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Part 2 in a two-part story about how the success of Tom Chappelle, founder of Tom's of Maine, compelled him to go deeper into his spiritual journey.
In last week's column I started to tell about Tom's of Maine, founded in 1971 by Tom and Kate Chappell to manufacture personal care products. In the first 15 years of the company's life, Tom and Kate built a thriving business based on their values of using natural ingredients and caring for the environment. But by 1986, Tom had hit a wall. Though the company was successful, he found himself dissatisfied.
In constant conflict with the finance and marketing experts he had hired to grow the company, Tom wondered if indeed he did need to give up on his values (as the experts argued) if he wanted continued business success.
For Tom, this wall served as an invitation to go deeper. He realized that he couldn't figure out the answers on his own. With no idea of where his explorations might lead, but knowing that he needed to listen to his soul, Tom sought advice from a trusted spiritual leader. As he relates in his book "The Soul of a Business," Tom visited an Episcopal priest who had known him since childhood, with nothing more than a question in hand: "What is God calling me to do?"
As Tom talked with Rev. Malcolm Eckel about his frustrations with his business, his growing sense of emptiness, and the nudge he felt toward divinity school, the priest cautioned, "Putting on a collar is not always the best solution in the world." Rev. Eckel's wife, Connie, listening to the conversation from the kitchen where she was preparing lunch, interrupted: "How do you know that Tom's of Maine isn't your ministry?" The question bothered Tom. It muddied the waters. And it stayed with him.
At least for the immediate future, Tom and Kate decided that Tom would remain CEO of the business while also attending Harvard Divinity School two days a week. During his years at Harvard Divinity School, Tom not only found that his own soul was being fed, but he also came to see and understand the soul of the business. He reclaimed the spiritual principles upon which he and Kate had founded Tom's of Maine, understanding that putting spiritual values first was the only way he could be true to himself. He learned how to articulate and develop Tom's of Maine's soul.
The wall Tom had hit in 1986 became a window into his own soul and, unexpectedly, into the soul of the business. By putting soul first, Tom regained his energy and vision. He also put the business back on course, the values-based course that he and Kate had originally charted.
Furthermore, the business flourished. In retrospect, Tom claimed, "Studying theology turned out to be the best business decision I'd ever made." Paradoxically, when he stopped pursuing business success, business success came to him.
Tom and Kate had helped Tom's of Maine make the transition to the second half of the journey, the part of the journey in which spiritual principles are put first and chosen for their own sake, rather than for the material gain they provide. And incidentally, material gain followed. For the next 20 years, through many ups and downs, as Tom and Kate continued to put their values first, the company thrived.
Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations," works with leaders in business, healthcare, government and non-profits to help them develop spiritual leadership. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com .
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