Smart & Good High Schools - The Flippen Group

CHAPTER 5: Fostering the 8 Strengths of Character—Outcome 8think more deeply about what it means to be a man andabout the kind of man they want to become.OUTCOME 8:Spiritual PersonPromising Practice 3:8Ask students to develop a missionstatement.In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes, “The mosteffective way to begin with the end in mind is to developa personal mission statement. It focuses on what youwant to be (character) and to do (contributions andachievements) and on the values or principles uponwhich being and doing are based.” Research shows thatsuccessful organizations have mission statements thatinfluence the culture of the organization and the characterof its members. 38 Personal mission statements canhelp each of us make the most of our lives.Research shows that successfulorganizations have mission statements.Leadership for LifeIn one of our site visits, we had an opportunity to watch ateacher work with students to help them craft a missionstatement. The course was “Leadership for Life,” an electivefor juniors and seniors.Mrs. A. asked students to begin work on their missionstatement during week six of class. To set the stage, sheshowed a clip from the Tom Cruise film, “Jerry Maguire.”Maguire, a sports agent who begins to question his ownintegrity and the integrity of his profession as a whole, hasa nightmare in which he is drowning. He wakes up andasks himself, “What am I, just another shark in a suit?”That morning, he sits down and writes his mission statement,a pledge to care about other people. He puts hismanifesto announcing the new person he intends to be inthe mailboxes of his colleagues at work. At first Maguireis deeply satisfied with his principled stance, but then, ashe realizes that he has made public his deepest privateconvictions, he begins to panic. His colleagues publiclyapplaud his principled statement, but are privately cynical.Ultimately, Maguire loses his job as his colleagues usehis statement to undermine his credibility.Mrs. A. reviewed the highlights of the clip to make surestudents had picked up on the key points: “Any of youever feel as if you were drowning, even though youweren’t in water? What is he feeling in that scene? . . . .When we take a stand to do the right thing, how does theworld often react?” She then handed out the assignment,“Personal Mission Statement,” and went over the directions(see box).WRITING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT1. What kind of person do I want to be (with regardto character, not career)?2. What do I want to do (with regard to contributionsand achievements, not career)?3. What unchanging values or principles will be thebasis for my being and doing?4. Imagine you are at your own funeral. What doyou want people to be saying about you?5. Make a list of “commandments” you believe in andwill follow in your life. Incorporate these into yourmission statement.Next, she handed out three examples of mission statements,including one by a high school junior (see box).Finally, to set a high standard of excellence, Mrs. A. readthis excerpt from Covey’s book:A mission statement is not something you write overnight.MY MISSION STATEMENT (17-YEAR-OLD BOY)◆ Have confidence in yourself and others.◆ Be kind, courteous, and respectful to all people.◆ Set reachable goals; never lose sight of them.◆ Never take the simple things in life for granted.◆ Appreciate other people’s differences.◆ Ask questions.◆ Remember that before you can change someone else,you must first change yourself.◆ Speak with your actions.◆ Make time to help the less fortunate and those whoare having a bad day.◆ Read this mission statement every day. 39202Smart & Good High Schools