I was a y oung and energetic college graduate prematurely promoted to run a large sales office in the New York City area.  Our product was copiers, our competition Xerox and Kodak (yeah, I know, sorry Rochester!), and we were on a roll.  Our copiers were less expensive to operate than our competitors, at least so we believed, (or so we "helped" others to believe), with lower toner and drums costs.  One of our top selling copiers had manufacturer specifications stating each drum would provide 30,000 copies.  After reaching 30,000 copies the owner should expect to replace that drum at no small cost.  Fact: 30,000 copies to a drum with high replacement costs!  In the New York City market I soon found we had competitors with the same machines we were selling, operating as unauthorized dealers, giving the copiers away at cost while misrepresenting the drum life as providing 40,000 copies!  Apparently they had a competitive edge!  

This is the part of the story when you review the first ten (10) words of the beginning of this story.  I did not have a well defined moral compass, my ethical edge was dull, and my head full of craze to build my office to gain personal fame within the company.  I and my team quickly made the marketing adjustment to represent our copier drums as having 40,000 copy life spans.  Easy to justify, right?  I reasoned in my mind that we would get run out of business if we accurately represented the manufacturer's drum specifications.  I reasoned in my mind that by staying competitive we were providing jobs to our people and income to their families.  Yet in all my reasoning I struggled at night during pillow time with a conscience that was screaming: "liar!"  My star was rising while at the same time my soul was sinking!  Fortunately, by the grace of God and feedback from leaders who loved me, I was able to take a hard look at my moral compromises, the damage I was doing to my company as well as to my soul, and make a hard turn to right my way.

"The creed of our democracy is that liberty is acquired and kept by men and women who are strong and self-reliant, and possessed of such wisdom as God gives mankind--men and women who are just, and understanding, and generous to others--men and women who are capable of disciplining themselves.  For they are the rulers and must rule themselves."  --Franklin D Roosevelt

Leader to Leader Questions:

1. How would your #1 customer rate your commitment to total honesty?  Poor, Fair, Good, Exemplerary?

2. Are there any areas of your business conduct in which you are compromising on the truth?  Expense reports, product performance, service commitments, other?

3. Who are the trusted and loving leaders who are committed to your commitment to total integrity?  When was the last time one of them challenged you in a character or moral area?

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