Page 138 - The Bible On Leadership

124 THE BIBLE ON LEADERSHIP

had worked himself up to head of European operations for the Kellogg
Corporation. He was brought to the United States as the heir apparent
to Bill La Mothe, CEO. He was an effective taskmaster, but his applica-
tion of consequences was too harsh for the Kellogg culture. He was
frequently abrasive and imperious, giving frequent tongue-lashings to
subordinates in meetings.
Schroeder was spared the fate of being swallowed up by the ground,
but his end was just as humiliating—he was ‘‘grounded.’’ He was flying
on the corporate jet for a planned business trip and La Mothe, who was
still in power, ordered the pilot to land the plane at Kellogg’s corporate
headquarters, where Schroeder was summarily fired. 22

Rewards

Too often, consequences are thought of in the negative sense. One of a
leader’s most important (and often overlooked tasks) is the application
of positive consequences for work well done. When ‘‘nothing goes
wrong,’’ some leaders may simply heave a large sigh of relief and go on
to the next task without acknowledging the positive efforts that went
into the task just completed.
The leaders of the Bible did not neglect the important role of positive
consequences and rewards. Thousands of years before Ken Blanchard,
they were catching their employees ‘‘doing something right.’’ The wise
modern leader ‘‘goes and does likewise.’’
In 1 Corinthians 3:8, Paul states, ‘‘The man who plants and the man
who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to
his own labor.’’ One organization that takes this to heart is Starbucks,
which has instituted the Bravo! recognition program. Under this pro-
gram, any employee may acknowledge any other employee for re-
sourcefulness in service, sales, or savings. One recipient of the award
was a line worker in the Midwest who, upon receiving a last-minute
order for $1,300 worth of coffee, found the extra labor, coffee, and bags
necessary to fill it rather than turning it down for lack of resources. The
general manager of the Encino, California, store was also recognized for
providing coffee to Red Cross aid stations after the 1994 Los Angeles
earthquake. 23