In Pursuit of Moral Identity

No one begins—or ends—a business career as a pure saint or sinner. There is a great deal of continuity between those who commit the most egregious acts of corruption and those who shine as models of integrity. But there is one crucial difference: at some point in their careers, probably sooner rather than later, those who were destined to become examples of integrity stopped the corruption train dead in its tracks. They come to terms with their own baser desires. They honestly admit their mistakes when they make them and take responsibility for these mistakes. These business leaders decide that they will aim for a higher purpose, that they will take a higher road in getting there. They think hard about the kind of person they want to be, the face they want to look at in the mirror each day, the legacy that they wish to leave behind when they have finished their life’s work. In short, these people forge for themselves a moral identity that defines their character in honorable ways and points the direction to careers that are rewarding in multiple ways—personally, financially, socially, spiritually.