The Goizueta legacy lives on in business, education

Many business schools are named for philanthropists or titans of industry. I’m happy to say the Goizueta Business School has the legacy of both.

Mr. Roberto C. Goizueta, the long-time CEO and Chairman of the Coca-Cola Company, walked with unmatched integrity and sparked unimaginable corporate success. His unique set of skills and principles shape our school’s decisions and drive our actions.

Today would have been his 84th birthday.

It’s important we remember this incredible man, humanitarian and corporate leader. A Cuban American who fled to the United States during the Cuban revolution, Roberto truly experienced the American Dream. He arrived in this country with little more than a job and ambition. I choose to believe his success with and for Coca-Cola is a testament to the values he lived and inspired in the people around him. 

So, in honor of Mr. Goizueta’s birthday I want to share three of his most famous quotes and how they inspire me as a leader.

“Business schools today cannot just reflect business the way it is. They must teach business the way it will be.”

Well, isn’t this a good one for a business school dean? Mr. Goizueta was passionate about education and did not take his involvement with the then-Emory Business School lightly. I’ve often thought about framing this quote and placing it in the office of every professor and staff member. Some may call that extreme. I call it an important message from one of the great visionaries of our time. If we aren’t preparing for the future, what are we preparing for?

“The cynics will tell you that the good you do today will be forgotten. Just do it anyway.”

How often do your ideas get shot down by someone else or your own doubt? Mr. Goizueta always put the good of others first, including the company he represented. He also famously said: “Without integrity, you have nothing.” What carries more weight and builds a stronger legacy than making sure you make a lasting, positive impact on the world?

“We, in business, do have a calling. We have a calling to reward the confidence of those who hired us… and to build something lasting and good in the process.”

At the office, Mr. Goizueta certainly had stakeholders in mind. I’m told he was also fiercely protective of his private life to ensure quality time with his family. Of course families don’t “hire” a father but, after spending time with his children, I know he created something “lasting and good.” They placed confidence in him. Shareholders placed confidence in him. Thousands of employees placed confidence in him. You need only look at history to see he didn’t let them down.

Share your thoughts or inspirations in regards to Mr. Goizueta with the hashtag #RememberRoberto.