In 2001, my wife (Jennifer) and I had been married for four years and had our first child, Katy. We lived in Houston, Texas, so the news of the Enron scandal was all around us. As the news coverage unfolded, we learned how Enron—one of the top companies in the city and name-sake for the Houston Astros’ brand-new ballpark—deceived shareholders and employees alike with unethical business practices. Unfortunately, these actions had dire consequences. First, two major corporations were taken down—Enron plus its auditor and one of the country’s largest accounting firms, Arthur Andersen. Second, Congress followed nearly a year later with Public Accounting Reform and the Investor Protection Act (also known as Sarbanes-Oxley)…all because leaders let greed overtake their personal values and convictions.
Leadership students and teachers alike are now paying more and more attention to the importance of consistent values to a leader’s long-term effectiveness. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes—an organization our family has supported for years, due to Jennifer’s active involvement with them in college—now focuses on training their leaders on Core Values.
Bill Hybels, Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, even said, “Twenty-first century leaders will not lead by the authority of their position but by an ability to articulate a vision and the core values of their organization or congregation.”
To learn the three steps to Out of This World Leadership Values, click here