Page 30 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Built to Serve

each person and the importance of maintaining safety
in flight. The same must be said about organizations.

Great cultures transcend industry segments and
promote universal truths. My friend and mentor Dr.
Stephen Covey has spent much of his life teaching and

reminding leaders and followers alike that natural
principles endure over time. His years of research sup-
port the idea that culture is not just important to an
organization—it is everything to an organization. Dr.
Covey takes this a step further, connecting the role of

personal faith to organizational principles.
I was seated next to him at an Ethical Leadership
6
= Conference in the fall of 2006. Our conversation

turned to the topic of culture and its importance in the
workplace. I asked Dr. Covey what he thought about
my company’s practice of praying before meetings and
before making important decisions. In the private sec-
tor, it is lawful for an employer to incorporate prayer

in meetings, whatever the prevailing beliefs. However,
my question was prompted by warnings from attor-
neys that open expressions of faith in the workplace

are sometimes problematic.
Dr. Covey’s answer was simple and direct. “The
next time anyone warns you of what might happen if
you continue to pray before meetings and important