By Ron Schmidt
Who said this?
I have ta’en too little care of this!
Take physic, pomp.
Expose myself to what wretches feel,
That thou mayst shake the superflux to them
And show the heavens more just.
You may have guessed it, but before I reveal the speaker, let me say it another way.
I have been stupid, pompous, self-serving, arrogant, and just full of myself.
I have been a bully.
But now I have seen how my actions affect others.
Hopefully, now I can be more compassionate to all.
The speaker is Shakespeare’s King Lear, and the dialogue from Act III, where the storms brewing out on the plains are a metaphor for the King’s stormy relationships within his kingdom and with his daughters. The theme of King Lear’s journey is one of personal transformation, where his change is the result of witnessing personal suffering.
What personal suffering have you witnessed? In a recent conversation with a friend, he retold the story of when he left the credit union where he had worked. He left because the CEO was pompous, arrogant, self-serving and a bully. He left because the CEO lied and threw things in meetings. He lied to the board and the board believed him.
My friend left the credit union because he could easily find another job, but other employees were not as experienced and educated. Employees wouldn’t confront the CEO for fear of losing their jobs. While they put up with the CEO’s behavior, they used various means to cope, including medication. But after the CEO wore out his welcome, my friend returned to the credit union and is now the CEO. And in a relatively short period, his credit union has experienced a positive transformation.
The Road to Character
What kind of transformation would benefit your employees and members? What is healthy within your organization? What needs work? In talking with my friend, he kept repeating that, “Ron, all we do is treat our folks right!” Within your diverse environment, how do you treat others and how can you be better?
David Brooks addresses our transformation by challenging us to first look at ourselves. In his latest book The Road to Character, he begins by quoting the French philosopher Michel Montaigne from the 16th century: “We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge, but we can’t be wise with other men’s wisdom.” Brooks continues: “That’s because wisdom isn’t a body of information. It’s the moral quality of knowing what you don’t know and figuring out a way to handle your ignorance, uncertainty, and limitation…Today, many of us see our life through the metaphor of a journey – a journey through the external world and up the ladder of success. When we think about making a difference or leading a life through purpose, we often think of achieving something external – performing some service that will have an impact on the world, creating a successful company, or doing something for the community.” Aaron Hurst wrote in The Purpose Economy: “…seeking a purpose is about finding a direction, not a destination. That is, purpose is a verb, not a noun. Purpose isn’t a cause; it is an approach to work and serving others.”
As we begin that journey of transformation, let’s think back to King Lear and think about “what wretches feel,” how you treat those around you? To begin, consider your humanity and how you communicate. In looking back to Virginia Satir’s work with families in the 1980s, she states in The New Peoplemaking: “I believe that historians a thousand of years from now will point to our time as the beginning of a new era in the development of humankind, the time when people began to live more comfortably with their humanity.”
As referenced in my book How Am I Treating You? Living With Civility & Dignity I added to Satir’s statement: “When people gain a new appreciation of their humanity through their relationship with others, it will be demonstrated by how we treat one another…Effective communication starts at the top with the coach (top down) who enables the employees to generate the connection with the customer (bottom up). We are in the ‘people business’ where we provide a service or product. As we draft our strategies and tactics, we need to keep the human nature of employees and customers at the forefront. We work with employees; we don’t shout at them and they don’t ‘serve’ us.” And once that link is firmly established you are on your transformative way.
Ron Schmidt, CPA, MBA co-author of “How Am I Treating You? Living With Civility and Dignity”, is with CBS Certified Public Accountants, LLC Solon, Ohio and can be reached at rschmidt@cbscpasllc.com or 440-542-1536 ext 28.