Casting a vision of leadership for North Carolina

From the desk of Chuck Fuller, CEO The Results Company

As we gather with our families to celebrate Thanksgiving – getting away, however briefly, from the day-to-day tasks that consume so much of our attention – I write to offer you a vision for the state we call home.
 
I sat down to write this thinking, How do I put into words what I see as a vision we all could possibly all share? But my mind quickly moved to an equally important question: How does a group of likeminded business leaders pursue that vision?
 
In seeking an answer, I turned to the same place many of you turn for guidance: history. Two separate but related stories offer some insight.
 
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In 1962, President John F. Kennedy declared that the United States needed “to take a clearly leading role in space achievement” and “commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the earth.” The mission was clear: the United States must go to the Moon.
 
Of course, none of us are presidents organizing a national effort to fly through outer space. The takeaway here isn’t the scope, but the clarity with which a leader articulated a vision and a mission.
 
We must lead in the global space competition. We will realize that vision by landing a man on the moon.
 
Any long-term undertaking – big or small, in politics, policy, business, family, or faith – requires a clear vision with buy-in among participants.
 
Just seven years later, of course, Kennedy’s mission and vision became reality. Easy for him, you might say. He was president and had sweeping power to help bring about his own vision.
 
And that sentiment brings us to the next historical example, which I learned in 1997 from Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just As I Am.” This was fundamental in my dreams and “purpose” that became The Results Company the next year. Our purpose remains to create a state where executives feel safe to discuss, analyze, create solutions, and engage for the betterment of North Carolina.
 
In 1949, Graham was on the ascent as a gifted Christian orator, but he was not a nationally-known figure. His vision was to convert souls the world over to Christianity; he set about to realize that vision in smaller, digestible missions – to attract audiences to Campaigns, as they were called, in different parts of the country.
 
In late summer 1949, Graham turned to his next Campaign, in Los Angeles. He had some modest success in promoting his tent meetings, attracting around 3,000 each night – fewer people than chairs.
 
But toward the end of the Campaign, something remarkable happened. “I arrived at the tent for the next meeting, the scene startled me,” Graham wrote. “For the first time, the place was crawling with reporters and photographers. They had taken almost no notice up until now, and very little had appeared in the papers. I asked one of the journalists what was happening.”
 
“You’ve been kissed by William Randolph Hearst,” he responded.
 
The next morning’s headline story about the Campaign was in the Los Angeles Examiner, followed by an evening story in the Los Angeles Herald Express – both owned by Hearst. The story was picked up in the Hearst papers in New York, Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco, and then by all their competitors. Time magazine pulled out all the rhetorical stops in its November 14, 1949, issue.
 
The newspaper coverage was just the beginning of a phenomenon. Something was happening that all the media coverage in the world could not explain. And neither could Graham.
 
All Graham knew was that before it was over, he was on a journey from which there would be no looking back. Graham went on to touch the hearts of millions of people. His calling would take him to every nation, from Europe to Asia, from major capitals to the most remote outposts. His crusades spanned more than 50 years, and, until his death, he was part of history in the making and friend to every president since Eisenhower. A pioneer on social issues (he refused to preach to segregated audiences in the South), he led by his extraordinary example of integrity.
 
The takeaway from this story isn’t that Billy Graham’s clear mission and vision, together with tireless effort, brought about success, though that’s certainly true.
 
The takeaway is how it happened: business leaders, in this case William Randolph Hearst, brought about Graham’s vision by turning to their core competencies and engaging for the betterment of society.
 
We don’t necessarily need to operate outside of our respective spheres to collectively work towards a shared vision. In our own industries, with our own competencies, we can have tremendous impact.
 
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So why did I share the Kennedy and Graham history? Kennedy created and shared vision for our country. He was clear, decisive, and put forth a unifying message. Graham knew what he was called to do and went about his work. He was assisted by key business executives who did their part to make Graham successful.
 
I write to you today with a thought that is bigger and bolder than we may have thought about for our state’s future. People often hear about problems and respond that someone should do something to solve that. Many of you have asked me over the years, What can I do?
 
First, we must align with what we want to accomplish, like Kennedy did for our nation declaring we must go to the moon, and we must believe that we can accomplish our mission.
 
I’ve been dreaming about what North Carolina can be and want to share this vision:
 
A place where executives engage to make our State the nation’s free enterprise leader. It will be a place where businesses, employees, and individuals can thrive economically, where students are well taught and can excel, and where society is a safe and welcoming place to pursue happiness.
 
Can we agree this is the place we want to call home? Our home, North Carolina.
 
Could this even be possible? If so, what part could each of us play? What would it take for us as business executives to have a unified front to pursue a vision like this? Will you take a leadership role and commit yourself to achieving the goal for the future of North Carolina?
 
One more quick story as you contemplate these questions. C.S. Lewis uses a metaphor to describe changing one’s perspective from the immediate surroundings to something bigger. Imagine yourself in a dark shed, Lewis says, with a small crack in the door letting in a narrow beam of light. You can look at that light from the side, remarking on its presence and impact in the room. But by moving into that beam of light, you can gaze out through the crack in the door to the world beyond – you can get a view, even if it’s incomplete, of what’s outside that shed. You can then see what is possible.
 
I realize this is a grand vision much like President Kennedy, and making this vision a reality may seem like an exceedingly large goal, but without a vision of this nature, we tend to become satisfied or accept the status quo. I’m willing to do what I can to further this vision.
 
If you are ready, please let me hear from you.
 
I look forward to your response.

Chuck Fuller
CEO
The Results Company