A Lesson in Ethics
by Dr. Moses Pava

Spirituality at Work

Joseph Badaracco, a business ethics professor at Harvard, does not use the term spirituality in his new book, Leading Quietly.  Nevertheless, his view of leadership illustrates the possibility of a this-worldly kind of spiritual leadership accessible to all of us. For those interested in practical responses to the current crop of corporate ethical failures, this book is helpful.

According to Badaracco, quiet leaders are patient, modest, and tenacious. They are willing to learn, as well as teach. They bring their whole selves to work, not haphazardly, and not all the time. But when there is an issue they identify with passionately, quiet leaders carefully craft and implement a workable strategy to help solve the problem. Sometimes these strategies work and other times they don’t. These leaders don’t necessarily build permanent monuments, but they leave footprints in the sand. It is through their own initiative and work, that quiet leaders create meaning and spirituality.  

The Student as Teacher

Where can we find this kind of spirituality? The best news of all is that it is potentially everywhere. I was recently reminded of this by one of my own accounting students, Yosef (not his real name). He is a short, quiet, well-mannered, young man who stands out because of his bright eyes, long payos, and large, black-felt yarmulke.

On a Monday evening, I reminded my class that on Wednesday of that week I would be giving the midterm exam. Immediately, a number of students complained loudly that it wasn’t fair to give them an exam on Wednesday because they would be observing a communal fast day, honoring Israeli victims of the Palestinian suicide bombers. The students explained that the full-day fast (no food or drinks) would be over at about 6:30, the same time the test was scheduled to begin. The students complained that they would be tired and hungry and would not be able to perform as they normally would. I was surprised by the students’ request. While I had heard about the fast day, I didn’t think it was necessary to reschedule the exam. (Of course, I wasn’t taking it, I was only proctoring.)

While I was sympathetic to the students’ request, I thought we should stay on schedule. I wanted to protect the academic integrity of the course. I also imagined that some of the students were using the fast day as an excuse to get more time to study. As the students’ demand became more shrill and less respectful, I exercised my authority, cut off the debate, and began our review session. After class, some of my colleagues told me that they had postponed exams to respect the students’ desire to fast.

Moral Imagination

On Wednesday, as students arrived early to take the midterm, Yosef came in with his usual smile. He was carrying a case of juice and several boxes of cookies to share with the class. He put the food and drinks on my desk and asked me if it would be okay to announce to the class that they could take whatever food and drinks they wanted. His creativity and generosity immediately broke the tense silence that usually accompanies exam day. Yosef was the only one of us who was able to look at this situation from everyone’s point of view. He didn’t participate in Monday’s whining, but he heard his classmate’s concerns. At the same time, Yosef demonstrated a respect for the educational process. If spiritual leadership is about deepening our ability to communicate, Yosef’s actions certainly qualify. He taught us that a little imagination, concern, and active listening can serve in very practical ways.

I had been wrong. This was not a case of the students versus the professor. This was an opportunity to build bridges, only I hadn’t been able to see it that way initially. As it turned out, those students who wanted to fast were able to do so. We were able to stick to the lesson plan, and through Yosef’s simple example, the classroom became a loving and caring community, if just for an hour or so. All the while, Yosef, with his quiet leadership, hardly needed to speak more than a few casually chosen words.

 Yosef’s behavior is not the stuff of front-page news stories. His actions will probably not prevent future WorldComs and Enrons. To me though, his behavior provides a hopeful and pragmatic alternative to the easy cynicism and cowboy mentality that has become a hallmark of corporate and organizational culture, even at times, here at Yeshiva.

As this week’s Torah portion promises us, each of us is endowed with freedom of choice, “therefore choose life (Netzavim, Chapter 30). Yosef’s example demonstrates how powerful this gift truly is.  

Moses Pava is Alvin H. Einbender Professor of Business Ethics and Professor of Accoutning at the Sy Syms School of Business