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C&F
Conference addresses Ethics and Responsible Leadership
By Irene Burgo
The College of Commerce and Finance’s
Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance held its inaugural
conference on Oct. 13 on the theme of “Achieving Responsible Leadership and
Governance:
 Meeting
the Challenge of Change.” “The importance of creating and sustaining a
culture of responsible leadership cannot be overstated,” according to Dr.
Jonathan P. Doh, director of the Center. “The objective of this conference
is for participants to hear and comment on the leadership challenges and
practices their organizations face, and to identify specific processes and
actions that support responsible leadership and governance,” said Doh.
Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.), special envoy to
the Henri Durante Centre for Humanitarian Dialog (Indonesian conflict peace
effort) and former U.S. Envoy for Peace in the Middle East, and John J.
Brennan, chairman and CEO of the Vanguard Group, were
 the
keynote speakers. Zinni explored the issues of responsible leadership and
why the quality must be rewarded. He related how the need to defend and
reward responsible, ethical leadership further influences and generates
responsible leadership in others. He talked about defining yourself, knowing
yourself and knowing your people, and also explained the importance of
leaving a legacy--leaving something behind in the organization, such as an
exemplary code of ethics that defines the value system of a responsible
leader.
Brennan cited the ethical dimensions at work within
in his own company, noting an example of how Vanguard assesses prospective
employees based on the value of their character. He shared a story which
exemplified how character is considered a compelling “elixir” in determining
worthwhile employees. He also talked about the importance of encouraging and
allowing a forum for debate and dissent and the fact that such an exchange,
especially in corporate settings, helps define the quality of an
organization.
A panel of four leaders from the private and
nonprofit sectors explored how distinct issues of corporate responsibility
and leadership were addressed in their respective organizations. The
presenters included Judy Samuelson, of the Aspen Institute, who discussed
how sustainable development works as a concept that illustrates how meeting
the needs of the present can succeed without compromising the
needs of the future. Eric Pillmore, of Tyco International Inc., talked about
an organization that has experienced very real problems and what it is doing
to turn its business around, into a positive direction. Rosemary Crane, of
Johnson & Johnson, cited examples of how a firm can maintain its confidence
by creating a safety-net system to support everything that it does. Robert
Knowling, of the New York City Leadership Academy, discussed the importance
of vision, values and responsibility, not just in educational institutions,
but in all types of organizations.
“I’ve greatly appreciated the opportunity to spend
some time with these individuals and listen to their dialogue,” said Doh.
“This conference provided participants an opportunity to squarely address
the ethical challenges they face. Presenters and our audience engaged in a
frank, open exchange about these challenges and shared ideas about how to
address them in a very practical way. Villanova is at the forefront of
institutions tackling these important issues. This conference gave all of us
an opportunity to reflect and consider the critical importance of
responsible leadership and governance in our organizations and society, and
provided a forum for specific proposals on how to meet this challenge for
change.” |
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