Leadership and the Higher Standard

The ongoing saga of "for-profit" education within our society is a constant reminder of a critical characteristic of true leadership that we often avoid addressing...

The "HIGHER" standard...

I believe that "for-profit" education could serve our society in ways that traditional education can not.  It has a place...but that place can only be held if it meets specific basic criteria...one of them being...

The "HIGHER" standard...

An oft accepted (a "given") precept in the educational arena is that an institution of higher learning is its integrity, ethics and moral standards...that is a piece of higher education that we just believe every school has...because they are a member of that elite group...

Couple this with accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) or some other college accrediting body and we should not have to question their motives or intent, in the least...

I am saddened by the fact that the Federal Government had to waste money in sting operations...and even more saddened that they caught many schools in violation of some of the most simple "no-brainer" laws!  They did AND at an alarming proportion to the total number checked!

If I were the accrediting body of these schools...I would be reeling from a black-eye!  I would immediately be pulling my affiliation with them...it is my reputation that is being hurt...and ultimately I would be suing them for their actions...my credibility is being hurt!  That stinks!  They were duped into believing that these schools held to the "HIGHER" standard!  These bodies must hold these schools accountable to the "HIGHER" standard...and act accordingly...

Some of these institutions are owned by companies that even have a "HIGHER" standard of responsibility...morality and ethics...If I were a Board member of the parent company or even a stockholder...I would be reeling from the black-eye that they have given me...and responding accordingly with the people running those educational units...do these companies have rules that indicate immediate termination for individuals participating in illegal activities?  Many of these institutions do extensive background checks to weed out individuals who could tarnish the organization's image....or put them at risk...but once in...it appears that an individual has free-reign to pursue some pretty bad things...If that is not the case...show us the terminations?  Not at the lowest level...but at the leadership level...the people who have ultimate responsibility yet hide behind excuses of abdication or distraction...

What has bothered me has been the numerous articles that are appearing where wrong-doing has been admitted...and some semblance guilt admitted to...but the blame is put on the Market...or the Federal Government for making the money easy to get and the lack of control...that is no excuse...it is like a teenager admitting to shoplifting and blaming it on his mother for not catching him when he was still in the store and not making him put it back!

There comes a time that accountability and responsibility must be taken by leadership...This is another Enron...S-OX is in place and these corporation signed annual documents ensuring truth and honesty..."I didn't know" and "If I did" is no excuse...you do now and what have you done?

Even if the Federal Government's laws were loose...an institution of higher education should be thankful and adhere to the"HIGHER" standard...as a matter of course...

I have ranted enough...I think you get the picture...this is not about "for-profit" education...I just cite this as an example...

So what is the "HIGHER" standard?

The answer is simple...and most leaders have yet to grasp it!

An organization that I worked for long ago recognized that rules take on two separate forms...the law's "intent" and its "content."  This company called it "the Letter and the Spirit."  It was the most awesome program!  Annually they required their employees to sign a document in which they renewed their vow to adhere to both the "Letter and the Spirit" of every internal and external rule and regulation...for me it was almost a mystical experience!  It made me think and question my every decision and motive...and I think it did for many others also... 

This company slowly and systematically built great leaders...individuals who had instilled in their DNA, the "Letter" of the law and the "Spirit" of its intent...these leaders ALWAYS played by the rules and could be expected to work with the highest level of integrity and honesty...in short order there was no reason to question the legality of a leader's behavior in this organization...it was simply the way they did business...

21st century leaders must have this characteristic...the "HIGHER" standard...the "Letter and the Spirit" ingrained in their behavior...

If they do not...the view from their corner office will be through bars!

Special interest groups and lobbying for relief...will no longer carry the clout that they did in the past...public opinion and the Internet will not allow to happen...if a law is not created to control them...the market will...

Profits may be optimized by running on that thin line between legality and illegal activity...but survivability comes to those organizations that put a buffer between their activities and letter of the law...this is where the Spirit of the law's intent resides...21st century leadership lives in the world of the Spirit...not the letter!

21st century leaders will recognize that Darwin is about to be proven true by the "Letter and the Spirit."  In a world where the strong survive...the weakness must be shown to be that lack of integrity...pushing profitability at the risk of being caught.  There is no longer the excuse of plausible deniability...

A 21st century leader and ultimately a 21st century organization must withhold immediate gratification of higher profits and hold itself to the "HIGHER" standard...in order to survive...

No excuses...no finger pointing...no blame...lives in a world where the spirit of the law is followed...

The funny thing is that this was the intent of our Founding Fathers.  It was true 200+ years ago and it still holds true today!

The "bottom line" of 21st century leadership begins with a foundation of "the "Letter and the Spirit."