Normally, I don’t like to comment on things of a religious nature, but this latest one from Jerry Falwell Jr. warrants some discussion.
Some of you may know he recently stepped down as the head of Liberty University, the university his evangelic father founded. The circumstances surrounding it stem from what amounts to allegations of a triad affair with his wife and another male individual. That story was preceded by a pretty interesting photo of him with his pants partially zipped on a boat or at a party aboard a yacht with a co-worker. IT was all just weird, and that’s the point to all of this.
At first glance, some people may say, “Why is his running of a university got anything to do with how he and his wife conduct their private lives?” True, to a point. When you’ve espoused yourself on certain values and you articulate that as an extension of your business, your private actions do matter. You can’t have it both ways.
Here’s the lesson for other CEOs. If you and your business desire to take positions on social matters, cultural matters, current events matters, and things of that nature, feel free to state such. Just do so in an authentic way and back it up with actions in both your professional and life.
