Integrity in Business

I attended the Dean's Convocation today with Bill Child and Jeff Benedict. The session was great! Each speaker had good remarks that built off of the other's. They talked about a variety of topics. The topic I felt they seemed to emphasize the most was integrity.

Why is integrity so important in business? Business if often built on, and thrives on good relations with employees, employers, suppliers, customers, corporate partners, etc. There is a quite in the book How to Build a Business Warren Buffet Would Buy that epitomizes the importance of integrity. "Integrity is the foundation of any good relationship. This is especially true in business, where trust is the key to opening doors, extending credit, and cultivating loyal customers."

Another important aspect of integrity that Jeff Benedict hit on was staying true to your core principles and values. In business you will often be face with situations that challenge these. It may seem easy to slide just a little on your values at first, but in the long run it usually comes back to haunt you. It's always easier in the long run to stick to your values, even when it's not popular.