The need for moral reform is growing steadily. The scandals in business,
the difficulties in government, and the personal problems of many leaders suggest
that we must return to the principles of character and integrity—doing the
right thing in the right way.
Our founding fathers were spectacularly successful because of their
character. Sadly, we have seen a big drop in character-based education. The founding
fathers knew that God’s possibles were infinitely greater than
man’s permissibles. To replace character education with evolution
is a huge mistake.
Society pays an awesome price for the moral lapses of men and women
in positions of authority. The “dot-com” scandals and corporate fraud
cost the U. S. Stock Market $5 trillion and the average American family $60,000.
Character and integrity are the answers.
“Ethics and character are absolutely the top criteria when
hiring new employees,” says Frank Lazarus, president of the University of
Dallas. “They rank even higher than communication skills. Often good people
fail to make a connection between the decisions they make and the personal ethics
they cherish.”
All long-term, happy, successful relationships are built on trust.
If leaders are trusted, employees are more loyal, satisfied, and productive. If
leaders are not trusted, people look for opportunity. As a result, profits dwindle.
If we do everything with integrity, we dramatically reduce our stress
because we do the right thing. This removes the guilt we otherwise would have.
With integrity we have nothing to fear because we have nothing to hide. With guilt
and fear removed, we perform better in every way. Stress is reduced; our concerns
and worries are fewer, and we can more effectively lead the people we are working
with. Our personal and family life, as well as our business life, will be better.
The second word is relative. Today we often hear people
say, “What’s true or right for you might not be true or right for
me because, after all, everything is relative.” The concept of
moral relativity leads to disaster in every phase of life. In my presentations,
I ask for a show of hands of those who own their own businesses. Then I ask these
men and women, “How many of you would hire an accountant who admitted that
he or she was just relatively honest?” I’ve not seen the
first hand go up.
In reality, the executives at the dot-com companies were all relatively
honest, meaning they did not lie about everything. Bottom line—some things
are right, some things are wrong. Some things are good, some things are bad. Leaders
who expect followers simply play it straight and live by the principle that their
word is their bond.
Arthur Friedman stated, “Men of genius are admired. Men of
wealth are envied. Men of power are feared. But only men of character are trusted.”
Our founding fathers were men of strong character and faith. They recognized we
need a governing authority, one that can be trusted. Can you imagine a baseball
game without an umpire? Chaos would be the result. Many problems today are a direct
result of lack of character and integrity.
When I was a child (I’m now 79) my mother taught her family
(and there were 12 of us) that we should always tell the truth. She often used
adages: “Tell the truth and tell it ever, costeth what it will, for he who
hides the wrong he did does the wrong thing still.” She also believed in
being persistent: “When a task is once begun you leave it not until it’s
done,” and “Be a matter great or small, do it well or not at all.”
When you take that approach to life, you build long-term relationships of trust.
When you consistently do the right thing, you build a reputation. Your values
determine behavior, behavior determines reputation, and reputation determines
advantages. PE
