Wednesday, February 11, 2009

CAN WE JUST BE HONEST?

Alex Rodriquez had tears streaming down his face Monday on ESPN as he confessed to a "substance" abuse, probably steroids, years ago as a baseball player. He still plays baseball and makes about 25 M a year plus endorsements. Did you get that? He makes $25,000,000 yearly playing for the New York Yankees, and now he has tears because he got caught cheating. 

Rodriquez said, "I just want to be honest. I just want to play baseball and I want to be honest."

That is a very novel idea, being honest. Just a few years back a certain President parsed words as if being honest didn't really matter, and now our country is reaping a whirlwind because honesty wasn't in vogue. Alex Rodriquez is reaping what he has sown and our Nation is reaping what we have sown.

Stephen Covey has written another best seller entitled "The Speed of Trust." It is an outstanding read on trust in the market place, and how the lack of trust slows all business efforts. A lack of trust makes for a lack of money in the market place.

Covey quotes Jim Burke, Former Chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, who said, "You can't have success without trust. The word trust embodies almost everything you can strive for that will help you succeed......"

Wow! 

Honesty, which is the foundation of trust, really matters. It matters in the business world, and it matters in simple one on one relationships. You can't have a successful marriage unless there is trust. And you can't trust when there is the lack of honesty.

I vote that we bring honesty back into vogue.

How about you? 

It might just speed things up some.

1 comment:

  1. It always tickles me when people preface what they are about to say with the phrase " to be honest with you". With my friends and loved ones who know me as a nut, I always say " don't be honest, lie to me" just to pick at them by implying that they should always be honest. I belive if you cannot be honest if asked a question, just don't answer at all. People get frustrated when you don't answer their every question but it is better to be considered a dumb person, than to answer with a lie and be considered an ouright liar.
    Thanks for your honesty m friend! Blssings to all.
    Tom

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