Cain, Paterno, Employers, and Other People You Trust
Honesty, integrity, ethics and related words are defined by individuals...apparently. Everyone has their moments throughout their life when the things that they say and do don't match up with what they hoped for. That's true for me as well, although my infractions were minor in comparison to other people. I don't believe that there is a human alive over the age of 8 years old that has not slipped from their pedestal.
Bernie Madoff may not have veered from his ideal at all. I don't believe that he is capable of feeling the way that you, me and most other people do. We all know people that have done things that others consider wildly inappropriate, and yet they don't think it's wrong at all. Or at least that's the impression that they leave. Which brings me back to a key observation. Humans are wired differently.
We have 7 Billion+ humans on the earth today according to the United Nations Population Fund. That means 7 billion+ unique personality types, many of which have a very different view of what honesty, integrity and ethics means. As an example, I remember working with an executive at a firm that thought nothing of violating confidentiality agreements and stealing intellectual property. He and I stood on such different ground in that regard, that it was important for me to avoid working with him. Interestingly, people liked him because of his personality. People can get away with a lot, until they're caught. Sandusky is a good example.
In today's global economy, integrity is everything when it comes to long term success. Customer's want to buy from people that they trust, and can get the job done well. Having been a customer of Bank of America, I knew that they were heading down the wrong path when they "accidentally" switched my account to a split account with new add on fees without my approval. That was about 8 years ago. Based on the recent law suit that they settled, it's evident that they have continued to play shell games with their customers.
Business success depends on honesty, integrity and ethics, and it comes down to three elements: a. promise only what you can deliver b. deliver what you promise and c. do it fairly.
Bernie Madoff may not have veered from his ideal at all. I don't believe that he is capable of feeling the way that you, me and most other people do. We all know people that have done things that others consider wildly inappropriate, and yet they don't think it's wrong at all. Or at least that's the impression that they leave. Which brings me back to a key observation. Humans are wired differently.
We have 7 Billion+ humans on the earth today according to the United Nations Population Fund. That means 7 billion+ unique personality types, many of which have a very different view of what honesty, integrity and ethics means. As an example, I remember working with an executive at a firm that thought nothing of violating confidentiality agreements and stealing intellectual property. He and I stood on such different ground in that regard, that it was important for me to avoid working with him. Interestingly, people liked him because of his personality. People can get away with a lot, until they're caught. Sandusky is a good example.
In today's global economy, integrity is everything when it comes to long term success. Customer's want to buy from people that they trust, and can get the job done well. Having been a customer of Bank of America, I knew that they were heading down the wrong path when they "accidentally" switched my account to a split account with new add on fees without my approval. That was about 8 years ago. Based on the recent law suit that they settled, it's evident that they have continued to play shell games with their customers.
Business success depends on honesty, integrity and ethics, and it comes down to three elements: a. promise only what you can deliver b. deliver what you promise and c. do it fairly.
Posted by James Sale at November 9, 2011 
Categories: People and Personalities, Business Strategy & Management
Tags: Honesty Integrity ethics trust madoff sandusky bank of america 7 billion
Categories: People and Personalities, Business Strategy & Management
Tags: Honesty Integrity ethics trust madoff sandusky bank of america 7 billion
Spot on James!!!
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It’s hard to sort the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it!
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