Over a decade ago I represented my employer, a manufacturing company, at an awards ceremony. The company was being honored for its long-standing support of the arts.
Corporate support of the arts did not strike me as being at all controversial. After all, like science and engineering, the arts inspire and challenge what is possible and encourage lifelong learning and creativity.
In accepting the award, I began by saying, “Successful businesses improve the human condition.”
So far, so good.
But then I added that I was accepting the award “on behalf of our shareowners, Board of Directors, and more than 200,000 employees around the world.” At that, I felt I was starting to lose the crowd. The business leaders attending the gala weren’t interested in answering to those folks.
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