TAKING ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY

Some people take responsibility to find out the solution no matter how difficult
the task may be while others find excuses and believe that the situation is not
under their control and hence leave things by believing the fact that the it is not
in their hands to solve it. Great people like Mother Teresa believed that Poor
people die not because God does not take care of them but because the
individuals of the society dont do their bit for the society. On the other hand
Emperor Nero of Rome shirked responsibility when Rome was burning on fire.
Moral identity and moral purpose are important in deriving the ultimate sense of
responsibility. People for whom moral convictions define who they are, have
strong sense of morality. Moral identity leads to a sense of personal responsibility
where people take the initiative for the betterment of the society at large.
Three examples to illustrate ultimate responsibility:
Max De Pree, the chairman of Herman Miller Inc. , an innovative company in
furniture business. He believed in ethical business practice and took the ultimate
responsibility for his organization and workers. The reason for the success of his
business was the innovative leadership style. In his book Leadership Is an Art, he
establishes the fact that leaders should identify others talents and remove
obstacles in order to allow them to allow them to use their talents to greatest
extent. De Pree advocates the concept of servant leadership where leaders
should serve the workers. As a leader he had run his business fairly and ethically.
He believed that the value system shared at the work place should be no
different from the values followed in their personal lives. Also an important
component of his leadership style was the accountability whereby the workers
were personally accountable for the work they do. De Pree practiced Scanlon
Plan at his workplace, where financial rewards were given to workers who saved
company money. The ultimate purpose of his work life was to serve the society
by applying social approach to business.
Katharine Graham exemplifies the sense of responsibility for the journalism
profession and believed in the fulfilment of business purposes, keeping
journalism ethics intact. After her husband died she took over the responsibility
of the publisher of the paper. She had to take many critical decisions such as
whether to publish stories about Watergate and the Pentagon Papers. Her moral
identity included three distinct facet, she believed that she owed something to
the community she lived in, deep concern for people of lesser means, and the
humility. Running the Washington Post was the purpose of life of Graham. The
profits mattered but the ultimate concern was to run a high quality newspaper.
John W. Gardner, a philanthropist took the ultimate responsibility for the society
as a whole. He has served as a former president of Carnegie Corporation,
secretary of health, education and welfare, and founder of Common Cause and
Independent Sector. He has played different and varied roles in his lifetime with a
common objective of serving the society at large. He believed that
Responsibility for the other was the basis of his moral identity. The community

should be responsible for the actions the effect the society at large. He believed
that addressing societal issues and problems was the purpose of his life and with
the support of the community it is possible to bring serious positive change in
the society.