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Published by Watermark, the book is divided into sections titled "What's Your Purpose?" "Follow Your Passion," "Giving Back," "Overcoming Adversity," "Building Relationships," "The Importance of Family" and "Undeniable Faith." Six or seven community leaders contribute to each chapter with brief essays about their lives and work in an effort to "provide different perspectives on these themes," said Evan. A brief biography of the contributor sits in the corner of each piece.
"The Greater Good" is illustrated with images of local leaders as children. Top row from left: Dennis Francis, president and publisher, Star-Bulletin and MidWeek; Joan Bennet, president and CEO, Bennet Group Strategic Communications; Stephen B. Metter, CEO, MW Group; Sanford Murata, president, Sanford Murata Inc.; Stephen Ai, president and CEO, City Mill. Bottom row: Crystal K. Rose, partner, Bays, Deaver, Lung, Rose & Holma; Dick Gushman, CEO, DGM Group; Rick Blangiardi, president and general manager, KGMB; Nate Smith, president and CEO, Time Warner Cable.
A story from John Dean, managing partner of Startup Capital Ventures and former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, recalled a bank officer, Bob Huffman, who developed ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, while he and Dean tried to turn around the First National Bank of Oklahoma City, which was "hemorrhaging losses" at the time.
Part of the plan to improve the business involved creating a new set of core values. Everyone wanted to make a commitment to the community and build trust and respect for the employees. But this occurred in a most unexpected way. When Huffman became ill and quickly lost the ability to walk and talk, his fellow employees helped care for him, and the bank arranged for a van to transport Huffman and his wheelchair to work each day.
"Seeing Bob day in and day out was an inspiration to many of us at the bank," Dean wrote. Ironically, in those two years the bank went from "a failed institution to the most profitable bank in the state. And I would argue that our commitment to Bob and to all employees is what drove the turnaround."
Nainoa Thompson explored navigating with your heart "when you can't see with your eyes," and retired Navy Capt. Jerry Coffee recalled his seven years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. His turnaround occurred when he stopped saying, "Why me?" and began asking God to prepare him to be a "better, stronger, smarter person in every possible way," and to use the time -- much of it spent in solitary confinement -- productively.
An especially moving essay came from U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. He remembered joining the military as an 18-year-old private in 1943, when people of Japanese descent were finally allowed to serve their country. In understated language he recounted his multiple, severe wounds and the harrowing transport to the medical tent. Doctors had given up on him until a chaplain -- who realized the young Inouye would fight for his life at all costs -- urged the medical team to provide more immediate attention. Inouye received 17 transfusions, barely escaping death.
In the section about family, Robin Campaniano, president and CEO of AIG Hawaii Insurance Co., explained how missing the opportunity to teach his children to ride bicycles altered his professional choices. "I canceled my upcoming trip, didn't give the speech I had been working on, and shortly thereafter, left my position." he wrote. "If your family life is balanced, everything else will follow."
Indeed, Evan Leong noted that the "number one regret from the interviewees was not spending enough time with their children when they were young."
Keeping everything in perspective is part of the larger picture for the Leongs. Their primary goal with the Greater Good projects has always focused on assisting social services and nonprofits in a way that transcends their own ability to directly volunteer by igniting in others the passion to help. In addition, they are mobilizing partnerships between corporations, government and nonprofit organizations so each can help the other and, in turn, benefit the community.
"All of what we're doing now is bringing the community together," Evan said. "It's the 21st-century ahupuaa."
They end the book with a simple statement that will resonate with anyone yearning for success and wondering about the path that will lead them there: "You have the ability to create a better life. Make your life a work of art. Create your life to make a difference."
Original article: http://starbulletin.com/2008/05/06/features/story01.html
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