Remember the Good Guys
Scarlett Leadership Institute founder Joe Scarlett reminds us in yesterday's The Tennessean editorial to "Remember the Good Guys" who have built our U.S. industrial powerhouse. As Joe points out, in light of today's well-publicized incidents of corporate greed and abuse of power (still, a very small proportion of U.S. businesses), it's easy to forget about the thousands and thousands of business leaders who have been ethical and successful and continue to do so as we still enjoy the world's most successful economic system. Joe's entire article can be found by clicking on the following: 'Good Guys' Built U.S. Powerhouse.
Our good friend and Massey Board Member Joe Scarlett, in his 
[Authored by Dr. J. Patrick Raines] The problem of social organization is how to set up an arrangement under which greed will do the least harm; capitalism is that kind of a system. – Milton Friedman
Since so many of the senior executives of Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Tyco, etc. were exposed and subsequently jailed, you would think that every businessperson in America would have learned the importance of maintaining a high level of integrity in business practices. It is a real shame that some still have not seen the light and grasped the obvious. High standards, honesty, and ethical leadership all pay off in the long run, and the opposite is simply a path to ultimate failure. Wake up business leaders!
Whether you're an individual looking to improve your own ethical decision-making skills or a manager seeking to bring the latest in ethics training techniques back to your organization, here's a great opportunity. Dr. O.C. Ferrell, Professor of Marketing and Enterprise Scholar, at the University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management has designed an on-line course in business ethics essentials and best practices. The course is offered twice a year, is described as highly interactive, and runs 10 weeks.