2022-January-27

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Practicing my Hawaiian values at Cisco

BY TK KEANINI · CTO OF THE SECURITY BUSINESS GROUP · UNITED STATES

WITH HELEN GALL

3 MINUTE READ · 4 MINUTE LISTEN

I was born and raised in Hawaii, and I am very proud of my heritage.

A practice was introduced to me as a child that I continue today, called kuleana. (Pronounced koo-lay-ah-nah.) It roughly translates to “responsibility,” but as one of my Aunties* explained to me, it’s much deeper than just one’s own responsibility.

Kuleana refers to a reciprocal relationship between the person responsible and the thing they are responsible for.

Hawaiians, for example, have a kuleana to their environment: To care for and respect it. In return, the land feeds, shelters, and clothes us. Through this relationship, this kuleana, we maintain a sustainable balance.

As the CTO of the Security Business Group, I’m always thinking about how to practice kuleana. Maybe not in the generational sense but rather, fiscal year to fiscal year.

One day, when I was very young, I asked my Auntie to explain kuleana to me.

She described it in a way I had not heard before.

In order to put kuleana into practice, she told me I would need to think about the generations that came before me — seven generations to be exact — as well as the seven generations ahead of me. In doing this, I would need to think about the values, qualities, and practices that truly mattered to those generations.

She went on to explain that most of us have a hard time thinking past one or two generations, let alone seven.
She said money, for example, might last a generation or two, but strong values and practices can make a lasting impact for generations to come.

This is what it means to practice kuleana. As a Hawaiian, my Auntie reminded me I have a responsibility to my family and community to practice kuleana.

Now, in my 50s, I remember that conversation like it was last week.

Throughout the year, as my team embarks upon new initiatives and executes on our strategy, I go through my kuleana exercise.

I ask myself, “What values did the founders of Cisco put into practice, and how many of those qualities are still in practice today?” And "Looking forward, what programs and principles practiced today will matter seven fiscal years into the future?

I’ve been practicing my Cisco kuleana for six years now.

Every quarter, I make sure I work on things that make Cisco a better place for everyone. Today, I look back and find practices and systems I have put in place that go well beyond my tenure at Cisco. When the time comes for me to transition, if I’m lucky, their value will hold seven years, if not more, into the future.

As we start a new year, it’s a good time to reflect on our daily practices and the processes we participate in. I think about what’s working and what needs to change.

I welcome you to experiment with the kuleana practice.

Ask yourself, “What creative contribution will help make Cisco a better place for everyone?”

I believe, no matter where you work, there are things you know can benefit from change.
You have the power to make it happen.

Aloha, and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

*Auntie is an affectionate term used by a young person of an unrelated adult female family friend.

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