Monday, April 16, 2007

What am I doing for others?

Working with franchisees everyday I am sometimes astounded at how poorly some of them treat their people. And I know this isn't peculiar to our company, it's common in business everywhere from top to bottom. When I see this I am reminded of what John Whitmore says, "the carrot and stick are pervasive and persuasive motivators. But if you treat people like donkeys they'll perform like donkeys." The only way I know to change people, is to see them differently, to see them doing it right, and see them being excellent. It has to start with me and then go forward, both up and down. And, I know I can't change the world but I can be someone who is different and model a better way. My prayer is that I'll be consistent and good at that.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"

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