broker.
She is not only a liar; she is also corrupt.
* She charged her state $17,000 for lodging and a per diem for nights she spent in her own home while governor.
John McCain used to be a man to admire, despite his stand against a woman's right to choose. Bush and Rove broke his spirit in 2000. Now he employs many of the consultants who reported to Rove and helped orchestrate his defeat in the 2000 primary season against Bush. He has voted with Bush 95% of the time, but he claims to be a reformer. He is a third term for Bush, and nothing more.
I love ya to death, _____ - you're one of my best friends in Naples. But you've got to change the channel from FOX "News" to something a little less biased. Might I suggest the Daily Show and Colbert Report? They're biased, but at least they don't pretend to be "fair and balanced."
Go Obama!
I have been nominated for a fellowship with a prestigious international organization. One of the conditions of acceptance is that I will be forced to stifle my political views. I have agreed to live by that, but they haven't chosen me yet. This may be my last chance to weigh in on the 2008 election!
Collier County, home of Naples, has 100,000 registered Republicans, 50,000 Democrats, and 50,000 Independents. Suffice it to say, I have quite a number of friends who are going to vote for McBush this year. As Mom always says, "What are ya gonna do?" I'm certainly not going to let it get me down.
I'm voting for Obama because I think he will do better for our economy and national defense - for one thing, he is dedicated on finding Osama Bin Laden and fixing the mess we've allowed to fester in Afghanistan. Bush has had long enough, so I'm not going to support his crony.
The following is an email exchange with a dear friend here in Naples.
The Friend passed this along:
Who Am I? Guess who. I am under 45 years old, I love the outdoors,I hunt,I am a Republican reformer,I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,I have many children, I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office. Did you guess? I am Teddy Roosevelt in 1900.
My reply:
_____, come now! TR was one of the best presidents we've ever had, a charismatic leader. He was an outcast from his own party because he was a progressive who wanted to advance human rights and fight big business's Robber Barons and trusts (monopolies), not the opposite. New York was one of the most populous states in the Union; Alaska only has 700,000 people.
By contrast, Sarah Palin is the worst VP pick since Dan Quayle. Here are a few of her faults:
* She is anti-woman's rights and anti-environment.
* Among her anti-woman's rights acts was selecting a police chief for her town who charged rape victims for their rape kits. The state of Alaska had to pass a law against that specifically because of Sarah Palin's town.
* Her lack of experience means that McCain can no longer use his best weapon against Obama, which is Obama's lack of experience. (Thankfully!)
Sarah Palin repeatedly lies about her acts as governor. For instance:
* She claims she fired her chef, but all she did was reassign her. That lady still works for the state of Alaska.
* She claims she is a reformer, but she hired a lobbyist who got her town of 6,500 people $27 million while she was mayor.
* She claims she sold the governor's plane on eBay, but the state actually sold it through a plane broker.
She is not only a liar; she is also corrupt.
* She charged her state $17,000 for lodging and a per diem for nights she spent in her own home while governor.
John McCain used to be a man to admire, despite his stand against a woman's right to choose. Bush and Rove broke his spirit in 2000. Now he employs many of the consultants who reported to Rove and helped orchestrate his defeat in the 2000 primary season against Bush. He has voted with Bush 95% of the time, but he claims to be a reformer. He is a third term for Bush, and nothing more.
I love ya to death, _____ - you're one of my best friends in Naples. But you've got to change the channel from FOX "News" to something a little less biased. Might I suggest the Daily Show and Colbert Report? They're biased, but at least they don't pretend to be "fair and balanced."
Go Obama!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Crucible of Leadership
The following is from Jim Fisher, one of my co-Founders at The Naples Institute. Jim knows leadership like no one else, so I found this email, directed at a third party but shared with me, to be particularly telling.
The person Jim writes to is a retired Naval officer who is running for local public office. He asked Jim for advice on his run; here is the result.
Dear ____,
You have brought value added to whatever you have done. You're creative, energetic, and, yes, impatient, but we need that in people who run for public office. [I'm a big believer in the efficacy of impatience!]
You are not only a proven leader in the military sense but more importantly, I do believe, a proven leader in the volunteer sense.
When I was a psychologist with Honeywell, I tried to get some executives who led with position power rather than persuasion, practicing the leadership of browbeating people into submission, to do volunteer work.
Volunteers have no other power than what associates give them. This accrues from the power of their personality, the social skills of connecting, and ideas.
None took me up on the challenge.
I saw very good engineers who became program managers, which is a complex administrative challenge, eventually win promotion to being directors or above.
As soon as they became directors, they became horses asses not unlike the horses asses who had been their bosses.
What is ironic about this is that these same people often came to me for counsel complaining about the cavalier and insensitive style of their bosses, only to replicate them almost to perfection once elevated.
You have had command in the military. A US Army Colonel has great power because he is the same as a US Navy Captain, and a captain of a ship is God incarnate, and no one differs with him. Believe me, I know from the experience of being a member of the Flag Ship of the Six Fleet in the Mediterranean.
You went beyond that status of position power to extensive volunteer work in this community over the last several years, and have proven to me that you've learned to command without protocol or authority. Instead, you have led with your ideas, intellect, persuasive argument, and excellent organization skills.
If you want to truly master the art of leadership, try leading volunteers. For this alone any career person should give her time.
The person Jim writes to is a retired Naval officer who is running for local public office. He asked Jim for advice on his run; here is the result.
Dear ____,
You have brought value added to whatever you have done. You're creative, energetic, and, yes, impatient, but we need that in people who run for public office. [I'm a big believer in the efficacy of impatience!]
You are not only a proven leader in the military sense but more importantly, I do believe, a proven leader in the volunteer sense.
When I was a psychologist with Honeywell, I tried to get some executives who led with position power rather than persuasion, practicing the leadership of browbeating people into submission, to do volunteer work.
Volunteers have no other power than what associates give them. This accrues from the power of their personality, the social skills of connecting, and ideas.
None took me up on the challenge.
I saw very good engineers who became program managers, which is a complex administrative challenge, eventually win promotion to being directors or above.
As soon as they became directors, they became horses asses not unlike the horses asses who had been their bosses.
What is ironic about this is that these same people often came to me for counsel complaining about the cavalier and insensitive style of their bosses, only to replicate them almost to perfection once elevated.
You have had command in the military. A US Army Colonel has great power because he is the same as a US Navy Captain, and a captain of a ship is God incarnate, and no one differs with him. Believe me, I know from the experience of being a member of the Flag Ship of the Six Fleet in the Mediterranean.
You went beyond that status of position power to extensive volunteer work in this community over the last several years, and have proven to me that you've learned to command without protocol or authority. Instead, you have led with your ideas, intellect, persuasive argument, and excellent organization skills.
If you want to truly master the art of leadership, try leading volunteers. For this alone any career person should give her time.
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