Compassionate Accountability

From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected - Anon The story is told of a zealous young IBM sales executive who overcommitted the organisation and signed a contract with a customer that ultimately cost IBM $1M. Realising the enormity of his error, he brought his letter of resignation to the CEO. The CEO read it then threw it back saying ‘I’m not going to let you resign when we’ve just invested $1M in your education.’ Which of us would not respond to such forgiveness with gratitude and resolve? Yet how likely is it that any of us would encounter this level of compassion in the workplace? The sad truth is that it is not the norm. The consequences of failure can be deadly for our careers – both in the eyes of the organisation and through a lack of adventure due to having clipped our own wings. We may continue for years in a state of presenteeism lacking the courage to try again. Perhaps the CEO recognised the latent talent of this salesman and his ability to learn through self-reflection? A more common, even stereotypical response, on the part of the salesman might have been to shrug it off, blaming the losses on tough market conditions, extreme competition or even the incompetence of his colleagues to deliver against his promises. Without being able to face his own faults his career could be a litany of disasters. Conventional wisdom might require that anyone responsible for $1M losses be summarily sacked, but for a CEO to extend such compassion illustrates that he / she recognises their role as Chief Culture Officer. The ‘CCO’ understands that they model the behaviour expected throughout the organisation. No organisational leader can expect to ‘be in the trenches’ with her staff, but they look to her for an example of moral leadership and use it to direct their own work and decision making. Here the focus is on learning from one’s mistakes. As the saying goes – “I’m either winning or learning; I never lose.” As we enter a period of awakening for humanity, where we are facing the consequences of the ecoside over which we have presided, it is more important than ever that we learn from our mistakes and that we show ourselves some compassion. Now is not the time to blame others, to continue with business as usual or to wring our hands and give up. Instead we must collectively rise to the challenge of reversing our excesses and restoring our planet. Our grandchildren will hold us accountable. Now we must earn their compassion.