Within the past four and a half years
or so, I have been "fortunate" to run into –
and in certain instances – work quite closely with -
some unscrupulous, or "not very honest", entrepreneurs.
In most cases, I was heartbroken to find that the impressions
I initially had, tended not to be accurate representations
of what they did in reality(I say "fortunate", because
I learnt quick, valuable lessons as a result, that now make
it possible for me to write THIS article for the reader's
benefit).
Quite a number of these individuals seem
willing to - every once in a while - allow themselves a little
indiscretion here and there. Some are greedy cheats, and will
go out of their way, given the slightest opportunity, to take
advantage of another person - even if s/he is a relative!
Yet they KNOW it is wrong to deceive
or defraud customers, clients – or indeed anybody. James
Cook in his book, “The Start-up Entrepreneur”
was obviously familiar with the widespread nature of this
problem, and hammered quite a bit on the need for entrepreneurs
to be ethical in all their business dealings, at all times.
The fact remains that no matter
how many people openly engage in dishonest or fraudulent business
practices, it will still be wrong for YOU to do the same thing!
But Why Do People Do It?
We must not be too abstract in the way
we discuss this problem. To understand it, one
could ask the question: Why do some people in business
appear to so readily succumb to the temptation to cut corners?
The truth is that many who embark on
entrepreneuring with honest intentions, often encounter traumatizing
trials, challenges, setbacks and disappointments. In Think
And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill acknowledged that an individual,
due to the pressure of a prolonged period of adversity may
become temporarily dishonest, in a bid to secure some relief
for the pain s/he feels.
So the necessary suffering that a person
undergoes in the pursuit of a challenging goal might make
him/her do one or two things that are dishonest, for a while.
Ideally however, his/her conscience would eventually force
him/her to take corrective action to discontinue the bad habits.
Where it becomes a problem is when the
affected person, or another who does not even have such a
problem - but who seeks a quick and easy route to success
- makes engaging in dishonest or insincere acts a regular
habit. In other words, s/he adopts routine and repetitive
corner-cutting or crooked dealings, as a preferred alternative
route to reach a desired goal(s).
You Do Not Need To Do It
I want anyone confronted with this kind
of challenge to understand that IT IS POSSIBLE to weather
those rough periods of adversity without engaging in unethical
business conduct. Simply dig in, learn quickly from your experiences,
and correct your mistakes. Keep in mind ALWAYS, the proven
fact that periods of difficulty and hardship WILL help you
develop psychological stamina, and become more resourceful
in dealing with problems you encounter while pursuing your
goals.
Again, and at the risk of sounding boastful,
I know this to be true because I’ve been there. Had
it not been for those terrible losses and disappointments
that I have continually overcome in pursuing my goals, I would
not have become as self-confident, as I am today, when it
comes to discussing entrepreneuring or what it takes to persistently
pursue challenging life goals under situations that appear
utterly hopeless and discouraging.
What Will You Do, If/When Confronted
With A Fraudulent/Tempting Offer ?
Before you
give me an answer, I will ask you to read the following statement
I use to guide myself: “you will never know
if you will steal, UNTIL the day you find yourself presented
with a perfect opportunity to do so, in a way that you can
be certain no one will ever find out that you did it”.
Now that you have read it, think about
my preceeding question again. Do
you KNOW for certain what you will do if/when confronted with
a tempting proposition to do something dishonest or unethical
in business(or elsewhere) in exchange for a reward/return
you place a high value on? For many, what they are
willing to do is usually dependent on how they feel it will
make them look to those who KNOW about it. This is the reason
why people keep getting caught for corruptly enriching themselves:
they ALWAYS think no one will find them out!
I believe every person who desires to
achieve authentic success, must be able to successfully say
NO to the above stated type of fraudulent/tempting opportunity
(i.e. one known only to him and which s/he is sure no one
will find out about). It however takes HAVING
a compelling vision, strong values, plenty of self-discipline,
great will power and an achievement orientation, to behave
in this manner consistently - especially when you experience
painfully prolonged periods of lack and hardship.
Work Hard To Immunize Yourself
Against The Temptation Of "Corner Cutting"
You must work hard to develop the needed
moral strength to resist the temptation when it does come...and
it will! In the case of the entrepreneurs described above,
they allowed their desperate desire to succeed quickly, to
cloud their judgment of what was proper and ethical, and consequently
adopted shameful practices.
Sometimes (especially in societies where
entrepreneuring is not yet widely accepted as a viable means
of earning a living, and social welfare schemes are absent
or in their infancy) clients or customers may push the point(where
they consider "switching from honest to dishonest"),
by refusing to pay up after the entrepreneurs had delivered
requested products or services. When this happens, those entrepreneurs
who are unable to stay strong under these conditions, look
for ways to cushion the “pain”: they begin
to cheat those who do bring business to them! Having
said that, there are certain entrepreneurs who don't need
any "tempting", because they are just naturally
greedy cheats - perpetually on the prowl for unsuspecting
persons they can take advantage of.
BUT the truth must be said: Whether
or not you have been cheated by clients, punished, exploited,
or betrayed, there is absolutely no excuse for becoming fraudulent
in your dealings with others. You won’t last long if
you go on doing that. So, it’s up to you to decide where
you want to stand. I hope when you take your decision, it
will be the right one: which
is to act with integrity at all times, in all your dealings,
be it in business or life in general. 
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