"Do the Right Thing"

The following is an excerpt from a book by my favorite author, John C. Maxwell. It is a very short yet powerful lesson in ethics and integrity.

Do the Right Thing

Doing the right thing doesn't come naturally to any of us. As America's first president, George Washington, said, "Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder." Yet that is what we must do to develop the kind of character that will sustain us.

It's not easy to do the right thing when the wrong thing is expedient. Molière commented, "Men are alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ. The difference in their deeds is simple: People of character do what is right regardless of the situation."

One way that I've tried to control my natural bent to do wrong is to ask myself some questions (adapted from questions written by business ethicist Dr. Laura Nash):

1. Am I hiding something?
2. Am I hurting anyone?
3. How does it look from the other person's point of view?
4. Have I discussed this face-to-face?
5. What would I tell my child to do?

If you do the right thing - and keep doing it - even if it doesn't help you move ahead with your talent in the short term, it will protect you and serve you well in the long term. Character builds - and it builds you.

Or as Dr. Dale Bronner, a board member of my nonprofit organization EQUIP, puts it, "Honesty is not something you do; honesty is who you are."

- Talent is Never Enough

DETERMINE TO DO THE RIGHT THING, EVEN WHEN IT HURTS.

Donald G. Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc