Page 202 - The Bible On Leadership

188 THE BIBLE ON LEADERSHIP

fund real estate development in downtown areas that are already over-
developed. For over twenty years, South Shore has sought to rectify
economic inequality by taking deposits and converting them into credit
for development in underserved, needy areas.
The Bible advises us that ‘‘David reigned over all Israel, doing what
was just and right for all his people.’’ (2 Sam. 8:15) Sounds simple, but
it’s not easy, whether you’re the king of Israel or a modern executive.
For example, Weyerhauser was criticized in the press when, seeking to
preserve the livelihoods of its employees, it delayed shutting several
large mills and reportedly ‘‘brooded’’ about it (as if having a social con-
science were an impediment to being a good businessperson). The same
leader who delayed these closings also instituted Martin Luther King
Day as a holiday for the company, stating, ‘‘It’s not just a holiday for
black people, it’s a holiday for all of us to think about our fundamental
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principles and how to change things that aren’t right.’’ Here’s a leader
who didn’t just want to roll logs down a river, but also wanted to help
‘‘justice roll like a river.’’
Xerox is a company whose leadership has a long tradition of commit-
ment to justice. In the racially turbulent 1960s, many companies spent
much of their time justifying their discriminatory, exclusionary hiring
and promotion policies. Xerox realized that if they were to succeed as
a company and function within the Rochester community, they had to
be a force for justice within the company and in the greater community.
Xerox’s leaders, in collaboration with the union, instituted job training
programs in the inner city (including one aimed specifically at under-
employed women), and gave technical assistance and contracts to a
minority-owned manufacturing firm.
But when CEO Peter McCullough took over, he went even further
in his pursuit of racial and economic justice. He started a sabbatical
program that gave employees paid leaves of up to a full year so they
could apply their business skills to projects that would benefit the entire
community, not just Xerox. Employees in this program became legal
advocates for mine safety and gave job placement assistance to prisoners.
In addition, Xerox’s Community Involvement Program funneled vol-
unteers into the community to counsel probationers and help run
women’s shelters.