But paying that respect doesn’t justnhappen. To do it, the true pursuernmust be other-directed and peopleoriented.nHe—or she—must be empathetic,nenthusiastic, respectful, diligent,ncourageous, fair, forgiving,npatient. Creating Excellence, a nationalnbest-seller, deems this latter qualitynworthy of an entire chapter! And he ornshe must be able to love, all of whichndemands much self-mastery, muchngetting beyond one’s self-interests.nOne popular excellence book recallednthe story of Trammel Crow,nhead of the vast industrial real-estatenempire. After speaking to the HarvardnBusiness School, Crow was asked:n”What is the secret of your success?”n”Love,” said Crow. Or as famous chefnAndre Soltner put it, “I cook for younfrom the heart . . . but the waiternmust serve with love. Otherwise thenfood is nothing.”nThe famed business analyst PeternDrucker noted that the managerialntask, which requires “working” thenhuman being, always means developingnhim. “This applies,” emphasizesnDrucker, “… not alone to the mannwho is being managed, but also thenmanager] Whether he develops hisnsubordinates in the right direction,nhelps them to grow and become biggernand richer persons, will directiy determinenwhether he himself will develop,nwill grow or wither, become richer ornbecome impoverished, improve or deteriorate.”nGood management, accordingnto Drucker, is quite otherdirected,nthe antithesis of Weaver’snegotistic Western man, and selffulfillingnin the best sense.nDrucker knows well the importancenof business, and especially the qualitiesnand virtues of its practitioners.n”The invention of organization as society’sntool for accomplishing socialnpurposes may well be as important tonthe history of man as was the inventionnof the specialization of labor for individualsnten thousand years ago.” Andnthe principle underlying it is not thatn”private vices make public benefits”n(Governor Cuomo, take note). It is,nsays Drucker, that “personal strengthsnmake social benefits.”nThe pursuit of excellence, then,ndemands personal strengths and virtues.nAnd in so demanding it can bringnthe worker to a fuller developmentnbecause it challenges the impact of hisnwork not only upon the workplace, butnupon himself. Such actions far transcendnwhatever advancements theynmay bring to the workplace preciselynbecause the worker is not just producer.nHe or she is, first and foremost,nperson. Put another way, man is primarynand superior to the task at handnbecause in working, man is not onlynmaking or building something, he isnalso making himself And what greaternproduct—what greater work of art—ncan man produce, with grace, than hisnvery selfnAs unaccustomed as we may be tonthink of work as primarily selfdevelopmentn(for centuries it has beennassociated with production of one kindnor another), it is nonetheless true.nWork is essentially for man. Man isnthe purpose of work, not vice versa.nWork is the central activity throughnwhich a person grows—through free,ndecisive action—into that which henmay become. Work is a good thing fornman because through it he not onlyntransforms nature, adapting it to hisnown needs, but he also grows as anhuman being.nThe battle for growth in “personalnequity” is fought—and the freedom ofnself-dominion won — only if thatnworker can see beyond the seductivenessnof work’s allurements, especiallynthe pursuit of wealth, honor, and selfaggrandizement,nand realize that it isnwhat a man is, not what he has, thatncounts. As Britain’s Prince Charles putnit at Harvard’s commencement lastnyear: “When all is said and done, angood man … is a nobler work than angood technologist.”nA good man or woman is a noblenwork indeed. But this personal excellencendepends on both his actions andnhis intentions. What a man is dependsnupon what he does—and particularlynwhy he does it. In this business, motivesndetermine results, and motivesncan be manifold. Pride lurks everywherenin the human condition. Yetnthe noblest of motives, manifestingnGod’s glory, can spring up in surprisingnplaces. Witness an excerpt fromnChicago Bears football coach MikenDitka’s pre-game Super Bowl prayernwith his players: “Heavenly Father, wenare grateful for this opportunity and wenthank you for the talents you havengiven us. . . . Father, we ask that youngive us the courage and the commit­nnnment to use the talents to the best ofnour ability, so that we may give thenglory back to you.”nAndre Gide reminded us that thenterrible thing about the pride of lifenand sensual allurements is that “wencan never make ourselves drunknenough.” But even unbridled aspirationsnpoint to our transcendence andnour spiritual needs. To the imperative—thwartednif self-directed — tonglorify Someone beyond self. To andeeply seated desire to not only havenmore, but to be more.nHomo sapiens is, after all, very differentnfrom the animals. Family aside,nNoah’s companions in the ark werenperfect of their kind, but unfree. Wenare free, but unfinished. There is anbreach in each of us, something incompletenthat opens us to the infinitenand causes our perpetual anxiety andndissatisfaction. No doubt because wenare attracted not only to true, good,nand beautiful things but also to Truthnand Beauty and Goodness themselves.nAnd we have yet to finish the race.nSo in the noble pursuit for professionalnexcellence and the undeniablenhuman goods which it brings—wenought not to overlook the potential itnhas for realizing the good, the true,nand the beautiful within us. Tradition-nNovelty ItemnLIBERAL ARTSnThe Brooklyn Museum recently acquiredna painting by Carroll Dunham,ndealing with “the artificiality of thenso-called natural.” The work, No Nature,nconsists of wood veneers dyed “sonas to obscure the wood’s natural colornand imply new relationships betweennthe natural and the man-made.” Dunhamndescribed his aspirations in thenMuseum’s October Newsletter:nI am not interested in lookingnback over my shoulder, or innany manifestation of nostalgianor irony vis-a-vis past styles. Inam really interested in figuring outnhow to invent a new-lookingnartwork.nIf he really wants to be revolutionary,nDunham might give up burlesquingnOscar Wilde and learn to draw.nJANUARY 1987 / 39n