After giving a keynote speech in Detroit, I sat down with a 61-year-old man. He looked fit and exuded an eternally optimistic personality. I wanted to chat him up because he had just received an admirable sales growth award for “Best in the industry.”
For the purpose of this article, I will call him Mr. Toplin. He is the CEO of a large household appliance manufacturing company based in eastern Michigan. This company sells products we all need but they aren’t exactly sexy. What’s sexy is they have had an astounding 9-year growth rate that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. I asked Mr. Toplin why he thinks he leads his industry with 40% annual increases. He told me. “I credit our growth to just ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE. We only hire and associate with honest people who have 100% integrity.” I asked him, “What does integrity mean to you?” He said, “I only want to be around people who are solid and upright in their character.” Ok, “What qualifies as upright character in your world?” His answer, “They must be people who refuse to lie, never cheat or steal, always respect the property of others, and they would never deceive anyone, in any way, just to get what THEY want.” I pushed, “Is it hard to find those people today?” Without hesitation, he said, “I am happy to pay more money for people who are incapable of making false statements or refuse to associate with someone who does, including their less-than-honest friends. People say I’m old school, but I believe spending a lot of time around bad character tends to rub off, even on good people. That’s core. We don’t have room (at work – or in our personal lives) for people with flexible morality. As a company, if we tolerate questionable character, it will be perceived that we condone it. If we let bad behaviors slide, our employees won’t trust us. Our families won’t trust us. Our customers won’t trust us. It’s simple. As a parent, I don’t lie to my wife, my children, or my friends. As a leader, I don’t lie to my employees, my community, or my clients. I may not always get what I want but I refuse to make a zillion dollar deal in exchange for a life of regret.”
Could you pass Mr. Toplin’s “Integrity Test?”
- Have you ever told a lie or mislead someone because it would benefit you?
- Were you ever caught in a lie and had to tell another lie to cover your butt?
- Have you ever lost a job or ruined an important relationship over a moral conflict in which you succumbed to the wrong choice?
- Do you have good friends who have led you astray; only to regret what you did because of peer pressure?
- Were you ever motivated to compromise your integrity to get something you badly wanted…even though you knew it was wrong?
- Was getting what you wanted worth the lost sleep or the fear of – getting caught?
- Have you ever hurt anyone along the way?
If you are guilty of any of the above, don’t you feel a little (or a lot) ashamed? Don’t you wish you could get a do-over? Seems obvious when you see it in writing, right?
After talking to this man for only 22 minutes, I left convinced that he subscribed to a simple and brilliant formula for not only shaping his company culture…but for simplifying a complex life.
Success is not always about your education or who you have in your network. Success follows those who are most trusted. If we protect our integrity and remain 100% honest with our words and our actions, we don’t waste our time protecting a lie. We don’t live with the pain of outrunning a devious action. Imagine living a life with a clear conscious; not waiting for our stupid secrets to be exposed.
It’s no surprise this man’s company attracts the best employees in a tight labor market…and why he has enjoyed steady 40% growth for each of the past 9 years. He built his company on solid rock; not shifting sands. Thank you for letting me tell your story, Mr. Toplin. Your approach honors the most treasured relationships in our lives, our family, our friends, our clients, and our community. Not a surprise that you went home with an award based upon peer and industry respect.