Make the World a Better Place and Become a Better Leader

When an organization’s business purpose aligns with the expectations of its customers, the needs of the community it serves, and hearts of its employees, magic things happen.

I’ve seen it in my career time and again. 

That’s why I’m pleased to see large investors change the focus on what they expect from the companies they fund. Quarterly results are no longer their only benchmark. Instead, many large investors are asking other questions, such as: What is your long-term plan for the business? What is your purpose? And, how do you plan to help society and the communities you serve?

In my previous post I addressed one of those requests: long-term planning. In this post I will focus on purpose and community involvement. And, knowing that LinkedIn readers are eager to learn executive skills that can lead them to the C-suite, I will address the topic from both the organization’s and individual’s point of view. 

Serving Latin America with purpose 

I can’t think of a better example of great alignment between the organization’s purpose, the expectations of its customers, the needs of the community, and the hearts of employees, than BellSouth’s experience in Latin America and the creation of a social responsibility program we called BellSouth Proni?o (Prochild).

Our purpose in Latin America was to take wireless technology to countries that were underserved by telephony, thus helping individuals and the economy with leading-edge, reliable wireless technology, investment, and jobs. 

I’m proud of the investments we made in the infrastructure of 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay).

I’m proud of the work we did in serving both the high- and low-end customers by offering pre- and post-paid plans so that people could have access to a reliable means of communication. 

I’m proud of having operated in the region with integrity.

But what I’m most proud of is the way we aligned our business purpose with our social conscience. 

In so doing, we were able to spark a passion among our employees that, I’m certain, contributed to our business success.

From the brickyard to the schoolyard

We did not see our purpose just as delivering wireless technology. We saw it as improving the quality of life of our customers and the community at large.

That’s why we created what I think is one of the best social responsibility programs I’ve been involved in: BellSouth Proni?o.

In a nutshell, we designed BellSouth Proni?o to draw attention to and begin to address the problem of child labor in Latin America. We did that by making it possible for children to stop working and attend school. 

Thousands of kids across the region who had been working on the streets, farms, and homes received uniforms, backpacks, school materials, meals, transportation, and school fees. In some cases, we provided a stipend to the family to make up for the income the child was not able to bring home while attending school.

A U.S. official visiting one of our programs said it best: BellSouth Proni?o “took children from the brickyard to the schoolyard.”

Gaining leadership experience

Let’s now look at community involvement from the point of view of one’s career.

In my case, the leadership experience I gained early on through my involvement with non-profit organizations was instrumental in helping me achieve leadership success as a senior executive later on. 

In addition to my experience with Proni?o in Latin America, I’ve also been heavily involved with Junior Achievement (JA) in the U.S. In fact, it was joining JA in Georgia and working with its then-president Donna Buchanan that I was able to realize the opportunities that JA could make available to help young people by teaching them entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and workforce readiness.

JA’s work is so significant and so close to what I believe in, I not only served in the Georgia chapter; I eventually became the chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide, an organization that serves over 10 million kids every year in more than 120 countries.

There is no question in my mind that chairing JAWW and the experience I gained in dealing with global issues for a non-profit organization prepared me to run AT&T’s global business operations in over 200 countries later on.

Takeaways for leaders

Volunteering for non-profit organizations is a great thing to do. It reaps rewards for all involved.

If you are a growing leader who aspires to reach the C-suite and eventually a board seat, one of the best ways to develop the right skills is for you to get involved early on in your career with a non-profit organization that you feel really passionate about. And you do have to feel passionate. It does take work and time, so you should not select something that won’t get you fully engaged.

If you do, you’ll help make the world a better place, and it will help you become a better leader, a better executive, a better board member, and a better person overall.

Ralph