I just realized that I haven’t included an “Ask Harry” question in my blog posts for quite a while….so here’s a question I receive from students and executives quite often: “How should I keep my religious beliefs separate from my work life? Harry, what do you personally do?”
One of the reasons this question comes up often is the frequent statement of the need to “separate church and state.” While I understand the concept from a government perspective, my response (opinion) to the question may surprise you:
If you have strong faith or religious beliefs, I don’t know how you can possibly separate it from the rest of your life. For me, my Christian faith impacts everything I do ……It is like breathing. It is not possible for me to separate it.
HOWEVER, (and I mean a huge however), I am extremely respectful of people with different religious beliefs, faiths or no faith at all. I am happy to share my beliefs, and I love to understand and learn the beliefs of others. The more we respectfully share our beliefs, the more we can truly relate to one another and possibly live in harmony.
I enjoy spending time with Jewish friends and attending their services and Seders. I learn by observing the prayers of Muslim friends during Ramadan and listening to the history and beliefs of Buddhist and Hindu colleagues. I find these encounters to be remarkably engaging.
I am reminded of a World Economic Forum meeting I attended in Davos, Switzerland while I was the CEO of Baxter Intl. During one of the sessions on world religions, leaders of eight different religions discussed their individual histories and key beliefs. It was fascinating to understand how much the faiths had in common. The Christian speaker reminded the participants that the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religions all had Abraham in common.
When I am engaging in my “self reflection,” I often wonder how much the world would be better off if we openly shared our beliefs…spending more time focusing on what we have in common rather than the differences.
What does this mean for me personally? I always let my students know that I am Catholic and how my faith impacts my life and my leadership principles. I am not preaching or trying to convert others. This sharing helps the students relate to me, and many of the students share their personal beliefs so I can relate to them. As I repeat to myself every day, “Seek to understand before you were understood.” 👍😀🙏
