This famous statement by Michael Corleone (actor Al Pacino ) within the 1972 block buster movie “The Godfather”, has, in an exceedingly possible way, be a cornerstone of contemporary competitive business practice. Modern business proprietors sometimes make use of this line to warrant an action or business decision that is at variance using what they really know to become right and moral. Put one other way, “as a person, I hold myself to some high standard of ethical behavior, but because an entrepreneur, I actually do things i must to obtain ahead”.
This double standard let us compartmentalize different factors in our lives, therefore we can make believe you uphold high standards of truth, honesty, and ethical behavior as individuals, basically we lie, cheat, steal (or as with the situation of Don Corleone, kill) our method to business success.
Like a practicing Christian and licensed CPA, I encounter moral dilemmas running a business transactions constantly. For instance, an unexpected quantity of business proprietors will knowingly under-report earnings or overstate business expenses for tax purposes (i.e. commit tax fraud), when they think they are able to pull it off. I’ve come across business proprietors misrepresent the reality to be able to secure a negotiating advantage after which thankfully for granting them success within their venture, as though in some way, God has endorsed their lie.
No one is safe from the temptation to compromise and adopt double standards. For some people however, many years of practice makes it easy to do this, towards the extent that people can’t separate what’s morally in business and what’s not.
Christians think that the Bible may be the inspired word of God also it sets the grade of excellence that we aspire. The essential Scriptural principle for the coping with others, including our business dealings, is the fact that we treat others exactly the same way we may wish to be treated ourselves. The key of “Do unto others while you might have them do unto you” may be the moral antithesis to “it is not personal its strictly business”. This requirement to deal with others once we want others to deal with us, forces us to not lie, cheat and steal, since no-one whats these injustices to become inflicted upon them. When we apply this Scriptural principle, then clients are always personal, as it is your own convictions that drive our business dealings.
Even if you’re not convinced by Faith, there are several excellent causes of adopting a higher standard of ethical and ethical principle inside your business dealings. For just one factor, it sets you apart like a entrepreneur of integrity and establishes the groundwork of lengthy term trust with other people. Doing the best factor, even at the expense of profit and gain, establishes creditability within the eyes in our customers, employees and peers. People trust us more and wish to purchase from us, work with us and affiliate around. Don’t trick yourself into believing that the corner you chop together with your customer, or even the lie you know your supplier, goes undetected. You might pull it off a couple of times, but is definitely catches track of you. Oftentimes conducting business this way turns into a habit and sooner or later someone will discover you out of trouble. The Bible cautions us that “Make sure your crime will discover you out of trouble”. Even when our customers never notice or even the IRS never catches you, the employees as well as your accountant know what sort of entrepreneur you’re, and word can get out. Incidentally, employees are more inclined to steal from business proprietors who they see cheat their clients, than individuals who don’t.
Laying and cheating the right path to success could make you wealthy, however that wealth has a cost. Though Michael Corleone is really a imaginary character, there are several facts to become noticed in his existence story. The end result is this what’s the worth of money, wealth and influence, in case your family, buddies and colleagues lose all respect for you personally?
