By Rolf Crocker

Because I have served as both a manager and now a vendor, I was asked recently to write an article on the subject of ‘Business Ethics.’  I was immediately reminded of the title of a book written by leadership guru John Maxwell.  When asked by the Chairman of AOL TimeWarner Books to write a book on ‘business ethics, Maxwell replied, “There is no such thing.’  When the stunned Chairman asked him to clarify what he meant, Maxwell repeated his statement with a qualifier:  “There is no such thing as ‘Business Ethics’ – there are only ‘Ethics.’  That response became the subsequent title of Maxwell’s book on the subject.  In a day and age in which the level of ethical behavior can be measured by the daily newspaper, I offer the following review of Maxwell’s book, recently updated and renamed ‘Ethics 101 – What Every Leader Needs To Know.’

Ethics 101 – What Every Leader Needs To Know by John Maxwell (©2005 Center Street/TimeWarner Books) Ethics is more than just staying away from the wrong things.  More importantly, it is about doing the right thing.  There was a time when our word was our bond and business was conducted on a handshake.  How could that have been?  Because people lived by The Golden Rule – treat others as you wand to be treated.  Here is Maxwell’s premise:

Asking the question, “How would I like to be treated in this situation?” is an integrity guideline for any situation.

It is interesting to note that a version of The Golden Rule exists in virtually every culture and religion; some of these are listed in the book.  Maxwell goes on to list the ways in which most people want to be treated – to be valued, to be appreciated, to be trusted, to be respected, to be understood and to not be taken advantage of.  In order to be deemed trustworthy, you have to be predictable when it comes to your ethical behavior.  By giving appreciation, value, understanding, etc., you are setting the stage for open, honest and ethical treatment for others as well as yourself.

There are many more pearls of ethical wisdom, woven through stories of real-life application from people in business, sports and government.  At 104 pages, it’s a quick read.  For a good primer on ethics, it’s a must-read!  5 Stars!