Have you ever wanted something really badly? My guess is that your answer is “yes”. Have you ever done something really shitty in order to get something you wanted really badly? Hopefully, your answer to that is “no”.
Having a burning desire to achieve something great can drive people to unimaginable extremes. Some people sacrifice convenience and do things like sell their cars to start the business of their dreams. Some people sacrifice time and do things like work 3 jobs to fund their dreams of becoming a business mogul. Some people take on insurmountable debt to fund their passion. And there are those who end up compromising their integrity to get ahead.
It could start as small as cutting corners on your product or service and hoping that your customers don’t notice. It could be overcharging someone $5 here and there or charging someone for something that you can’t deliver and then refusing to make the situation right.
Integrity in your business should be as much of a priority, if not more, as making money. It should be a principle so ingrained in you that it can’t be moved — ever.
Being an honest entrepreneur and having a strong moral compass gets you much further in business than being a slime ball who is willing to lie, cheat, and backstab to get ahead. Your reputation in your industry and among your customers matters. People will want to do business with you much more if they know you are honest and fair.
Some people think that they’ll only compromise their integrity a few times until they get ahead, then they’ll stop. But once you start, it becomes your way of life. When you do dishonest things and get away with it, “Just one more time” becomes your mantra.
Doing the right thing is as much for you as it is for your customers. Whether you believe in karma or not, when you do shady backroom deals, you get shady backroom results. When you give people shit, you get shit in return.
And some people get so caught up that they end up breaking the law to get ahead. In my opinion, it’s just not worth it. For one thing, no matter what the crime, there’s always a victim. And the other thing is that when you run a business breaking the law, there’s a much greater likelihood that you’ll get caught. Operating within the law, on honesty and fairness seems like a much better option to me.
So whatever you do in your business, always stand on your integrity. You could sell your soul to achieve success, but then what would be the point if you couldn’t enjoy it?
Have you ever decided not to compromise your integrity for success? Find me on Instagram or Facebook and tell me how you handled it.