Page 205 - The Bible On Leadership

Justice and Fairness 191

zations. However, there are a number of examples of organizations that
have been able to turn just acts into ‘‘win-win’’ solutions, where they
gained not just morally but also economically. The ‘‘right thing to do’’
does not always have to be an additional expense to the organization;
sometimes justice can actually help the bottom line, short-term as well
as long-term.
Psalm 11 promises that ‘‘upright men will see his face.’’ It does not
promise immediate or long-term profit for just acts, but that is indeed
what has happened to a number of diverse organizations, some of which
just wanted to ‘‘do good’’ and others that realized that ‘‘doing good’’
can also mean ‘‘doing well.’’
Vermont National Bank had no way of knowing that its Socially
Responsible Banking Fund could also have been named the ‘‘Highly
Profitable Banking Fund.’’ It just knew it had an idea that resonated
with its deepest values and the values of the people of Vermont. The
fund was instituted to promote socially valuable, fiscally sound enter-
prises such as affordable housing, organic farming, small business devel-
opment, education, and the environment. The goal was explicitly to
‘‘balance the scales’’ of justice and make sure that socially responsible
businesses received a chance to develop themselves.
Depositors can earmark their accounts for companies that ‘‘make a
positive contribution to the environment, their communities, and their
employees.’’ Ironically, this venture, which was seen as a risk to profits,
has actually increased them. The fund grew from $7 million in the first
four months to $87 million in five years. Moreover, it grew $25 million
at a time when the total deposits in the state had shrunk by $115 mil-
lion, and it has consistently grown faster than the growth rate of the
entire bank’s deposits.
The risk to profits was overrated. David Berge, vice president and
director of the Socially Responsible Banking Fund, notes that the loan
beneficiaries tend to be more responsible, resulting in fewer defaults
than the typical business loan. ‘‘Instead of being the last to know that
something’s gone wrong, we’re one of the first.’’ This allows the bank
and the beneficiary to work out a solution before a default occurs. 20
Another business leader who was able to mix justice and profit was