Henry Gold at MySuperCoach.com recently posted this article titled “Brutal Facts”. The post talks about how you can’t be a nice guy when it comes to your business. Although I do agree with him about needing to be competitive, I do not agree with him about not being a “nice guy”.
Mr. Gold uses the examples of Ford and GM saying that they were “nice guys” by allowing the competition (foreign car companies) to “survive in the U.S. too.” Because of this niceness they are now in the current situations they are in. First of all this is far from the reason for the predicament. Ford and GM and Chrysler for that matter got where they are because of bad business practices and decisions. They couldn’t or wouldn’t believe that Americans would ever want to buy the little cars that Toyota, Honda, Nissan and the other Asian manufactures were producing. It wasn’t being nice, it was being naive.
Henry Gold also sites Merril Lynch and Bear Stearns as being “nice guys”. Again it wasn’t because they were being nice that created their losses, it was stupid and greedy ways of doing business. Greed and bad decisions will ruin a company faster than you can say “Like A Rock”. Having a “whatever it takes” attitude will only take you so far.
Enron and Worldcom are two such examples. Both companies did business using a “whatever it takes” attitude and they paid dearly for it. Not only the companies but the employees of these massive businesses also suffered. Many lost everything they had because of the greed of making as much money any way it took. Sure it worked for awhile and created huge profits, though fabricated, and it eventually bit them in the butt.
There is a way to do business and a way not to. If your do “whatever it takes” is not ethical or fair your reputation will suffer. Just because you do business the fair and ethical way doesn’t mean you are being a “nice” guy, it means you have good character and integrity and people will gravitate quicker to that person than to someone that would do “whatever it takes” which includes screwing them over.
Ethical and fair will always take you further than “whatever it takes”. Just ask the employees at Enron, Worldcom, Bears and Stearn, Merril Lynch etc.
Sure we are all looking for the next big secret that will get us a leg up on the competition and that is a good thing. That is what competition is about. Making your product or service better so more customers will pay you for it and not the other guy. Nothing wrong with that. That’s capitalism at it’s best. However, if you are using behind the back, so called black hot tactics to get those customers is that ethical. Is that fair? How long can you go before it bites you in the butt? I personally don’t want to find out. That’s why everything you read and see me doing will be ethical. It will be with integrity and not with a “whatever it takes” attitude. I don’t want the consequences and you have to ask yourself if you want those consequences as well.
There is nothing wrong with being a nice guy. Being ethical, fair and having integrity will always take you further than “whatever it takes”, just ask the employees at Enron, Worldcom, Bears and Stearn, Merril Lynch etc.
( What’s funny is this article is actually an ad for his coaching program. Not exactly the greatest way to make people feel better about purchasing a program. )
What do you think about Henry Gold’s article? Is doing business with integrity the best way or should you have a “whatever it takes” attitude? Please leave a comment. Also if you liked this article and think others will too use the buttons below to show others.
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