The Value of Charity

As this blog is about promoting and promulgating leadership (both professionally as well as personally), I thought it was opportune to consider values that drive success. I will guide you through identifying the type of values that are demonstrated and how these can be relevant to one’s job or endeavours. The winner of the Best Job in The World exhibits many leadership values, so he should be interesting to watch out for. We wish him every success in his six-month contract, and for many – the Dream Job. Well done, mate!

Ben Southall, 34, a British was hired the caretaker of Hamilton Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, beating more than 34,000 applicants (and then, the final-16) for the coveted position.

Southall will spend six months swimming, snorkelling and sailing around the tropical paradise, earning US$100,000 for blogging about his experiences and promoting the region to the world. He dived into a freezing British lake in his video application for the job! [RESOURCEFULNESS AND PASSION]

He said that it also involved hard work generating promotional ideas, and he remained committed to charity work. “I've done lots of work for charity, I'd like to continue that," he said. One of these charities he regularly raises money for, is Char's Fund. It is a little one that was set up after a very good friend of his died in the Asian tsunami." [DILIGENCE, INTUITION, KINDNESS, CITIZENSHIP, CHALLENGE and ABUNDANCE]

Southall said he raised money for it with an annual music festival called Onionfest. "Now I'd like to benefit causes in Australia as well and try to get some charity work going here," he added.

Southall has done his hard yards, as he held a job as fishmonger when he was 13-15 years old. [VITALITY, including strength and resilience] "Some people say working with fish is a bad idea, but now I've got a job where I can work with fish - the live ones, not the dead ones - it's quite a contrast." [DISCERNMENT]

Pike Place Fish Company, of Seattle, Washington is, undisputedly, the most famous team of fishmongers in the world. Owner John Yokoyama, assisted by consulting company, bizFutures, turned a near-bankrupt business into a thriving one. The signature fish-throwing and fish-catching antics of his staff has been the subject of half-a-dozen management books, two DVDs, and one of the staff bagged a Guinness Book of World records award for Most Fish Caught with One Hand in 30 seconds. (The books are ’When Fish Fly’, ‘Catch!’, ‘Fish Sticks’, ‘Whale of A Good Time’, and ‘Fish!’)

From their website: At the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, we know that it's possible for each of us as human beings to impact the way other people experience life. Through our work, we're out to improve the quality of life for everyone. We are working inside the possibility of world peace and prosperity for all people. This is our commitment -that's who we are - it's what we do. [QUALITY, ENGAGEMENT, FAITH and ABUNDANCE]

Southall acknowledged that there were some very forthright people who presented themselves to the media in a brilliant way and he was trying to learn that now. He wants to set myself challenges, learn to sail properly, get out there and get my next PADI (diving certification)," he said. [He is engaging values like RECOGNITION, CHALLENGES, KNOWLEDGE, PERFORMANCE and INITIATIVE.]

So, how do you engage others with your sense of charity? How do you demonstrate your spirit of generosity?