Inaugural summer CEO Institute I attendees hear from an ethics expert.
By Lisa Hochgraf
Ever hear how leadership only exists at the top? Keith T. Darcy illustrated how life taught him this was only a myth during his presentation, "Leadership and Ethics," yesterday during the inaugural summer CEO Institute I: Strategic Planning at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Philadelphia. Darcy is president of Darcy Partners; an independent senior advisor to Deloitte and Touche; and executive director of the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. When Darcy bought his first home, a small ranch in the state of New York, his 13-year-old neighbor, Allan, came to the door regularly. First, Allan got Darcy to buy the paper, which Allan delivered. Then, Allan got Darcy to sponsor Allan's walk in the March of Dimes. Next, Allan got Darcy to sponsor him for a larger amount per mile than the previous year. Then Allan got Darcy to increase his sponsorship year after year. When Darcy moved to another home, he figured that would end the sponsorships. But Allan was on the phone, right on time the next year, asking for yet a little more for his cause. The last time Darcy saw Allan he was in his 40s and 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Allan told Darcy that the March of Dimes was honoring him. In all the years Allan had walked for the March of Dimes, he'd raised over $100,000. "Allan is mentally handicapped, sweeps the mailroom" for his job, Darcy told the CU executives. He teared up as he ended the story. "The table of leadership is set for everybody. Everybody has the capacity to lead. We need to open up and give them that capacity."
Lisa Hochgraf is a CUES senior editor. You may also wish to read "The One Leadership Secret You Can't Ignore" and "Lead with Creative Tension." Attend Leadership Brand and Shadow or Women Who Lead, starting this September via CUES' new Blended Learning program. Learn more about CUES' institutes.
