Page 57 - The Bible On Leadership

44 THE BIBLE ON LEADERSHIP

facing the consequences with more grace and contriteness than either
Al Dunlap or Samson. And he also developed a broader sense of pur-
pose that went beyond himself. Upon release from prison, Milken set
up a foundation to combat prostate cancer and also founded an organi-
zation that is dedicated to improving education using the Internet.

THE SEARCH FOR PURPOSE

A great manager motivates others through a sense of purpose. But pur-
pose often takes shape as one progresses on a journey; it’s not always
entirely visible or self-evident at the start. And often, the individual acts
that lead to the accomplishment of purpose are rather mundane.
Remember Nehemiah leading the effort to rebuild the wall around
Jerusalem? He wasn’t just repairing a wall. He convinced the Israelites
that they were reviving a nation, preserving their religion and culture,
and protecting the lives and well-being of their families.
We are all familiar with the story of the workmen who were cutting
stone and were asked what they were doing. One answered, ‘‘I am
cutting stone.’’ Another answered, ‘‘I am building a cathedral.’’ One
manager who constantly reminds his employees that they are building a
cathedral and not just cutting stone is William Pollard, CEO of Service-
Master, a company whose ‘‘lofty’’ daily activities consist of cleaning
toilets, killing bugs, and cleaning carpets.
But Pollard sees these activities in the context of a higher purpose
and constantly communicates this purpose to the employees. ‘‘People
want to contribute to a higher cause, not just earn a living,’’ he notes.
‘‘When we create alignment between the mission of the firm and the
cause of its people . . . we unleash a creative power that results in quality
service . . . and the development of the people who do the serving.’’
ServiceMaster’s mission statement? ‘‘To honor God in all we do, to help
people develop, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably.’’
That’s a pretty lofty mission statement for a group of housekeepers
and janitors. But they are making the connection between that mission
statement and their daily work. Shirley Nelson, a ServiceMaster house-