Dunbar: Working To Better Understand Himself

Ask Roy Dunbar's colleagues to describe him, and you'd think they were talking about a philosopher or a professor, not a fast-track business executive.

Dunbar is a "a very, very deep thinker," says Sheldon Ort, Eli Lilly and Co.'s information officer for business operations. E.Lilly VP Alph Bingham says, "He's about as erudite as anyone you'll ever meet." And Lilly CFO Charlie Golden says he's "very thoughtful. He could be a philosopher if he had the inkling to do it."

Ironically, that's the career path a young Dunbar envisioned. As a teenager, he began reading philosophy and imagined a career in academics, studying comparative religion. But soon the demands of the real world caught his attention. "By the time I was 16 or 17, I realized that most of the people I knew who [studied philosophy] were thin and poor," he jokes. "I liked food too much, so I decided that would be my hobby."

Today, Dunbar describes religion and philosophy as his passion and dedicates himself to self-improvement--and improving the world around him. "At my very heart, what I'm about is figuring out how the journey of life takes me to be the most complete person I can be."

Aside from meditating daily and reading voraciously (M. Scott Peck's classic The Road Less Traveled is a favorite), Dunbar goes on annual spiritual retreats, taking time off by himself to travel the world and better understand himself.

He's currently helping plan an interfaith evening at his church, inviting members of the local Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic communities to discuss the commonalities among their faiths.

"My life's goals aren't dictated by career," Dunbar says. "I couldn't imagine pursuing business goals alone. With-out this influence in my life, I think I would be a pretty miserable person."

Photographs of Roy Dunbar by Bob Stefko

Return to main story: "Roy Dunbar"