Tom Chapell on a CEO’s Nature
“Sure I am a religious man who is also passionate about conserving the environment. But I am also a CEO, with all the bad habits and attitudes that are natural to the species.. . . I am still naturally self-interested, overconfident, full of pride, and eager to control a meeting as any CEO in America. Every day, I struggle with my ego.”
— Tom Chappell in Managing Upside Down
Chappell understands that anyone with the strength to be a successful CEO is not likely to be a perfect, considerate, or quiet soul 24/7. But this doesn’t mean he’s given up on character. Instead, it means he knows he’s got a wrestling match, every day.
Those of us with attention deficit disorder and a C-level job can share some of his attitude. We’re not always easy to work with, and we can apologize for where our nature hinders progress or makes life harder for others. But at the same time, we can embrace the fact that our nature is also part of what makes us motivated and strong.
About Tom Chappell, in case you didn’t already know: In the 1970s, Chappell co-founded Tom’s of Maine, which has grown into one of the most enduring success stories of business done right. Last year, Chappell sold Tom’s of Maine for $100 million to Colgate-Palmolive. Fifteen years ago, Chappell endowed a professorship at the Harvard Divinity School, where he had just completed his Masters degree in Theology. Clearly, Chappell knows something about the spirit as well as the marketplace. Chappell is author of several books, including The Soul of a Business: Managing for Profit and the Common Good and Managing Upside Down: Seven Intentions for Values-Centered Leadership.
