A Primer On Ethics that is a Must- Read for Every Leader
Bernard Low, PhD
In life's next season to focus on growing to become my best self and doing the things that matter. "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." ~ Rumi
In an age and time when trust in leaders has eroded, leadership guru John C. Maxwell has written a helpful book, Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know (New York: Time Warner Book, 2003), to challenge, help and guide leaders to live and lead ethically.
After describing why people make unethical choices - they do what’s most convenient, they do what they must to win, and they rationalize their choices with relativism, Maxwell argues that ethics matters and will ultimately pay off.
He advocates the Golden Rule (“Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them”) as the fundamental ethical principle to live and work by. The Golden Rule is accepted by most people, is easy to understand, is a win-win philosophy, and is a compass when one needs direction. Following the Golden Rule, we will value, appreciate, trust, respect, understand and not take advantage of people. Maxwell challenges the reader to adopt the Golden Rule as the “Integrity Guideline” for one’s life.
After cautioning how pressure, pleasure, power, pride and misplaced priorities can cause us to compromise our ethics, Maxwell offers the following guidelines to help us live ethically as we pursue golden opportunities:
- take responsibility for your actions;
- develop personal discipline;
- know your weaknesses;
- align your priorities with values;
- admit wrongdoing quickly and ask forgiveness;
- take care with finances;
- put family ahead of work; and
- place high value on people.
To help us develop the "Midas Touch" with people, Maxwell also suggests the following practices:
- treat people better than they treat you;
- walk the second mile;
- help people who can’t help you;
- do right when it’s natural to do wrong; and
- keep your promises even when it hurts.
Through stories from history, business, government, and sports, examples of difficult business decisions, and case histories, Maxwell compellingly and brilliantly demonstrates how doing the right thing - living by the Golden Rule - all the time and in all situations, ultimately pays off!
This little primer on ethics is a must-read not only for every business leader but also for everyone.