Ethical Compromises in Organizations

July 30, 2012 / nuleadership / 3 Comments

Organizations have their own set of ethical issues. On July 12^th, former FBI Director Louis Freeh requested a blistering report about the cover up associated with the Jerry Sandusky case. Freeh’s report found coach Jerry Paterno (now deceased), former president Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley, and vice president Gary Schultz had ‘repeatedly concealed critical facts about Sandusky’s child abuses.”

The reviewers found handwritten notes and emails in a decision to hide information from child welfare and police authorities. Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after being convicted on 45 criminal counts of abusing 10 boys.

Freeh noted, “The most saddening findings by the Special Investigative Counsel is the total and consistent disregard by the most senior leaders at Penn State for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized.”

Reports showed Paterno and administrators knew about Sandusky’s child abuse activities as far back as 1998. However, they attempted to conceal this information for the school’s reputation and perhaps—Coach Paterno’s legacy as a dynamic coach. The blanket cover up went beyond the school.

The local district attorney when provided with evidence of Sandusky’s child abuse did not prosecute. Many people in the community were in denial because Coach Paterno was a national icon and local legend.

For many organizations, it is the proverbial “doing as I say and not as I do” for some managers. Most managers can get away with this philosophy. As businesses continue to falter and competition begins to bear down on the economy, workers are looking for leadership.

However, it is virtually impossible to lead an organization if you’re unethical. Why is this true? Well, followers will not respect leaders without integrity. A leader can’t trick them with promotions or bribe them with money. In the long run, character does count in an effective organization. We will discuss the dangers of empowering unethical leaders.

Ethics plays a critical role in good leadership. Charles Hill, author of International Business, defined as ‘accepted principles of right or wrong that govern the conduct of a person, the members of a profession, or the actions of an organization. It is one situation when an individual makes an unethical decision. However, it is a very complex matter when an institution or a group of leaders representing an institution acts in an unethical manner.

Richard Daft, an organization management expert, explains that leaders at the highest management levels develop internal moral standards that can often allow them to break laws if necessary. However, managers should be personally connected with their organizations’ values. Sadly, some managers feel they are bigger than their organizations.

In fact, ‘they are the organization!’ In this scenario, leaders become the problem, not the solution. They become trapped by the “Seven Deadly Sins,” which consist of pride, avarice (greed), envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and slothfulness.

These attributes are not good leadership qualities. Evidently, these unethical leaders bring about their own demise, shaming their organizations. Penn State was no exception. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad leader to destroy the core values of an organization.

How does Penn State recovery from this leadership void?

Guest Blogger – The Retirement of the Baby Boomers….real or fantasy?

July 23, 2012 / nuleadership / 61 Comments

My initial thoughts on the pending dilemma of retiring Baby Boomers within my industry were that of alarm. The knowledge and skill set that would be lost is an issue that most US institutions face daily. My background is in the engineering field where I have always worked with the Utility, Industrial, and Government markets.

Therefore, when I work for a company that averages 36% of their workforce being Baby Boomers, I find myself cringing. Anyone who works in a diverse age group of people (or to be politically correct, we’ll call it a “multigenerational” workforce) know that these work environments can breed misunderstanding and conflict and may compromise growth.

And as I begun thinking this dilemma through, a few points cropped in this crazy blonde brain of mine….that’s right, I do have real moments of clarity at times!

With the financial and economic crisis these past few years, many soon-to-be retirees are choosing to stay employed.
The trend of salaries for Baby Boomers is significantly higher than that of entry level employees. Therefore, my company is noticing a decrease in project awards due to the fact we are out pricing ourselves with our competitors.
With the Baby Boomers continuing to work longer, we are not bringing in younger employees to mentor out of college. The employee pool is becoming stagnant.

So what is the answer? Is the issue of retiring Baby Boomers really a crisis or is it just an adjustment period for employers to incorporate new blood? Dave Bernard of U.S. News stated that retirement can be a time to explore creative new avenues, and put the skills you have cultivated throughout your career to work in new ways (June, 2012).

He is dead on when I notice that many retirees are returning back into the engineering field as “consultants” or they are reducing their hours to continue their insurance coverage and reducing their pace a little.

However, the demands on today’s knowledge workers are more mental than physical. Many baby boomers, who have already begun to reach age 65, are far from physically exhausted and often have much more to give (Bernard, 2012).

Whatever happens, the baby boom retirement crisis is bound to have its unexpected turns. As they age, they’ll surely continue to change the economy, though the effects are hard to predict (Gelinas, 2011). Employers today must strategize on how to best incorporate the knowledge skills from these employees through Mentoring programs or Internships.

Ultimately, we must stay competitive in the marketplace to keep the jobs here at home.

References:

Bernard, D. (2012, June). Baby Boomers Search for Second Careers. U.S. News. (http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/On-Retirement/2012/06/01/baby-boomers-search-for-second-careers).

Gelinas, N. (2011, November). As baby boomers retire, the times will be a-changin.’ The Los Angeles Times. (http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/06/opinion/la-oe-gelinas-baby-boomers-retire-20111106).

Please share your comments with this industry leader.

ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Brandi Reilly currently works for Mesa Associates, Inc., a multidiscipline engineering design firm based out of Knoxville, TN. Her experience spans 16 years in engineering, project management, and consulting services. She graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and recently completed her MBA at Lincoln Memorial University in 2011. She has completed her Project Management Professional (PMP) accreditation and is currently pursuing her Professional Engineering (PE) license.

Guest Blogger – Burnout: An Unseen Blaze

April 16, 2012 / nuleadership / 8 Comments

In this brief piece, I want to begin an exploration of burnout. Some believe burnout is self imposed by workers who can’t take the pressure. Others find that in the current economic and organizational climates, burnout is imposed by business that do not recognize or accept that workers need periods in their work days to decompress.

During the Vietnam era, American military members often recited a refrain for which I do not have a clear attribution; although one source attributes it to Mother Teresa.

“We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.”

Many of the service members who recited this also suffered from the stresses of war, constantly being shelled by the enemy, constantly being on patrol in jungles where the enemy hid, constantly being exposed to team members injuries, wounds, and death.

Movie watchers saw this portrayed with some degree of realism in Band of Brothers. These military men and women were constantly in a state of high arousal with few or no opportunities to decompress.

Is there a parallel to that refrain in the current economy, the current organizational climate? One source explains the parallel by citing that in the current climate (economic or organizational) there are often mismatches between job expectations and expectations of the person performing the job.

Often, organizations place economic consequences ahead of human values. This confusion of values against economic needs of the employee to survive in an unstable work climate may result in lost productivity brought on by stress.

Question, who are the unwilling and why did they become unwilling? It their book, The Truth About Burnout, Maslach and Leiter found several reasons why people become unwilling. They find overwork and lack of control over their jobs as part of the problem.

Another question, who are the unknowing? The comic Dilbert provides an example of the unknowing in the depiction of the pointy-haired boss who reaps all the rewards for himself sharing none with workers.

Why has working become doing the impossible? Although the work may not be impossible to complete, workers feel a loss of community in the workplace. Political intrigue and rumors often force workers to withdraw from those around them.

An example of the ungrateful comes from the movie Office Space. The unit manager who strolled the isles of cube dwellers showed his lack of gratitude in his interpersonal interactions. Today, workers feel that they are not treated fairly and have to deal with values conflict.

Citing Maslach and Leiter again, they write, burnout is a result of “erosion in values, dignity, spirit, and will — an erosion of the human soul” (pg. 17). This is a strong provocative statement meaningfully explaining “doing so much, with so little, for so long.” The human spirit can become willing again if organizations take steps.

The modern military tries to relieve effects of stress and the resulting PTSD in the field and before and after a deployment. What are organizations doing to combat stress and burnout? The first step organizations must consider is the truth of burnout.

Since the bottom line is the bottom line in contemporary business, one truth is that burnout takes an economic toll. Another truth is the emotional toll zapping the strength of workers both mentally and physically.

Organizations cannot afford to have unwilling and ungrateful elements if it wants to survive. Relieving the economic and emotional toll of burnout can take the “un” out leaving willing and grateful. People do not exist because of an organization; an organization exists because of people.

Please comment on this topic from your personal or professional experience.

About the Guest Blogger

Dr. Paul Hoffman holds a Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Regent University, a Master of Arts in Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Bellevue University.

Doctor Hoffman is an adjunct professor at Bellevue University and Metropolitan Community College in Communications Arts, English, and Communication and Humanities. Before his teaching role, Dr. Hoffman was a graduate enrollment counselor at Bellevue University and enrollment representative to the University’s Quality Council.

Dr. Hoffman came to the academic arena after ten years in retail management. During this period he managed in speciality mall stores, and multimillion dollar warehouse style stores. Dr. Hoffman owned a small business and was an insurance agent for a fraternal insurance provider.

Dr. Hoffman was a U.S. Air Force active duty noncommissioned officer retiring in 1990 as a Master Sergeant. During over 21 years of active duty, Dr. Hoffman was a Security Police sentry assigned to guard aircraft, missiles, and nuclear weapons on alert and in storage.

For three years, he held the speciality of Military Training Instructor while supervising an installation correctional custody facility. In the concluding seven-plus years, Dr. Hoffman worked as an installation human relations and equal opportunity treatment NCO and finally as Superintendent of Social Actions overseeing both human relations and substance abuse prevention activities for an installation.

Military assignments saw Dr. Hoffman stationed at major Air Force Bases of the Strategic Air Command, U.S. Air Force Europe, and Pacific Air Force. During the Vietnam era, Dr. Hoffman had one assignment in support of major air operations over Vietnam.

Dr. Hoffman is married to Su Yun and they have two adult children. Son, Leslie Donald, is the oldest formerly a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Les has two combat tours in Iraq.

Daughter, Theresa Ann, was a member of the U.S. Peace Corps serving on the island of Carricaou, the Grenades; her Peace Corps specialty was Community Health focusing on AIDS awareness and prevention and presently studying to become a physical therapy assistant.

Social Mobility in America

March 26, 2012 / nuleadership / 11 Comments

Economic turbulence has overtaken the American way of life. In Europe and Asia, investors stand uncertain of their next moves. Even America is part of an economic casualty.

Yet, these problems are very personal to the average citizen. Higher gas prices and costs of living; the housing bust; and the financial crisis cause most people to worry about their future. With a weak job growth, many U.S. jobs continue to be shipped abroad.

Global competition continues to cause Fortune 500 companies to search for cheap labor to increase profitability. This reality often places developed countries like the United States at a clear disadvantage. Consequently, there has been an increasing gap between the wealthiest people and the poorest people in this country. The reality has become the shrinking or disintegrating of the middle class.

America is a shining symbol for social mobility across the world. Social mobility can be defined as “the passage of individuals from one social class to another.” Most people feel that if they work hard, they can achieve a better life, regardless of their social standing.

In some countries, a person is stuck in an economic class with no hope of further advancement. If your parents are uneducated and work a low paying occupation, the children will grow up in this same status.

Marketing expert Michael Solomon argues the natural progression of social mobility: “People do improve their positions over time, but these increases are not usually dramatic to catapult them from one social class to another.” The current economic picture makes social mobility more difficult.

Michael Snyder, editor of theeconomiccollapseblog.com, argues the systematic destruction of the middle class: “The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.”

Snyder supported his claims with 22 statistical facts. Below is a sample of his analysis:

Eighty three percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of one percent of the people.
American workers now must compete against situations like China where a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes approximately 22 cents an hour.
Sixty one percent of Americans “always or usually” live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49% in 2008 and 43% in 2007.
Average Wall Street bonuses for 2009 were up 17% when compared with 2008.
More than 40% of Americans who actually are employed are now working in service jobs, which are often very low paying.
Sixty six percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top one percent of all Americans.
Only the top 5% of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
In 1950, the ratio of the average executive’s paycheck to the average worker’s paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300-500 to 1.
As of 2007, the bottom 80% of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
The bottom 50% of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1% of the nation’s wealth.

Many people hold that a political change will rescue the middle class. As we have witnessed in the 2012 Presidential Election, petty politics are more important than solving the economic crisis. Therefore, all families are held hostages. Any rescue will not be soon.

Snyder doubts there is any hopeful solution for the stale social mobility occurring today: “The reality is that no matter how smart, how strong, how educated or how hard working American workers are, they just cannot compete with people who are desperate to put in 10 to 12 hour days at less than a dollar an hour on the other side of the world.” Many people hope that America can compete in the future without sacrificing her core values related to social mobility. Others have given up this hope.

Do you feel social mobility is unsustainable in the U.S. , given global competition?

Leading from a Public Platform

March 19, 2012 / nuleadership / 5 Comments

I was in the process of getting another laptop since my last one was broken. I decided to visit a local computer store to talk with its owner; I had been doing business with this company for over several years. I was looking for an inexpensive laptop since I already had a desktop.

However, the owner suggested that he could build me a basic computer for a small price. I trusted and respected his opinion. Yet, I went against the opinion leader because he didn’t fully understand my bottom-line. Likewise, today’s opinion leaders who lose sight of their own constituents can lose their followers also.

For the record, an opinion leader is someone who is frequently able to influence others’ attitudes or behaviors. Michael Solomon, author of Consumer Behavior, suggests that opinion leaders tend to share consumer values and beliefs so that there is a connection between the opinion leader and the consumer.

Marketing expert Guy Bergstom further maintains that an opinion leader is anyone who has an active voice in a community. Therefore, these individuals often speak out on issues and get asked to provide advice.

In society, there are people who possess natural stature and credibility. Product developers use Hollywood celebrities because they are popular icons that allow them to be opinion leaders.

Currently, the media heavily influences consumer behavior. The Washingtonpost.com has over 10,000,000 readers worldwide. Opinion leaders use this medium to influence public discussion while others come to learn more about the issues.

For example, most Americans feel negatively about outsourcing abroad, primarily to China and India. They view these foreign countries as a serious threat to American way of life. A recent Gallup-China Daily USA survey demonstrates how media can shift public opinion. Two-thirds of the public and a sample of United States opinion leaders view China to be a friendly ally of the United States.

With the assistant of the Internet, many individuals can influence other people like never before. In fact, bloggers and website owners often upstage traditional media because these nontraditional sources because a frequent source for the average person. However, it is important that opinion leaders never forget their followers in this social engagement.

Discuss your professional and personal experiences with opinion leaders.

Mapping out the Green Economy

March 12, 2012 / nuleadership / 18 Comments

Most businesses are promoting ‘Going Green’ while politicians peddle the concept as a way to grow jobs. Many people have been disappointed with the perceived ‘hype.’ My question, with this concept, was who was going to lead this green economy?

LMU’s Dean Jack McCann and I published an article entitled “Benchmarking a Leadership Model for the Green Economy” to address this subject. This paper examined benchmarking leadership theories in order to build a new leadership model for the green economy. This academic journey opened my eyes on the green economy.

Let’s explore this green economy. Many hope that the green economy will provide new prosperity for America’s future. The current economy is fueled exclusively by oil, natural gas, and coal. As these resources continue to become scarce, the cost increases.

On the contrary, the green economy is environment friendly and provides an opportunity for more innovation. Many experts support the green economy concept. Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, suggests that the stage is set for a green economy with billions of people from China, India, and the former Soviet Union demanding their share of the energy treasure chest.

There will be more energy demands to feed the world’s microwaves, vehicles, and other power hungry technology. Friedman argues that this global demand would create an environmental disaster. This reality could infuse a new desire for renewable energies and environmental sustainable systems.

For example, Michigan has created more than 11,000 renewable energy jobs in four years; these jobs are compensated with sustaining a fair and equitable wage. Critics argue that some jobs will be lost as more rigorous energy regulations are in place and companies are forced to make energy transitions.

Jerome Ringo, the former president of the Apollo Alliance which has a coalition that promotes clean energy and green jobs, further maintains that these setbacks could be overcome by taking the proper steps. Therefore, the green economy could become a positive driving force in the future.

Ringo argues that green jobs could revive the U.S. economy while resolving some of the worst environmental problems facing the world. He points to this fact based on several states implementing the green economy. However, other individuals have their doubts about any financial success from the green economy.

What do you foresee as leadership challenges for launching the green economy? Please share your personal or professional experience on this subject.

Making a Special Connection with Followers

January 30, 2012 / nuleadership / 10 Comments

Immediately after the first 2012 Republican Presidential Debate in Florida, Former Governor Mitt Rommey released his 2010 tax statement. However, Rommey’s wealth did surprise most people. Some individuals probably harbored class envy of him. Yet, I was also amazed at the other presidential candidates’ great fortunes in comparison to most Americans. Let’s go deeper.

How can leaders build a connection with their followers who are well below them economically? For example, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney isn’t just in the top 1% of America’s highest income earners; he is at least at the top .0006% based on his 2010 tax returns. According to AP reporter Connie Cass, adding up the wealth of the last eight presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama wouldn’t equal Rommey’s wealth. It’s also about perspective. Among the ultra-wealthy in the world, Rommey is not among the rich elite. Yet, this discussion is very interesting since the U.S. President is seen as a representative of all citizens.

Here’s a look at some of the 2012 Republican Presidential Candidates’ worth: Mitt Rommey’s worth $85-264 million, Jon Huntsman’s $16-72 million; Newt Gingrich’s $7-31 million; Ron Paul’s $2.4 – 5.4 million, Rick Santorum’s $1-3 million, and Rick Perry’s $1-2.5 million. Even President Barack Obama, a member of the Democratic Party, is not far behind with a net worth of $2.8-11.8 million. One of the greatest assets of effective leaders is making a connection with followers.

Great wealth may be problematic to many people who want to show they understand the common man. However, this isn’t always the case. For example, some former U.S. Presidents with great wealth made a connection with followers such as Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Leaders want to have good followers championing their cause. Presidential candidates are no exceptions. Rommey, like most wealth people, may have some connection problems. Many people undermine the importance of followership. They shouldn’t.

Followership is underrated. Yet, effective leaders can’t afford to not have stellar followership. Followership can be defined as ‘the ability to effectively follow the directives and support the efforts of a leader to maximize a structured organization.’ Kent Bjugstad, Comcast Spotlight, Elizabeth Thach, Karen Thompson, and Alan Morris, followership experts, outlined the problems associated with followership: “The assumption that good followership is simply doing what one is told, and that effective task accomplishment is the result of good leadership, doesn’t amplify the merits of the follower role.” Therefore, leaders cannot afford to underestimate this concept.

Connecting with followers is vital. Rommey, like other leaders, must bridge this gap. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the typical household worth is approximately $120,300. That means Rommey is 1,000 times richer than most American citizens. Fred Fiedler, a leadership researcher, noted that a leader’s personality can determine how he or she will be an effective leader.

Gareth Jones and Jennifer George, authors of Contemporary Management, further noted the critical needs for effective leader-follower relationships: “Situations are more favorable for leading when leader-member relations are good.” Therefore, connecting with followers is an important goal for most leaders.

Discuss how leaders effectively connect with their followers.

Leading in a Volatile Society

January 23, 2012 / nuleadership / 6 Comments

The question of effective leadership continues to plaque modern society. This month, the captain of a cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Italy has received public scrutiny. The cruise ship, Costa Concordia, had more than 4,200 people aboard when it hit a reef off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Panic filled the ship; cruise workers appeared unprepared for the emergency. Yet, the biggest casualty was leadership. Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning his vessel during its ground.

Tapes were released of a conversation between the cruise captain and a coast guard officer who demanded the captain return to the ship: “What are you doing? Are you abandoning the rescue…Get back on board now (expletive) sake!” What has been abandoned globally is the lack of effective leadership in a volatile society.

Today’s workers exist in a volatile world. According to the Forrester Research, approximately 3.3 million jobs and $136 billion in wages could be moved overseas to countries like India or China by 2015. In fact, many developing countries are projected to continue to grow strongly over the next decade.

Furthermore, these countries steadily shift to consumer-led growth instead of export-led growth. The dollar spiral downward and foreign currency goes upward. China and India have added millions to their labor force creating products as well as outsourcing their services abroad at a fraction of what American workers can provide.

These upstart countries are positioning themselves to become the next Super Power. The middle class hold their breath as the threat of more job cuts become a reality, thereby further eroding their quality of life. Yet, business executives express little moral remorse as they keep American workers at bay.

There needs to be a different type of leadership in a volatile world. Today’s hypercompetitive environment needs high performance organizations to sustain market success. Yet, many organizations operate from the same business structure from the Industrial Revolution.

In this setting, managers oversee workers to control their performance due to the fact that managers believe workers are inferior and have no passion to work. Yet, most workers are willing to work if they are placed in a position to be successful and there are shared rewards.

Yet, I have heard too many complaints about bad bosses and uncaring organizations. There are too many managers and organizations that do not value the importance of their employees.

These same managers are great at distributing tasks but are unsuccessful at motivating their own workers. Therefore, future leaders will need to be able to navigate global markets while inspiring their workers.

What characteristics are needed for today’s leaders in a volatile environment?

Practicing Philanthropy

December 5, 2011 / nuleadership / 4 Comments

In most cases, individuals are not hurt by giving to others. My co-author, Noriko Chapman, emailed me last week about royalties on our book, Second Chance, and how the funds would go to charity. While I looked at this book as an opportunity to provide assistance for nonprofit organizations, it was her idea to leverage our written work over the long-term.

Noriko, who is a DENSO production manager, selected the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (Maryville) as part of her MBA project. We pledged 30 percent of the book proceeds to this organization. Noriko’s giving attitude helped the Center’s financial needs.

However, it provided unintended consequences by bringing more media attention to this cause and the public in general. In fact, it landed the Center’s director an expense paid visit to DENSO in Japan. Therefore, philanthropy can start from small beginnings.

Individuals can build a philanthropist mindset when giving to organizations or people. Social responsibility is a buzzword in a society demanding more accountability from its corporate citizens. Social responsibility speaks to a company’s stance on the way its managers and employees view their duty or obligation to make decisions that protect, enhance, and promote the well-being of stakeholders and society as a whole.

Gareth Jones and Jennifer George, authors of Contemporary Management, argue about the importance of social responsibility: “The way a company announces business problems or admits its mistakes provides strong clues about its stance on social responsibility.”

With the economic crisis, there are many institutions in trouble. According to Merriman-Webster.com, philanthropy is defined as an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes. Most people associate philanthropy with the wealthy.

However, philanthropy must start with a mindset and attitude for giving, regardless of where a person stands on the economic ladder. Marc Benioff, Chairman & CEO of salesforce.com, built his organization with a philanthropy-focus. Salesforce.com is a cloud computing company with a mission of ‘The End of Software.”

Benioff has had a history of successful business ventures, including Oracle Corporation and Macintosh Division. However, he noted for the achievement of designing a new philanthropy model. The Salesforce.com Foundation aims to inspire companies across the globe to give 1% of their resources to support charities and social causes. Other companies like Google have embraced this model.

This 1%; 1%; 1% philanthropy model includes one percent of company’s time, one percent of its equity, and one percent of its products donated to charity. For Salesforce.com, this model means giving employees 6 paid days of volunteer time to use over the course of the year. To date, Salesforce.com employees have donated over 178,000 hours.

The Salesforce.com Foundation has supported giving of products to 8,000 nonprofits in 70 countries. On the equity front, one percent of founding stock is used to offer grants focused on technology innovation in nonprofits and youth development programs. The company has given over $20 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations.

Therefore, a philanthropist mindset can carry great rewards in sustaining meaningful programs in society. It is not exclusive to the most wealthy people.

Discuss your personal experiences on this topic.

An Educated Society

November 28, 2011 / nuleadership / 5 Comments

On Thanksgiving morning, I ran to Kroger to pick up some grocery items. I went to the cashier and talked to him during my purchased. I wished him a happy holiday season and stated at least he was making double overtime and leaving early. The cashier pointed out that he was not making anything extra. It was just a normal day for the store. I thought this was sad for him.

Many employees live paycheck to paycheck. Some employees in low paying jobs like retail are college and high school students attempting to put some money into their pocket as they move on to something else. However, there are many people for the next several years these jobs are their endpoint due to the lack of advanced education.

The economic crisis has wreaked havoc on America’s prosperity and its future. According to a 2010 Pew Research survey, one in four adults between the ages of 18 and 24 moved back in with their parents during the recession. Furthermore, the cost of a college degree keeps rising like gasoline for my car.

From 1999-2000 academic year through 2009-2010, the price increase of a four year degree from a public institution was 42% with the average annual cost for four-year undergraduate tuition, room and board being $15,014 (private: $32,790).

For many students, an education is an investment. According to U.S. Census Bureau, there were over 19 million students enrolled in college in 2010 which represented an 11.5% increase from 2007. In fact, graduate school enrollment jumped over 19% during this time. Horace Mann, an American education reformer, noted “A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated.” Another education reformer John Dewey added, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

However, an education is not a silver bullet or the solution for an individual’s well-being. In an economic crisis, even highly educated or seasoned professionals can be a casualty. Yet, an education provides unique opportunities.

Doors can open with the right preparation. With a bachelor’s degree, the median income for individuals in 2010 was $47,422 which was 80% higher than those individuals with only a high school diploma.

For individuals with a graduate or professional degree, this figure jumped to a median income of $62,618. Therefore, it becomes more important for students to be strategic in their education.

There should be a component of selecting the appropriate college degree or technical training, obtaining practical experience in the specific industry, and developing a robust professional network to seize on career opportunities.