A new book has been released entitled Winners Never Cheat: Lessons for Today's Business Leaders - Knowledge@Wharton
In it, author Jon Huntsman offers a "moral compass" for leaders. Here's a great thought on character taken from Chapter 3:
Compete fiercely and fairly -- but no cutting in line.
Which rules we honor and which we ignore determine personal character, and it is character that determines how closely we will allow our value system to affect our lives.
Early on, infused with moral purpose by those who influenced us, we learned what counted and what didn't. The Golden Rule, proper table manners, respecting others, good sportsmanship, the unwritten codes such as no cutting in line and sharing -- all these allowed us to develop character.
Character is most determined by integrity and courage. Your reputation is how others perceive you. Character is how you act when no one is watching. These traits, or lack thereof, are the foundation of life's moral decisions. Once dishonesty is introduced, distrust becomes the hallmark of future dealings or associations. The eighteenth-century Scottish philosopher Francis Hutcheson had this in mind: 'Without staunch adherence to truth-telling, all confidence in communication would be lost.'
Recent Comments