Now we come to the last life bucket, which by no means is the least. In fact, this bucket has an impact that goes well beyond your own life and your immediate circle of family and friends. This bucket is how, in big and small ways, you can help change the world.

For some people, making a difference is a strong motivation in their lives. Perhaps service to others is important in their families, and they have been volunteering in the community and for charity projects since they were young. This is certainly true of many purpose-driven millennials today. When I was a student at Kellogg many years ago, no more than 5 percent of my classmates were involved with nonprofit organizations or charitable work in any way. Today it's the opposite. More than 90 percent of current Kellogg students are active in nonprofits and philanthropy. Some volunteer with charities and service organizations—among them is Kellogg Cares, which focuses on meaningful service opportunities in the local community. Other Kellogg students are pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector and are highly motivated to put their MBA degrees to work in addressing major societal issues.

Other people, though, are not involved in volunteering, charitable work, or socially responsible activities. No shame or judgment here—just an invitation to think about what each of us can do.

I've found that the desire to make a difference is one of those wake-up calls that many of us experience at some point in our lives. It can happen after you realize just how fast the last 10 or 20 years went by. It seemed like yesterday when you were in college. Or perhaps you have attended the funeral of someone close to your age—a friend you knew in high school or college. Suddenly, you're thinking about how short life really is. As you engage in self-reflection, you ask yourself, “What difference am I making while I am here, on this planet?”

You may attend a memorial service for someone who lived a long and meaningful life—perhaps a relative or someone else close to you. You listen to the eulogy and the many stories told about all the good this person did to touch people's lives. Afterward, you ask yourself, “What will others say about me when I'm gone? Am I making a difference at all? How am I helping others, especially those who are less fortunate?”

These are sobering questions. Instead of viewing them as punitive or scolding, however, allow them to be enlightening and inspiring. Pondering these questions can lead you to discover how you can, in your own way, help make the world a better place.

NOT BEING POSSESSED BY POSSESSIONS

Taking care of others who are less fortunate is a lesson I learned early in life. When I was a youngster in Catholic schools, we collected money for the poor during Lent. Some of those dimes and quarters came from our allowances, which gave us an early taste of what it was like to make a sacrifice for the sake of others. It was a formative experience. I learned that even though I didn't have everything I wanted (like that new baseball glove I had my eye on), I still had more than many other people. With this perspective, I stopped focusing on what I didn't have and what I wanted and began to consider the needs of others.

I wasn't just being selfless. As I collected more money, I started to feel really good about it. Suddenly, I saw that collecting and donating all those dimes and quarters made me feel happier than I would have been with a new baseball glove.

My dad worked hard to provide for our family, but he never made it all about money. As I relate in chapter 1, he used to say, “Have you ever seen a hearse going to a cemetery with a U-Haul attached to it?” Every time I heard him say that line, I knew that it was important to keep material possessions in perspective.

When I was in college, one of my roommates had much the same attitude. Brian always bought his clothes at Goodwill, not because he couldn't afford anything new, but because he just didn't see the need for it. I can remember walking through downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, where Lawrence University is located, and asking Brian about a secondhand raincoat he was wearing.

To explain his preference for shopping at Goodwill, Brian told me about his aunt whose prized possession was a new mink stole. “When she goes to a restaurant, she can't check it for fear someone will steal it. She's so worried about her fur, she won't even leave it on the back of the chair when she goes to the restroom. Instead, she brings it with her.”

Then, to my shock, Brian pulled off his old raincoat, threw it in a puddle, and stomped on it. “I don't ever want to worry about material things. It's not worth it!” As Brian picked up his wet coat and put it back on, his message was clear. He was never going to be possessed by his possessions.

When Julie and I got married, we didn't have much money, so we were never really motivated by material things. As our careers advanced, we made sure our lifestyle didn't change very much. We never wanted to become overly focused on things that didn't really matter. For example, when I was named CEO of Baxter, it really was a proud moment. I had more responsibilities and I reported directly to the company's board of directors. Other than that, things didn't change all that much in my life. I still drove my six-year-old Toyota to work, and my family lived in the same house we owned since I was a senior analyst.

No matter how much money we made, Julie and I were determined that things would not change because, believe me, when you reach a certain point in your career, there are plenty of temptations that can make you forget who you are. Focusing on the needs of others can help prevent that from happening.

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO SHARE?

Let's assume that you are motivated to make a difference. The problem, though, is that as you think about all the issues in the world—poverty, hunger, illiteracy, debilitating diseases, the digital divide, and the environment, just to name a few—it feels overwhelming. You're just one person. How can you solve problems that are truly global in scale? Given your salary and free time, you can't even make the slightest dent. It's easy to let such thinking overwhelm you.

Perhaps you are in the first years of your career and getting ahead consumes a great deal of your time and attention. Along with that, you may be in a long-term relationship or married; perhaps you have children or are planning to have a family. As you think about these obligations and how much time, energy, and money they require, you just don't see that there is much left over to help others. Maybe you are further along in your career, but you're saving for retirement, sending your children to college, or have other family obligations such as caring for aging parents. As you see it, you just don't have much extra to give to charity or help solve the problems of the world.

Whatever your life scenario, it's easy to convince yourself that you should wait until later when you (supposedly) will have more time and money. The only problem is, if helping others isn't a priority now, how can you be sure that you will suddenly focus on it when you're making more money and living a more comfortable lifestyle? Doing good is a habit, just like exercise and engaging in a spiritual practice.

Another thing to consider is what you have to share—it could be more than you realize, based on the amount of money you need to lead a satisfying life. Although this is highly personal and also depends on where you live and the cost of living, there is evidence that a higher income does not lead to greater happiness and well-being. In an article in Nature Human Behaviour, researchers Andrew Jebb, Louis Tay, Ed Diener, and Shigehiro Oishi explained their findings using Gallup World Poll data from more than 1.7 million people worldwide. The goal was to identify what they called “income satiation”—or the point at which a higher income did not make a difference to the person's life. For emotional well-being, that satiation point was between $60,000 and $75,000 a year.¹

I'm certainly not suggesting that you should cap your earnings or slow down your career. Instead, think about what money really means in your life. After you've taken care of your basic needs and a few comforts, you may find that the pursuit of more money actually diminishes your life satisfaction. As the alternative to getting on that hamster wheel of chasing more and more possessions, consider what is enough—and how much you can share with others.

YOU ARE “THOSE GUYS”

If you want to live in a better world, you can't simply wait for someone else to step in and do the hard work. Early in my career, I observed a common assumption and widespread expectation that all the problems would be solved by a group of people known as “those guys”—a gender-neutral term referring to people in charge. In the workplace, many people working in cubicles and on the front lines thought they couldn't possibly change things or have an impact. As it turned out, their assumptions were wrong.

As I realized then, and as I tell people today, each of us has the ability to be one of those guys. We can exert a positive influence, starting with our own behavior, the example we set, and our interactions with others. Although it's true that the rich and powerful have much more money and influence to put to work for the benefit of others, we can do the same. If each of us believes strongly in bringing about positive change in the world, we cannot leave it to someone else.

In other words, you are those guys! Rather than waiting for someone else to show up, be willing to look at what you can do. It can be as simple as being a good person and showing gratitude and appreciation for others. Living the Golden Rule—treating others the way you want to be treated—means showing respect to everyone you meet. Now imagine the force multiplier if everyone committed to doing the same thing.

Look for ways to make a difference. No positive action is too small—even if it's just smiling at people and saying hello. If you doubt the impact of doing that, just consider the last time someone greeted you warmly and how that made you feel. There is no shortage of good works you can do in your neighborhood (shoveling the walk for your elderly neighbors) or in your community (participating in food drives or picking up litter in the park). On a global level, you can join with millions of other people who want to make a difference, either by making a donation, spreading awareness of the problem, or getting directly involved.

Don't wait until some undefined point in the future when you will have more money, time, and connections. Instead, think about your legacy as a journey. Along the way, you prepare and practice, just like you would do for playing a sport or running a marathon. The small steps you take today will give you a foundation on which to build a legacy of doing good for others and making a positive impact.

PAYING BACK BY PAYING IT FORWARD

Another motivation for making a difference is paying back the kindnesses and assistance we've received in our lives. Khalid Ali, my good friend and former student whose story I shared in chapter 10, told me recently that he often reflects on how others encouraged and helped him when he was younger. “I feel so incredibly lucky that throughout my life there were people—not just relatives and friends but also complete strangers who I may not have had anything in common with except our shared humanity—who were willing to go out of their way to give me opportunities, such as scholarships for college,” Khalid said. “I am deeply indebted to them for helping me achieve my personal and professional aspirations.”

To show his gratitude for what he received, Khalid said he makes an effort to “pay forward what I can never pay back.” This includes helping his community, volunteering, and showing kindness and understanding to others. By sharing these experiences whenever possible with their children, Khalid and his wife, Leena, strive to set a positive example. “Of course, we've had bad experiences with people, too, but for us, it boils down to focusing on and nurturing the good in ourselves and others,” Khalid said.

In the same way, with everything you do to make a positive difference, you are setting an example for others. If you have children, even small acts of charity and kindness can convey your family values. There are many ways to become involved in your local community, from a one-time event to ongoing volunteering. Your faith community may also be involved in community projects, such as soup kitchens, food pantries, or programs for underprivileged youth. As you get involved, you can encourage others to do the same. Suddenly, the efforts of one person can grow fivefold, tenfold, and even more!

SAVING THE WORLD

As you reflect on what you might do, never underestimate a genuine desire to make a difference. The most inspiring example I know is Andrew Youn, a 2006 graduate of Kellogg, who could have easily pursued a career in the for-profit world. Instead, Andrew pursued his passion for helping farm families in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the children at risk of dying from hunger-related causes. In his second year at Kellogg, Andrew began pursuing a business solution. In March 2006, he cofounded One Acre Fund as a nonprofit social enterprise that provides smallholder farmers with seed, fertilizer, training, and better access to the marketplace. Today, One Acre Fund serves more than 1 million farm families in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Malawi. (To read more about the amazing work of One Acre Fund, please visit www.OneAcreFund.org.) In honor of his work and example, Andrew received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Northwestern University and was the commencement speaker at Kellogg's 2019 MBA convocation.

Among the many amazing things about Andrew's story is that he did not come from an agricultural background. He had no long-term ties with Africa when he dreamed of starting One Acre Fund. Rather, he saw a problem and realized he could apply his Kellogg MBA and his network to make an enormous difference. Andrew has provided many of us with the pleasure of helping support this mission. Although most of us will never do what he did—move to Africa (he currently lives full-time in Rwanda with his family) and devote himself to solving a problem on a global scale—we can be a small part of it. Many Kellogg students, both Andrew's former classmates and others in subsequent classes who have heard about his work, support One Acre Fund with donations. I, too, am proud to be a One Acre Fund supporter, including by donating all proceeds from the sales of my three books and all my speaking fees to One Acre Fund.

It wasn't enough for me to just send money, however; I wanted to see the work of One Acre Fund in action and to share the experience with my wife and children. In 2016, we traveled to Kenya to visit farms where One Acre Fund is bringing help and hope. We saw firsthand that One Acre Fund's work is not a handout; rather, it's providing empowerment through training and low-cost loans to help farmers grow their way out of poverty. And it all started with one person who wanted to make a difference.

WHERE YOUR PASSIONS LIE

What difference will you make? Perhaps your talent, experience, and passion will lead you to explore becoming involved in a particular mission or to tackle a specific problem. You may follow the path Andrew did and devote 100 percent of your time and talent to this mission. Or you may be like many of us who find ways to get involved through volunteering and making donations.

There is no shortage of places or opportunities to get involved in doing good works. With self-reflection, you will likely see more ways in which you can make a difference. Some of these opportunities may even come to you.

When I left Baxter and began considering what I would do in the next phase of my life, I was approached by Dean Donald Jacobs of Kellogg about teaching. My first response was that I didn't have a PhD, so how could I become a university professor? Dean Jacobs assured me that I could be a clinical professor and share my corporate career with students. As I reflected on the opportunity, and given the fact I had been a CFO, I realized that I could possibly teach finance classes. However, I felt a calling in a different direction. I wanted to apply the experiences and lessons learned from every aspect of my life. Dean Jacobs encouraged me, and I have taught values-based leadership for the past 15 years.

Teaching values-based leadership has brought numerous benefits: helping shape the next generation of leaders at Kellogg with values-based leadership, writing books and giving speeches about values-based leadership to organizations around the world, and donating all my book sales and speech proceeds to One Acre Fund. As I told Dean Jacobs a few years ago, “It's a trifecta!”

Dean Jacobs smiled at me and shook his head. “No, Harry, it's not a trifecta—it's a ‘four-fecta’ because you also love doing it.”

Since Dean Jacobs's death in 2017 at the age of 90, I have often reflected on his words and how they inspire me to continue my efforts to make a difference anywhere I can. Although I am doing my best to help others, I also receive the benefits of joy and satisfaction.

THE GOOD THAT YOU DO

If you believe that you should devote some of your 168 to making a difference and leaving a legacy, open your mind and your heart to the possibilities. No matter where you are in life, you can give of yourself—time, talent, and treasure. Don't wait to make a difference, because right now the world needs what you can give, whether that's a donation to a good cause or a smile to someone who could really use some cheering up.

Yes, you can and should enjoy a good life and the fruits of your labors. By committing a portion of your 168 to doing good in the world, you also can make a positive impact far beyond what you thought possible. Not only will you help improve the lives of other people but also they, in turn, may be inspired to help someone else. In addition, as the people around you observe what you are doing, they may decide to help as well. By giving of yourself, you can make an investment that pays big dividends. Your values-based life will truly make a difference—for yourself, your loved ones, and the world.