Page 248 - The New Gold Standard

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Sustainability and

Stewardship

The great use of life is to spend it
for something that will outlast it.
WILLIAM JAMES

The true test of an organization’s success and
the significance of its leadership extend well
|beyond Wow stories, current economic per-
formance, or even offering products that address the
immediate preferences of consumers. Increasingly, busi-
nesses are judged for the lasting nature of the footprint
they leave on individuals, communities, and other busi-
nesses.
Myopic companies focus on short-term profitability
instead of ecological sustainability, or they prioritize ad-
vertising over efforts to train and grow their people. The
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was founded on a differ-
ent set of values. The company’s mission statement,
since its inception, included the idea that “Ritz-Carlton
will be known as a positive, supportive member of the
community and will be sensitive to the environment.”
Early visionary and former president Horst Schulze ex-
plains the rationale for including this philosophy early
on in the company’s development. “A business is only as

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