Category Archives: values-based leadership

Jul 05 2011
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hazing, purpose of fraternity, Uncategorized, values, values-based leadership, values-based recruitment

Lessons from IBM’s 100th Birthday

IBM celebrated its 100th birthday last month and the iconic company’s history offers several parallels for fraternities.

On values-based recruitment:

In those days, Big Blue was the place everyone wanted to work and invest. It recruited the best graduates from the best universities, imbued them with its core values of “excellence,” “customer service” and “respect for the individual,” and sent them out in blue suits and white shirts to sell the world on electronic computing.

On doing the right thing, even when it may not be popular (for example, taking a stand against hazing):

Here’s a company whose researchers won Nobel prizes, whose executives stood up to discrimination and prejudice before it was fashionable, and whose name could invariably be found on the list of major donors of the best universities and cultural institutions. And its computers outfoxed the world’s chess champion and took the crown in Jeopardy.

On upholding the company’s core values in the way they were meant to be:

It wasn’t, however, just the strategy that had gone awry. As Steve Hamm writes in a book commissioned for the 100th anniversary, “Making the World Work Better,” some of the core beliefs that had carried the company through other periods of transition had become impediments. Respect for employees, according to Hamm, “had morphed into a sense of entitlement, “excellence in all things had turned into a decision-inhibiting perfectionism, and “the best customer service” became an exercise in giving customers what they said they wanted rather than presenting them with the breakthrough innovation they never knew they needed.

On the willingness to break tradition:

By 1993, things were so desperate that IBM for the first time reached outside its ranks and hired Lou Gerstner, an executive with RJR Nabisco, as chief executive. Gerstner mounted a painful rescue that included closing facilities, selling off businesses and firing 35,000 employees. Gerstner’s strategy was to move IBM out of low-margin equipment manufacturing while moving more aggressively into software and corporate outsourcing of computer services. Under the current chief executive, Sam Palmisano, who took over in 2002, that strategy includes a strong focus on cloud computing, strategic consulting and data analytics.

Read the full story here.

Jul 04 2011
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Honor, purpose of fraternity, values, values-based leadership

Fraternal Musings on the Fourth of July

By Don Densborn (Indiana)

“And for the support of this Fraternity, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

It is the 4th of July, so in accord with the tradition to which we all subscribe as Americans, I am re-reading the Declaration of Independence.

Why are you laughing?  We all do it, right?

OK, admittedly reading the Declaration on the 4th is a bit odd.  I am a traditionalist at a time when a lot of tradition seems to be tweeted to the winds.

I attribute my odd practice to the fact, when I was in high school, I was required to memorize the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.  I became addicted to great words conveying great ideas.  Who would not recognize the timeless words, “When in the Course of human events..,” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”  Ol’ Tom Jefferson sure knew how to coin a phrase for the ages.  He knew his words would be etched into history.  He understood his audience would include future generations he would never know.  Thus he took great care.

I believe a lot of people think Jefferson’s preamble to the Declaration is the entire instrument—far from it.  There was a committee that helped Jefferson, and the work of that committee included a comprehensive list of grievances against the “King of Great Britain” intended that the Colonies be “Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown,” culminating with the following:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Reading these closing words this time, I was given to substitute “Fraternity” for “Declaration” in the first phrase.  The preface to this writing was thusly “borrowed” shall we say—borrowed, but not without basis.

For much like our beloved country, our fraternity firmly relies on the “protection of divine Providence.”  The earthly Knights—or Swiss Guards—of our protectorate are our staff in Lexington and elsewhere, led by Brad Beacham and Brad Hastings.  They are young, honorable, talented men who have dedicated their lives and worldly pursuits to a set of common ideals over personal fortune.  They personify the Life of Love and should inspire our gratitude and respect.

“We mutually pledge”—we all mutually pledged loyalty to Sigma Nu and our Knightly vows.  To “pledge” means to make a “solemn promise.”  By their Declaration, our founding fathers made their solemn promise to one another and to a set of common beliefs.  They did so in anticipation of great toil and grief—possibly death.  As members of the Legion of Honor, we similarly vowed, whatever the sacrifice, to serve each other and society according to a set of ideals and a common purpose we deem most high.  According to our Creed, “in the fresh morning of our youth,” we subscribed to the “common brotherhood” of men, the “continuity of the Divine” and the “solidarity of mankind.”

What’s more:

“Our lives”—we pledged to believe in the Life of Love for until death.

“Our fortunes”—we pledged to lend a “Helping Hand” and do all we can to ensure the perpetuation of our fraternal ideals throughout the world, forever.

“Our sacred honor”—quite simply, ours is the Honor Fraternity.  It is our raison d’etre.

You get the picture.  As an analogy, it is nearly perfect.  Some 94 years after the Declaration of Independence, our founding ideals were set to align with it, and 142 years hence from that date, Sigma Nu soldiers on under the same indelible banner.  You can’t tweet that away.

With this in mind, I read the results of a poll which were published recently in the Wall Street Journal.  The question posed was:  “Are you happy?”  Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they were “Pretty Happy,” and another 30 percent said they were “Very Happy.”  In a time of political tumult and a dreadful economy, it is interesting to witness that our level of happiness is not dictated much by politics or the economy.  That’s quite telling.

Perhaps, despite all angst of the moment, we take long measure of our blessings when presented with such a question.  If one is blessed by a loving spouse, wonderful children, good health—and has not missed a meal lately—how can he not be happy in the overall scheme of things?  Or maybe happiness has to do with loyal friends, fulfilling work, financial security, the beauty of nature, the wonders of human achievement, the blessings of liberty, the rewards of an honorable life well-lived, and/or a loving and forgiving God?  Quite simply, we live in the greatest place in the world and the greatest time in history. We have a lot to be thankful for, and we know it.  On that basis alone, how could any witting man not experience happiness, at least in a relative sense?

Relative happiness, sure, but what’s more?  I would answer that “What’s more?” is the complete joy that comes from giving—giving behind the ideals in which you believe—giving in support of the institutions of goodness in the world—giving to perpetuate the type of relationships which helped mold you into a man and shape you for the better—in short, giving to ensure that the world you will leave behind one day will be better than the one you inherited.

My guess is that when a member of our Brotherhood reflects on the influences in his life that shaped his sacred honor, fostered his life success, and rendered him, at the end of the day, happy, he will find Sigma Nu prominent among them.

Quite simply, we are blessed to be part of the greatest fraternity in the world.  Sigma Nu deserves another 140 years and beyond, but she needs our financial support.  There is a line in the movie “True Grit” to the effect that there is nothing free in the world except the grace of God.  I believe that also free is the will of man. We are free to put our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor behind that which we believe…the Life of Love, the Way of Honor, and the Light of Truth.

Thus, I pray that, for the sheer joy you will experience today—and for the benefit of generations of tomorrow you will never know—you take time this Independence Day to pledge an appropriate measure of your fortune in support of the great ideals and work of our beloved Fraternity.  It will be etched in history if you do.

Br. Densborn is a past Regent and longtime volunteer for the Fraternity.

Jun 30 2011
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apathy, complacency, goal setting, group culture, innovation, leadership, strategic planning, values-based leadership

The Fraternity Stock Market

Pandora, Groupon, LinkedIn, and coming soon to a portfolio near you: Facebook. If you’re a business major or just generally someone who keeps up with business news then you’re well aware of the recent scramble of tech companies to the IPO cash cow. Just the other day, Facebook was given a valuation estimate of $100 billion. These companies are searching for capital, which will hopefully result in both a better product and higher profits.

However, these companies also have to prove their worth both literally and figuratively. That’s what the stock market is all about, isn’t it? Is Company A worth so-and-so amount or is it not? Product recalls, poor leadership, bad money management, and failing to achieve benchmarks will result in a dropping stock value. On the other hand, the opposite of these negatives will attract confident investors eager to throw some money your way in return for an anticipated increase of value.

All business talk aside, isn’t this a rather nifty metaphor for a fraternity? If I run chapter A and we have strong leadership, a strategic plan, defined goals, rock solid dues collection and budgeting, and of course providing the best fraternity product on our campus then why wouldn’t others want to “invest” and join us? For a nice cherry on top of this sundae we also mention that those who invest with us will see an increase of value. With each bid signed and an additional investor we can use that capital to fund brotherhood retreats, run an effective LEAD program, host safe social events, and the added bonus of developing as a scholar, leader, and gentleman.

Now let’s say I run chapter B and we don’t have a very organized group of leadership, we’re in debt because we don’t collect dues very or bother to follow a budget, we don’t have any goals (which means we’re either in neutral or sliding backwards), and our overall product is mediocre at best.

In fact, to hide our downfalls we like to throw up the smoke-screen of parties and the image that everything is A-Okay (Sounds like Enron might have pulled a page from this playbook, actually). But then we had an incident thanks to our risky social practices. Now we’re wondering why no one wants to sign a bid and invest in us (or why we’re only attracting people who want to party).

Millenials are smarter than your average bear. If anything, to follow the running stock market metaphor, they’re smart bulls looking to invest in something that is going to provide them value for the capital they invest. So as you enjoy your summer vacation and reach that point of excitement to return back to school to see brothers and rehash your summer exploits, think about your answer to two simple questions: If your chapter were to launch as an IPO what would it be worth, and would it ultimately boom or bust?

May 04 2011
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headquarters staff, Honor, integrity, leadership, values-based leadership

Self-governance in Action at Boise State

Every two years Sigma Nus from across the country convene at Grand Chapter–the supreme governing body of the Fraternity–where collegiate and alumni delegates vote on changes to The Law and elect new national leadership, among other matters.

As every Sigma Nu should know, the votes at Grand Chapter are overwhelmingly controlled by the collegians. This means that no bylaw is passed and no leader is elected without the collective approval of the undergraduate members.

It was established from the beginning that the General Fraternity would regard undergraduate chapters as self-governing entities; this is the essence of the Honor system.

Even the best chapters make mistakes on occasion. With sound chapter operations, these groups are prepared to handle their own problems, whether it be through a local honor court or a more formal Trial Court. Excellent chapters are willing to discipline their own members.

The High Council (Sigma Nu’s elected board of directors) and the General Fraternity are obligated to take action only when a chapter is so operationally dysfunctional that it’s incapable of holding its own members accountable.

Boise State’s response to the recent NCAA allegations serves as a positive example in self-governance. After multiple NCAA violations surfaced at Boise State this spring, school officials were quick to take action and self-impose sanctions:

Boise State has self-imposed sanctions on its football program as it faces NCAA allegations charging the school’s athletic program with a lack of institutional control.

…

“We pride ourselves on doing things the right way at Boise State. As soon as we became aware that these inadvertent infractions were not in accordance with NCAA rules, we acted swiftly and without hesitation,” football coach Chris Petersen said Monday in a statement released by the school.

“The university, our staff and the involved student-athletes worked together with the NCAA to resolve the situation, including reimbursement of the benefits received, and that money was donated to a local charity,” Petersen said.

After being notified by the NCAA of the potential violations, Boise State officials launched their own inquiry in 2009 and ultimately self-reported some previously unknown infractions. But before a resolution could be reached with the NCAA, Boise State officials discovered more serious problems in the women’s tennis program last fall.

If your chapter slips up, how will your leadership react? Exercise self-governance and acknowledge the mistake, take appropriate action and move on?

Or deny all wrongdoing, orchestrate a cover-up and let the problem worsen?

There are too many stories of now dormant chapters that chose the latter.

Apr 25 2011
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careers, LEAD, leadership, professional development, purpose of fraternity, values-based leadership

6 Tips For High School Seniors

Washington Post has a few tips this morning for high school seniors planning to attend college. We’ve added one more:

6. Join a fraternity.

One of the least talked about reasons to “go Greek” is the fraternity system’s unique ability to ease the transition from high school to college. Do some basic research to make sure you join the best chapter on campus (e.g. search for chapters that have recently won awards from their national office; stay away from the chapters with a history of risk reduction problems). The right chapter will:

What are some other reasons college freshman should consider joining a fraternity to ease the transition from high school to college? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Apr 18 2011
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goal setting, innovation, values, values-based leadership

How Wikipedia reminds employees of the organization’s mission

The April 2011 issue of Fast Company profiles Sue Gardner, the new executive director of Wikimedia Foundation, which operates the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The full story is worth reading as an example of “officer” transition and setting ambitious goals for growth.

One paragraph in particular stood out to me as an innovative and symbolic way to remind Wikipedia employees and volunteers of the organization’s mission:

Recently, Gardner spoofed Wales’s evangelical zeal by putting a picture of the founder in the employee bathroom above the aspirin and dental-floss basket and typing up a mock plea from Wikipedia’s benevolent founder. “This basket exists for one reason: the free and open sharing of personal-grooming items. For many of us, most of us, this basket has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Help protect it now. Please make a donation.”

The crowdsourced Wikipedia is, of course, produced entirely by volunteer editors who donate their knowledge and talents for the greater good (aside from a small staff to run the organization). This sharing box in the bathroom constantly reminds Wikipedia employees of the organization’s mission to share free information.

This small example got me thinking – what are some similar ways your chapter can constantly remind members of Sigma Nu’s mission to produce ethical leaders inspired by Love, Honor and Truth? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

(By the way, Sigma Nu’s Wikipedia page could use a few good volunteer editors.)

Apr 06 2011
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LEAD, values, values-based leadership

Ethics LEAD Session

Here’s a great idea for a customized LEAD session:

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Local business leaders are heading back to school this week. They are teaching students a valuable lesson on ethics and building a reputable business career before it even starts.

Sioux Falls business executive Steve Kirby is one of 250 local business leaders who are preaching the power of ethics in the workplace to about 3,000 high school sophomores.

“So we’re trying to hammer-in for only one day, it’s only about an hour and a few minutes, what ethics means and try to personalize it for these kids,” Kirby said.

Read the full story here.

Mar 07 2011
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candidate education, hazing, new member education, personal servitude, pledging, purpose of fraternity, ritual, values, values-based leadership

Four Reasons Ritual is Important to Sigma Nu

By Director of Communications Nathaniel Clarkson

1. Renewal of purpose.

There are plenty of practical reasons to begin every chapter meeting with The Ritual. Most chapters only convene for 1-2 hours per week so opening with The Ritual sets a serious tone for the meeting. The Ritual asks participants to wear coat and tie, which contributes to an atmosphere conducive to accomplishing the business of the fraternity.

Beyond fostering a professional atmosphere and providing other tangible benefits, The Ritual serves a much deeper function, namely, to remind us of Sigma Nu’s purpose. Between the hectic day-to-day activities of running the chapter, sometimes it’s easy to forget why we’re all doing this fraternity thing in the first place. The Ritual serves as a reminder of Sigma Nu’s purpose and a weekly renewal of the oath each Knight swore to uphold.

2. Articulates honorable action.

Without publishing any secrets of the ceremony, the opening of The Ritual essentially asks each Knight to renew the oath he took as a candidate. Moreover, the closing reminds us all that the passages recited each week are not just words; rather, they are a call to action.

While The Ritual is secret, non-initiates should be able to decipher our Ritual by observing our actions. The Ritual serves as a guide for honorable behavior.

3. Distinguishes us from other organizations; unifies all Sigma Nu chapters.

Sigma Nu maintains nearly 180 collegiate chapters throughout North America. Naturally, each chapter develops its own unique culture over time. Some chapters boast 200+ members, each involved in a bevy of other campus organizations, while other chapters maintain a smaller brotherhood all recruited from the football team.

Despite the menagerie of interests among different chapters and even members within the same chapter, each Knight is united by the same oath to live an honorable life.  It’s a moving experience to watch Brothers from Boston, Macon and Santa Barbara stand side-by-side reciting the same ritual during conclave.

While The Ritual unites tens of thousands of Sigma Nu Brothers who’ve never met, the fraternity ritual also distinguishes us from other (inter)national fraternities.  However, the differences are much smaller than most realize. In fact, a confidential study administered by the North-American Interfraternity Conference concluded that ritual ceremonies for the prominent social fraternities showed strong similarities.

4. Teaches us to eliminate hazing.

In a subtle way, The Ritual also presents a problem for the typical hazing logic. According to the hazing narrative, candidates must complete a series of arbitrary tasks to prove they are worthy of initiation.

As the opening to ritual shows us, however, we don’t earn our membership in Sigma Nu by submitting to activities that have nothing to do with ethical leadership. Rather, we “earn our badge” each and every day by remaining faithful to our Knightly vows.

Mar 02 2011
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purpose of fraternity, ritual, values, values-based leadership

What I Learned From My Initiation

By Associate Director of Leadership Development Alex Combs

Throughout my development as a candidate, my experience revolved around the concept of becoming part of a more exclusive group.  I was trying to join a group whose values and purpose stood just beyond my knowledge, as I still felt like just another student at my university.  I wanted to identify with that group, those values, and that purpose.  Initiation represented my transition to that more exclusive identity as a candidate, but upon initiation, I learned just how inclusive Greek life was.

I am not suggesting the old, tired claim that our organizations are all the same.  Whether that’s the case or not, it’s irrelevant to my point and represents the wrong kind of inclusiveness.  My point is that despite the fact that our organizations all have different histories, different values, and different ways in which to live those values – aspects that make us exclusive – initiation showed me the aspects that make us very inclusive.

Initiation taught me that we might spend the better part of our undergraduate careers, and perhaps our lives, aspiring to attain an ideal state in our moral and ethical lives.  And the men in that room represented an exclusive group with the willingness and ability to do so.  But initiation also taught me that our aspirations, our achievements, our moral and ethical progress are all in vain if we don’t include the rest of society in our journey.  Every Greek organization has the potential to be great.  If we keep that greatness within our own walls, we’ve essentially done nothing.

Initiation taught me that although we are an exclusive group, we have an obligation to include the world and its people in our lives and do our part to make progress together.

Mar 02 2011
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leadership, purpose of fraternity, ritual, values, values-based leadership

Founders’ Intent: How Ritual Binds Us Together

By Austin Landry (Louisiana Lafayette/Birmingham Southern)

There are Rituals and there are rituals. A ritual for some men is that, when they shave, they start on the same side of the face every day, more like a habit than anything else. However, a Ritual is something totally different. A Ritual is a formal, well thought out ceremony that is meant to be something more than a habit. Some Rituals go back thousands of years.  Some are new and some are yet to be established.

The Sigma Nu Ritual began in 1869 when three young cadets at the Virginia Military Institute decided to form a new organization opposed to hazing, which, at the time was rampant at the Institute. On the edge of the Institute parade ground, three cadets, James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlvaine Riley met and committed to each  other to form an organization opposed to hazing, with Love , Truth, and Honor as a foundation. Thus, the Legion of Honor was formed, an organization now known as the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

Now, more than 140 years later, Sigma Nu continues to hold true the basis of the foundation of Love, Truth, and Honor set by the founders. As with any organization, some form of Ritual was needed to induct new members into the Fraternity. In the beginning, like many organizations, the ceremony was new and resulted in some later changes. In Sigma Nu, in those early days, there was not a formal candidate or pledge process or ceremony. Young men were observed and, by their actions and honorable behavior, were determined to be worthy of wearing the badge of Sigma Nu.

Later, when a formal pledge or candidate process was deemed necessary, an addition to the Sigma Nu Ritual was made to include a meaningful and memorable ceremony for those desiring to be members of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. However, this ceremony did not yet make them full members of the Fraternity.

In many Rituals, the candidate for membership does not really know what to expect from the ceremony. As a result, if the ritual has any substance and meaning, the individual going through the ceremony is nervous about the process and may not remember all that happened in the ceremony. Therefore, it is important for the Ritual to be informative and memorable. The Sigma Nu Ritual is both. Every member remembers the place, setting, and process, both during the candidate and the initiation ceremony. This is one of the things that binds together every Sigma Nu from the first Ritual which was passed word to mouth and was memorized, to the current hard bound Ritual. The Ritual is the symbolic glue that includes the words and actions to which we can all relate, whether in a large chapter of 100 Brothers that is over 120 years old or a newly chartered chapter. Each of our meetings begins and ends with the Ritual for meetings, during which, we are reminded of the commitment we made during our Initiation.

In the same fashion, Greek fraternities and sororities become bound together by means of each of their unique, but related Rituals, creating a common bond of members, both undergraduate and alumni. Without Rituals, we would only be clubs, rather than fraternities and sororities. How many alumni would be willing to go back to the college or university campus to have a reunion of one of the clubs? In fraternities and sororities, all of us are ready to stay in touch with our Brothers and Sisters, whether they live down the block or in Thailand. The Ritual helped provide the foundation of that common bond.

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