The Invaluable Asset

What is the key to creating a business and making it successful?  Driving sales?  Finding inventive ways to create more return on your profits?  What about developing and maintaining a great marketing campaign?  How about building a strong brand name and story?  I mean, sure; all of these are important components to your business.  However, I have seen a declining trend over the past few years (especially recently) of one of, if not THE most important keys to the puzzle of building a sustainable company.  It’s something that you can’t purchase, even though it’s the most valuable asset a company can have.  That asset is integrity.  It cannot be bought or sold, but it can make or break an establishment.  Some companies are built on the integrity of their product.  Some businesses pride themselves on the integrity of their customer service.  Whatever the case may be, the alarming trend is the fact that many people within today’s businesses are sacrificing their integrity to make a quick buck, advance their career or company, or fulfill a desire.  It’s truly unfortunate, especially considering often times they are running a company in which we all have interacted with or at least heard of.  Take a look at former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson, who lied on a resume about a degree he said he earned but didn’t.  There’s also Brian Dunn and Richard Schultz, former CEOs of Best Buy.  Dunn was caught having an inappropriate relationship with an employee and it subsequently led to his resignation.  Just today, Schultz resigned after it was discovered that he knew about the misconduct and failed to report it to the board members of the company.

To be frank, I just don’t understand.  I was brought up to know that a person is only as good as their word.  My parents, teachers, and employers all talk about the importance of having good morals, values, and ethics.  How do we teach this to the next generation when they turn on the TV and see stories like this?  It’s unfortunate to say the least.  So what can we do?  As those in my generation grow into the CEO positions and we become the leaders, what can we do to make sure that we don’t sacrifice the ideals in which we were raised on just to get ahead?  The true answer is YOU.  Only you can make the internal decision to do what’s right, for better or worse.  Everyone has that reminder they can think of in times where you may be tempted to steer away from what you believe in.  Maybe it’s a photo of someone special, a promise you made to yourself, or your grandma’s look if she would see what you were about to do.  Whatever your “thing” is, find it.  Remember it.  Use it.  In a world where temptation is put in front of you every day and our beliefs are put to the test, it’s important to try to live each day being the person you want those special to you to see.  I hope our future leaders of commerce can look upon the bad decisions of our current CEOs and learn from the history instead of repeating it.