Each of us matters to advancing the common good in society. This month we look more closely at three questions about the common good: What is our role in raising the compelling questions for our society? How do individuals make their unique contributions? What are ways to help community groups define the common good?
~ Dale Nienow
~ Dale Nienow
Finding Our Role in Shaping an Ethical Society
Desmond Tutu was in conversation with a young man who was passionate about addressing the inequities of the world. But, the daily tragedy and injustice presented in the news overwhelmed this young man, and he asked how Tutu knew what to do and how he stayed so hopeful. The Archbishop responded, “ I am comforted because I know I am not in this alone, and the daily news is God’s to-do list for me delivered to my front door!”
Today, we are immersed in a constant stream of news that delivers our “to-do list” to us. Consider some of the major stories of the past month. While walking home from a convenience store, an unarmed teenage boy was shot and killed in Florida. A Goldman Sachs executive confirmed that the culture of the corporation was dominated by greed and self-interest. The former governor of Illinois began serving a 12-year sentence for attempting to sell an appointment to the US Senate. Each of these stories presents a set of ethical choices.
Each individual involved in the above situations had choices. The shooter in Florida had a choice to carry a gun, to follow the teenager, and to pull the trigger. The Goldman Sachs executive had choices about how he would treat clients and whether or not to confront his organization’s behavior. The former governor chose to try to fill the vacant senate seat illegally. Each person had a choice about which values would guide their behavior. Each person decided to either contribute to the greater good or act out of self-interest.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the pervasiveness and scope of unethical behavior in our society. How should we confront ethical issues? We could shake our heads in disgust and assume that someone else will take responsibility for the problem. We could think that the problem is too big to be solved, and that there’s nothing we can do. But the reality is that many of the issues that impact our society are due to the culture and standards we have come to accept as “normal.”
This is the larger leadership issue that we all share. We need to address our role in shaping societal culture and values to guide each other towards making choices that benefit the greater good. What norms will YOU accept in regards to carrying and using firearms? Will YOU tolerate a culture where it’s okay to stereotype others like “the scary black male in the hoodie”? To what standards will YOU hold the police in confronting citizens responsible for violence? What guidelines will YOU create for the organizations handling our money and financial investments? What will YOU do to make money less influential in our public elections?
Ethical leadership is not solely about the choices we make in a particular situation. It is also about asking the compelling questions about the society we have created, even if these questions take a lifetime to answer. If you feel your voice doesn’t matter, look at the culture our silence has created, and it becomes clear that our voices are essential. We are a key part in the shaping the ethical behavior of our society. What work is on your to-do list?
Desmond Tutu was in conversation with a young man who was passionate about addressing the inequities of the world. But, the daily tragedy and injustice presented in the news overwhelmed this young man, and he asked how Tutu knew what to do and how he stayed so hopeful. The Archbishop responded, “ I am comforted because I know I am not in this alone, and the daily news is God’s to-do list for me delivered to my front door!”
Today, we are immersed in a constant stream of news that delivers our “to-do list” to us. Consider some of the major stories of the past month. While walking home from a convenience store, an unarmed teenage boy was shot and killed in Florida. A Goldman Sachs executive confirmed that the culture of the corporation was dominated by greed and self-interest. The former governor of Illinois began serving a 12-year sentence for attempting to sell an appointment to the US Senate. Each of these stories presents a set of ethical choices.
Each individual involved in the above situations had choices. The shooter in Florida had a choice to carry a gun, to follow the teenager, and to pull the trigger. The Goldman Sachs executive had choices about how he would treat clients and whether or not to confront his organization’s behavior. The former governor chose to try to fill the vacant senate seat illegally. Each person had a choice about which values would guide their behavior. Each person decided to either contribute to the greater good or act out of self-interest.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the pervasiveness and scope of unethical behavior in our society. How should we confront ethical issues? We could shake our heads in disgust and assume that someone else will take responsibility for the problem. We could think that the problem is too big to be solved, and that there’s nothing we can do. But the reality is that many of the issues that impact our society are due to the culture and standards we have come to accept as “normal.”
This is the larger leadership issue that we all share. We need to address our role in shaping societal culture and values to guide each other towards making choices that benefit the greater good. What norms will YOU accept in regards to carrying and using firearms? Will YOU tolerate a culture where it’s okay to stereotype others like “the scary black male in the hoodie”? To what standards will YOU hold the police in confronting citizens responsible for violence? What guidelines will YOU create for the organizations handling our money and financial investments? What will YOU do to make money less influential in our public elections?
Ethical leadership is not solely about the choices we make in a particular situation. It is also about asking the compelling questions about the society we have created, even if these questions take a lifetime to answer. If you feel your voice doesn’t matter, look at the culture our silence has created, and it becomes clear that our voices are essential. We are a key part in the shaping the ethical behavior of our society. What work is on your to-do list?
Pathways to the Common Good: When Good People Step Up
How many pathways are there to the common good? Each year, the Center for Ethical Leadership hosts the Legacy Event, honoring ethical leaders of the Puget Sound region with the Bill Grace Leadership Legacy Award. It is an evening that celebrates inspirational people who dedicate their lives to advancing the common good. This year, we honored three people who are bringing healing and health to neighborhoods, children, and the earth. Each award recipients’ work is different, but they are united in their dedication to doing their part to increase the good in our communities.
The Center defines ethical leadership as knowing your core values and having the courage to live them in all parts of your life in service of the common good. People who are guided by their core values see the gaps where the world does not honor those values and the common good is undermined. They realize they cannot be comfortable when others are left out or are hurting.
Jody McVittie, one of the honorees at the Legacy Event, described this process as she talked about her transition from being a family physician to founding a non-profit to work with children who have experienced trauma. She said, “I had one foot on the dock and one foot in the boat and the boat was leaving.” This feeling of needing to jump in the moving boat is often at the heart of finding your pathway to the common good.
Each of the three honorees offered insights into our world that led to their work to change the world .
Jody McVittie works to address the epidemic of intra-family violence and trauma. She explains that when children experience trauma, it changes their brains. In working with children, “stricter punitive actions are not the answer.” She helps parents and teachers connect with children in loving ways that provide dignity and respect because “resilience from trauma develops when people have the deep belief that they matter to another human being.” Jody is the executive director of Sound Discipline.
Gregory Davis is a community builder working to enhance the quality of life in Rainier Beach – the most diverse zip code in the country. He counters “the [inaccurate] perception of our neighborhood” by actively engaging Rainier Beach youth and adults to develop solutions to community issues. He helps the community realize its potential, particularly black youth – because while growing up in Compton, CA, he witnessed too many lives “snuffed out” before they could realize their potential. Gregory leads the Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition.
Erick Haakenson is a pioneer of organic farming in the Pacific Northwest and a philosopher working to restore health to the earth. Erick describes the standard approach to farming as “mining,” because it involves extracting the fertility of the soil. Food production is propped up by synthetic fertilizers and chemical toxins. Just as we have had crises in banking and housing, we are on the verge of an “agricultural crisis.” At this watershed moment, organic farming offers hope because it uses the different model of farmers as “stewards not masters.” Adopting this model will require a new mindset, as 98% of farming is currently using the synthetic approach. Erick and his partners are bringing this new mindset to our region. He and his wife operate Jubilee Biodynamic Farm.
These deserving award recipients got clear on their core values, saw what needed changing and stepped up to do the work that called them. Although they chose different pathways, each contributed to the common good to make the community stronger. What changes are you compelled to make in your community? What is your pathway to the common good?
See videos of their talks along with keynote speaker, James Whitfield.
How many pathways are there to the common good? Each year, the Center for Ethical Leadership hosts the Legacy Event, honoring ethical leaders of the Puget Sound region with the Bill Grace Leadership Legacy Award. It is an evening that celebrates inspirational people who dedicate their lives to advancing the common good. This year, we honored three people who are bringing healing and health to neighborhoods, children, and the earth. Each award recipients’ work is different, but they are united in their dedication to doing their part to increase the good in our communities.
The Center defines ethical leadership as knowing your core values and having the courage to live them in all parts of your life in service of the common good. People who are guided by their core values see the gaps where the world does not honor those values and the common good is undermined. They realize they cannot be comfortable when others are left out or are hurting.
Jody McVittie, one of the honorees at the Legacy Event, described this process as she talked about her transition from being a family physician to founding a non-profit to work with children who have experienced trauma. She said, “I had one foot on the dock and one foot in the boat and the boat was leaving.” This feeling of needing to jump in the moving boat is often at the heart of finding your pathway to the common good.
Each of the three honorees offered insights into our world that led to their work to change the world .
Jody McVittie works to address the epidemic of intra-family violence and trauma. She explains that when children experience trauma, it changes their brains. In working with children, “stricter punitive actions are not the answer.” She helps parents and teachers connect with children in loving ways that provide dignity and respect because “resilience from trauma develops when people have the deep belief that they matter to another human being.” Jody is the executive director of Sound Discipline.
Gregory Davis is a community builder working to enhance the quality of life in Rainier Beach – the most diverse zip code in the country. He counters “the [inaccurate] perception of our neighborhood” by actively engaging Rainier Beach youth and adults to develop solutions to community issues. He helps the community realize its potential, particularly black youth – because while growing up in Compton, CA, he witnessed too many lives “snuffed out” before they could realize their potential. Gregory leads the Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition.
Erick Haakenson is a pioneer of organic farming in the Pacific Northwest and a philosopher working to restore health to the earth. Erick describes the standard approach to farming as “mining,” because it involves extracting the fertility of the soil. Food production is propped up by synthetic fertilizers and chemical toxins. Just as we have had crises in banking and housing, we are on the verge of an “agricultural crisis.” At this watershed moment, organic farming offers hope because it uses the different model of farmers as “stewards not masters.” Adopting this model will require a new mindset, as 98% of farming is currently using the synthetic approach. Erick and his partners are bringing this new mindset to our region. He and his wife operate Jubilee Biodynamic Farm.
These deserving award recipients got clear on their core values, saw what needed changing and stepped up to do the work that called them. Although they chose different pathways, each contributed to the common good to make the community stronger. What changes are you compelled to make in your community? What is your pathway to the common good?
See videos of their talks along with keynote speaker, James Whitfield.
Questions to Define the Common Good
The common good isn’t very common any more. It is easy to feel this way when you are part of the 99%. At the Center, we sometimes describe what we do as “working to make the common good both common andgood.” Not all of our societal norms, policies, or practices serve people broadly. Sometimes the benefits go to so few people, it is like there is an exclusive club where the decisions are made, but from which the bulk of the community is excluded. As a result, large swaths of the community can be negatively affected by a policy, with no way for them to share ideas, needs and wisdom.
When people come together to improve their communities, we have found it helpful to ask them to define what the common good means in their own words. We offer several questions that help determine what actions will contribute to the common good.
The common good isn’t very common any more. It is easy to feel this way when you are part of the 99%. At the Center, we sometimes describe what we do as “working to make the common good both common andgood.” Not all of our societal norms, policies, or practices serve people broadly. Sometimes the benefits go to so few people, it is like there is an exclusive club where the decisions are made, but from which the bulk of the community is excluded. As a result, large swaths of the community can be negatively affected by a policy, with no way for them to share ideas, needs and wisdom.
When people come together to improve their communities, we have found it helpful to ask them to define what the common good means in their own words. We offer several questions that help determine what actions will contribute to the common good.
- Is it inclusive regarding who benefits? Who is left out? Who is involved in making the choices?
- Does the action honor our mutual accountability to each other as well as our responsibility to make our individual contributions?
- Does it add to economic, environmental, and social justice?
RSS Feed