Become the Champion

"We don't think of ourselves as do-gooders or altruists. It's just that somehow we're trying our best to be run with some sense of moral compass even in a business environment that is growing."

Craig Newmark, founder, Craig’s List


Do you remember the true-life story of a major American shoe manufacturer in the northeast who refused to shut down his plant even as the shoe making business was migrating offshore?

That CEO said he could not in good conscience close his factory and devastate the small New England community in which he had been operating for decades.

Needless to say he became a beloved figure in that community and his reputation for embodying corporate responsibility became a national story. His retort was simply: “I care about the community in which our company lives.”

I’m not sure how many other CEOs would have chosen to make the same decision, after all there were big dollars at stake. I suppose the point of all this is to reinforce the notion that companies are responsible to more than shareholders in today’s market.

Putting the needs and interests of communities in which you operate may not be at the top of the corporate agenda—but it should never be left off the agenda altogether. Championing the community is good.

(c) Adonis E. Hoffman, 2008