I recall reading the book Father, Son & Co: My Life at IBM and Beyond a number of years ago and the one thing I remember most was a story of the younger Watson learning a life lesson from his dad. They had just used the restroom at a hotel and after washing their hands, dad wiped down the splashes on the sink that junior had left. Dad said (near as I can recall), “You always want to leave the place better than you found it.”

Thomas J. Watson Sr., the guy who started it all, built the company on a few core values. From an new book, Making the World Work Better: The Ideas That Shaped a Century and a Company comes this quote: “Since its early days, IBM has been operated based on a set of core beliefs. IBM would distinguish itself with its respect for the individual, its pursuit of excellence in all things and its commitment to providing the best customer service. These values were baked into the core DNA by Thomas Watson Sr., who built the near-failing organization of 1914 into an industrial giant with staying power. And that DNA has taken hold in millions of employees over the course of 100 years.”

IBM has had its ups and downs, made big bets some of which paid off hugely, experienced near-death in the late 1980′s, had a succession of CEO’s, and is still going strong.

IBM seemed to lose its way in the 80′s under John F. Akers. This was their near-death era. They brought in Louis V. Gerstner Jr. who “quickly slashed headcount and spending, and reset the company’s focus on the customer.” Gerstner was not there for too many years. It reminds me a bit of when a church loses its way, is seriously heading downhill, and a turn-around interim comes in and does the necessary surgery. There may be blood on the walls, upset and angry people, but the patient (church) is saved from bleeding to death. Someone has to have the courage to make the hard decisions (and a few enemies), and that takes some character.

Next up was Samuel J. Palmisano, who continues to be the chairman and CEO since his appointment in 2002. He came on board and quickly established several values that have defined IBM for this era: “dedication to every client’s success; innovation that matters-for our company and for the world; and trust and personal responsibility in all relationships.”

My point is that character and values matter. IBM is no church (well, some might beg to differ) but at least some of its leaders led in a principled manner and IBM is still here and still strong.

One of the hardest things for older churches is to have the courage to act on their principles in the face of decline and/or opposition. It kills me to see leaders hesitate to act on what they are convinced is right. We of all people should be fearless. Or maybe we lost sight of the hope we once held. Then, losing our way, we lost our character too.

I watched the movie Becket recently. The story is strong and the acting compelling. Burton and O’Toole were both up for best actor. An amazing story indeed. Thomas Becket, murdered December 29, 1170, was a most unlikely candidate for Archbishop. It was a political appointment that backfired on King Henry II. Becket is portrayed in the movie as finding his purpose in life not in political power and privilege but in defending the glory of God. The movie is a study of the transformation of Becket’s values and character. He became a man willing and able to stand up to the king and paid for his convictions with his life. Four years later the king submitted himself to public humiliation at the demand of the pope, being whipped by the monks of Canterbury as penance for the part he played in the Becket’s murder. Based on a true tail, though retold with a degree of historical liberty, the movie is a reminder that character matters.

http://www.logos.com/product/8797/memoir-and-remains-of-the-rev-robert-murray-mccheyne

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