Burke: Xerox's Wilson personified servant leadership

Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the three days and nights of the Rochester race riots and demonstrations that resulted in five deaths and 350 people injured.

The tensions that ignited the unrest started with a suspected vicious arrest of an African-American man that unleashed frustrations in the black community regarding the lack of job opportunities and affordable housing.

In his book Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox, Charles D. Ellis details an incident that happened one evening of the riots that personifies servant leadership, community stewardship and the power of personal significance.

In 1964, Joseph C. Wilson was the charismatic president and CEO of the fast-growing, innovative Xerox Corp.

For most executives, that would be plenty, full of professional and financial recognition associated with business success. But for Wilson, there was something equally important: the needs of his community.

He understood that a healthy community would result in assuring the dignity of its citizens, allowing them to unleash their creativity, promising a continuous fountain of innovative ideas and prosperity.

One night, Ellis wrote, Wilson drove alone to the office of Franklin Florence, a 29-year-old influential African-American minister. As Florence recalled, "I said, 'OK, what does he want down here at 9 at night, all by himself?' " Sitting at his office table, Florence recalled, Wilson said:

"I'm Joe Wilson. You may not believe this, but anybody in this community who knows me, knows that I'm a man of my word. I want to help. I don't know just what to do, but I know we need to do something to pull this community together. I want to work with you and your organization.

"I've come here to see if we can work together — to do something constructive for the community. ... I hear you are interested in jobs. Well, we need workers at Xerox. Can you supply us with workers to help us do what we need done?"

The humility, sincerity, servant leadership, and corporate citizenship of Joe Wilson were critical factors in building Xerox and Rochester.

In addition to these foundational principles, Wilson clearly understood that innovation and creativity are the offspring of diversity of thought and experience.

Florence captured the essence of Wilson's leadership. "Joe Wilson had authenticity," he told Ellis. "That man had many peers, but few equals. ... Where others would look down, he came down."

Maybe a lesson for all in these days of reflection.

Patrick Burke is managing principal of Burke Group in Brighton. He can be reached at PCBURKE61@gmail.com.