21
Doing the Right Thing Never Looked So Right!
At the End of the Day, You Go Home with Yourself!
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
—Warren Buffett
I will never forget Meghan. Fifteen years ago, she walked up to me at the beginning of one of my ethics workshops and said, “Ms. DeMars, I’m so glad I’m here today. I’m a secretary at a utility company, and my boss, who is really a good guy, frequently asks me to do things I think are wrong for the company.”
She went on to tell me she was worried that her promotion—maybe even her job—was on the line. She added that the stress from her dilemma was affecting her productivity at work as well as her home life. Then, tears started to well up, and she asked me this powerful question, “Nan, is it possible for me to keep my job and my integrity?”
I never saw her after that seminar, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of Meghan. I hope she knows that, yes, it is now more possible than ever to keep her job and her integrity.
