When Wabash College Trustee David Shane ’70 was honored in Indianapolis in 2012 for “serving the com-munity in a way that brings together the public and private sectors for civic im-provement,” the chair of the award committee noted that Shane “embodies selfless, effective, private-sector leadership.”
When he returned to campus in April as a guest speaker for the College’s Callings program, Shane shared with students and teachers the philosophy behind not only those philanthropic efforts, but also his career in business and law.
“Being other-directed and service-oriented is a good idea whatever you do, and whatever your calling may be,” Shane said in a talk titled “Service to Others as a Strategy for Life and Leadership.”
In both business and law, Shane said, “service to others is a very useful strategy.
“In a courtroom or negotiation, woe unto the lawyer who doesn’t think about the person on other side of the table, and it’s a huge strategic advantage to the lawyer who does. If you understand your adversary, the firm with whom you’re contracting, the person you’re trying to establish a partnership or merger with, you’re way ahead.”
Shane urged students to be other-directed when it comes to finding one’s calling.
“A calling is something you’re drawn to, have a passion for doing, and over time do well because of that passion. I would add another element: Do it for someone other than yourself.”
The people he’s come to admire, Shane said, “are always thinking about the person on the other side of the table. What they have done has been measured in someone else’s life, not their own.
“So you start with these simple guiding facts: It’s not about me, it’s about you; it’s not about image, it’s about action; it’s not about effort, it’s about results. When you lay on top of that the notion of service and thinking about the person on the other side, you end up making more progress.”
Shane insisted that authenticity was essential, no matter what your calling.
“You can’t fake this stuff,” Shane said. “Interest is for amateurs, passion is for pros.”