Greg Brownfield

This past Sunday, I heard an interesting story on the radio as I was getting ready for church. Strange as it may sound, my pre-church routine includes listening to Rick Edelman's investment show on WLS. This week he commented about how sad it was that only 20% of this year's Harvard MBA class signed a pledge to serve the greater good, rather than solely focusing on the profit motive.

Then, when I went to church, my pastor preached on the Good Samaritan story, including an anecdote about how her medically trained daughter had rushed into a dangerous situation to save a drunk driver who had just crashed. My pastor noted that all doctors take the Hippocratic Oath and used this as an example of how we are all called to serve others, regardless of our profession and regardless of whether or not the other person is one of our peers.

This got me to thinking about the Harvard MBA story so I googled it when I got home and found this. In recognition of the ethical risks and societal dangers of solely relying on the profit motive, a group of Harvard MBA students started a movement that seeks to make it a standard practice for MBAs to take an oath similar to one that doctors take. These students recognize that business can be a tool for serving the greater good but that it can also be used in ways that cause societal detriment, a detriment that stems from excessive focus on narrow and selfish interests.

The more I think about this story, the more it gives me hope.

In Illinois, our political system has long been a tool for serving narrow and selfish interests. And if a group of young Harvard MBAs can see the importance of using business to serve the greater good, isn't time for our political leaders to follow suit? Clearly so, and I'm hoping that a new wave of business and political leaders can work hand-in-hand in service to the greater good.

Interestingly, the scripture that my pastor focused on is followed two chapters later with the admonition that "when a man has a great deal given to him, a great deal will be demanded of him" (Luke 12:48). It seems to me that this wise teaching puts a great deal of responsibility on business and political leaders. Accordingly, we need more folks in business and in politics who are willing to work together in service of the greater good. I
am very pleased to learn that a group of young Harvard MBAs will be joining us in this effort.

Greg

Here again, is the link to the Harvard MBA story.