Ethics of Business
...week. Instead, they become lazy and look for easy ways to get the money. This is when the cheating starts. They look for outside resources to help them stay a step in front of the competition, even if it means breaking the law. Leaders should strive to work hard and keep the focus on bettering whatever they are doing while not breaking the boundaries of the law. Working hard also sets a good example for the lower echelon employees. Those employees will be motivated by the fact that the boss still works hard despite his innumerable wealth. Many good companies truly work hard to bring the best product to the customers without having to resort to base methods. That leads to the second attribute that leaders in our society should have, honesty. Leaders should have the rectitude to be honest to themselves and the people they serve. For example, many business leaders today feel the need to exaggerate earnings for their companies so that analysts give a good report. This facade is detrimental to the company because it avoids real problems that the company might be facing, not to mention the fact that it is illegal and unethical. It is really like the old proverb: you hurt no one but yourself when you lie. Another part of honesty is after doing something wrong. Business leaders and people of power in general seem to really hate admitting a mistake, especially a mistake that would disgrace them or a crime that could send them to jail. Take baseball players, for example. A baseball player was asked by the media whether or not he used steroids and he denied it. In front of a grand jury, though, he testified to have taken steroids and didn’t want fans to find about it. Eventually, the story made it to the headlines. Now, MLB is probably going to suspend him for at least a season, if not a lifetime ban. The moral of the story is to do the right thing in the first place. Play by the rules and tell the truth. Even if a mistake is committed, don’t try to cover it up because someone inevitably is going to find out. Honesty truly is the best policy. Even with hard work and honesty, a leader will often be tempted by the corrupt people around him. That’s why he must also have the courage to do the right thing. Some presidents such as Grant, Harding and more recently, Nixon did not do ...