Here is a new
blog on leadership from Grand Circle that offers
stories and examples of how their leadership principles “helped Grand Circle
Corporation grow over 15% per year from a small travel business to a major
global company that systematically delivers on its motto to "change
people's lives." The three
major strategies of Grand Circle are: invest in people over systems and structures, integrate philanthropy into the
business strategy, and relentlessly measuring the quality and excellence of
everything they do. There are
posts covering each of these themes. The first and
third are positions I certainly agree with, but I was especially interested in
the creative application of the second and they way they create win-win
situations by integrating
philanthropy into the mainstream business. Many organizations support
philanthropy, some more than others. Grand Circle turns it into a competitive
advantage. Here is a post on the blog that provides an example, How doing
good creates value for Grand Circle. Grand Circle took a tour to a small village in Tanzania in 1999.
They saw a one-room schoolhouse with over 100 students. The travelers asked the
villagers why they did not move the school to a larger abandoned building
nearby. They were told that to fix the roof and restore the abandoned building
would take far more resources that the village could afford, around $20,000.
The travelers agreed to raise that money on the spot, but with the
condition that they would return the following year to see what progress had
been made. Grand Circle brought the group back the next year and the
school was finished. The town was justifiably proud of their accomplishment, as
were the travelers. They asked what else could be done. The village chief mentioned
that it took almost a day's walk for the villagers to get medical
care. Physicians were willing to drive to the village but only
if there was a facility in the village where they could see patients.
The travelers readily agreed to raise the money for a medical clinic and Grand
Circle matched their contribution. Within a few years those investments had
expanded further to other projects and other villages. Grand Circle Foundation now routinely matches the gifts of its
travelers and associates and has a distribution model to assure that the money
is used for exactly what it is designated for. Knowing this practice
motivates local people to provide a great experience for Grand Circle clients
and encourages repeat trips by these clients. This just one example of the stories found on the Grand Circle’s
Corporate Leadership for Social Change Blog. Here is a
post on their six business values, Using the right values to build an
empowered culture. I encourage you to take a look to
find some innovative business practices and an excellent set of leadership
principles.
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