The Homeboy Way by Thomas Vozzo

Author:Thomas Vozzo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BUS071000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership, BUS008000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Business Ethics, BIO003000, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Business, Homeboy Industries, Gregory Boyle, Christian business and professional growth
ISBN: 9780829454567
Publisher: Loyola Press
Published: 2022-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

The Limits of a Merit-Based System

The Privileged America, the one I grew up in, is the America that meritocracy fits best. The Privileged America can live by the belief that a merit-based system has rules that create a level playing field. There is a quid pro quo: if you work harder than the rest and are smart, you will thrive in a world that has meritocracy-based values. People know what is expected, and if you achieve something, everyone else understands why it happened. The result came through your own merit and had nothing to do with playing favorites or tearing others down.

I believe that meritocracy even works to the benefit of those in the lower-middle-class world, especially first- and second-generation Americans. When your goal is to improve your status in life, it’s easier when you know the rules of the game. How many times have we heard the Horatio Alger “rags to riches” type stories? The immigrant comes to America and makes a better life for himself and his family. This could be done only in a society that values and rewards hard work and fortitude.

I was raised in a middle-class Italian family in New Jersey, and we operated in this system of meritocracy. I was taught that I could achieve my American Dream through my hard work and ability. Indeed, I achieved successes big and small. For most of my adult life, I believed that my success had nothing to do with the station of life I was born into or whom I knew, for my family was not “connected.” To put it into economic terms, through my own talent, hard work, and ability, I believed I was able to earn a decent living. I believed that over time, these rewards propelled me up the ladder, earning a spot in a higher socioeconomic class. I believed that everyone was given a fair shot, independent of their backgrounds, to do the same thing.

But I’ve come to see that this is not the reality for many people. Meritocracy doesn’t work so well in the Forgotten America that our clients live in. Upon coming to Homeboy, I was a full-throated American Dream and meritocracy believer—before I learned a few humbling lessons. Father Greg once asked me, “Is meritocracy a worthiness code?” His question gave me pause. The $6MDM inside me held fast. After all, how might I otherwise explain and connect all my hard work and sacrifices with the riches and fruits of my labor? Father Greg went on, “The ego thrives on success, but the soul finds vitality in meaning. That’s what we do at Homeboy. Success can be a by-product of our effort as well, but the emphasis is different here.” We help people with meaning.

I saw several examples that tangibly challenged me to think differently about meritocracy. We had several managers who, if they were from the side of the tracks I was from, would be zooming up the ladder of success. But because they were not, life doesn’t work out that way for them.

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