25-cent Newspaper Story

This is a story I read some time ago…

Some 30 years ago, while working in the corporate world, some business associates were passing through an airport. One of these men had just sold his company for tens of millions of dollars—in other words, he was not poor. As they were passing a newspaper vending machine, this individual put a quarter in the machine, opened the door to the stack of papers inside the machine, and began dispensing unpaid-for newspapers to each of the rest. When he handed one of the men in this group a newspaper, he put a quarter in the machine and, trying not to offend but to make a point, jokingly said, “Jim, for 25 cents I can maintain my integrity. A dollar, questionable, but 25 cents—no, not for 25 cents.”

Would you do the same to maintain your integrity? How important is it for you? Had I been one of that businessman’s customers I don’t think I would be proud of being so! I would question if he behaved that way with me as well and my confidence in his business would be lost. Without any doubt this is not the example I am looking for, both at personal or business level, or any level. It is not inspiring and even worse, he made accomplice the others who accepted the “free newspaper”. We are so easily tempted with little tiny things around us, and we’re so weak!

I feel I was born into this world with my glasses on! I have used them since I was a little girl, now they are an extension of me. If I take them off, I can see a totally different world where nothing is clear and that frustrates me. The same happens with business ethic and honesty. When they are broken or are not part of the business, there’s no clarity in it, all the best campaigns to promote it, will be in vain. Customers will be as frustrated as me without my glasses. Employees will not feel empowered and validated. A company like this will not have a long-term success.

If one day you have your own business, you need to be sure your glasses are clean and also, be sure to have 25-cents coins in your cash, so you will always have clarity in your business and even a little coin will make a difference when giving the change to your customers.  You will not need to tell anyone you’re honest, your acts will show it. As Frank Levinson said, (you will) …attract the best and so people (will) understand if it’s an ethical environment right away. It’s something people innately gravitate to and that’s it so you just have to build it early and never step off of it.

Integrity isn’t something you claim; it’s something you live, and in doing so, you invite others to trust in what you build.