Do you believe in karma? Do you think a person brings upon himself inevitable results, whether they are good or bad? Does what goes around come around? These are some questions business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald ponders.
Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on karma and leadership in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Here’s what he said:
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
—W. Clement Stone
We’ve all heard the saying “what goes around comes around.” I hope that’s true. And I think it is.
In life, you get what you give. I realize it doesn’t always seem that way. Bryant H. McGill once said, “The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards, liars, and the selfish hide in high places.” He’s right, but that doesn’t mean those people haven’t or won’t pay a dear price. Who knows what their lying, cheating, or selfishness has or will cost them.
HR budget cuts? Let us help. HR.BLR.com is your one-stop solution for all your HR compliance and training needs. Take a no-cost, no-obligation trial and get a complimentary copy of our special report Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination. It’s yours—no matter what you decide.
It’s not uncommon to watch someone rise to amazing heights, only to come crashing back down. I’m sure many people once admired the success and lifestyle of Bernie Madoff. The man committed an unbelievable fraud that cost many their life savings and destroyed his own life in doing so. He now sits in prison. And he must live with the horrifying fact that one of his two sons committed suicide after turning him in to federal authorities. For a long time, a liar and a cheat seemed to have the world by the tail, and then it all fell to pieces.
What Goes Around Comes Around
Adolf Hitler committed suicide. Osama bin Laden was tracked down and killed by the U.S. military. Jerry Sandusky received what amounts to a life sentence. They all paid a price for the way they chose to live their lives. It doesn’t undo what they have done, but there were consequences to their actions. What comes around goes around.
I’m sure you can look around your place of work today and see others who appear to be thriving despite the type of person they are. Maybe one has recently received a promotion. Another has been assigned a plum project. Things just seem to go their way.
Does it make you wonder whether you should resort to the same tactics? Maybe you should try a little of what they’re doing; it certainly seems to be working. There might a corner or two you could cut, and who would be the wiser?
The problem is that you would know. And do you really want to be seen in the same way the others are seen? Is it worth sacrificing your own integrity and self-respect to get that raise, promotion, or whatever it is you covet?
I’m Not One to Hold a Grudge
I’m not one to hold a grudge. I tend to think it’s a waste of time and energy. But I can tell you that I do hold at least one. It’s related to a business deal gone bad a number of years ago. I sold a business and entered into a contractual agreement with the buyers. The business declined, and the buyers no longer liked the terms of the contract to which they had committed. Their approach was to claim that I had not lived up to the terms of the agreement and threaten to sue me, with the hope that I would terminate the agreement.
When I told them I was confident that I would prevail in court and wasn’t interested in terminating the agreement, the truth came out. They had to get out of the agreement because they were nearing bankruptcy. They were willing to sue me to get out of the agreement because they had nothing to lose. If they could win, they would survive as a company. If they lost, they would be out of business, but that would be the case anyway if they didn’t terminate the agreement. Either way, I wasn’t going to get paid. Facing a no-win situation, I decided to walk away.
I haven’t gotten over that little episode, and it has nothing to do with the money I lost. You see, they questioned my integrity when they claimed I hadn’t lived up to our agreement. That’s a really hard thing for me to get over. If you call me a fool, I will likely forgive you. But calling me a liar and a cheat is hard for me to get past. Someday I’ll stop wasting my time holding a grudge, but in six years, that day has yet to come.
The point of my little story is that your integrity is precious. Don’t throw it away for anything. There is nothing worthy of the price you pay when you compromise your integrity. Nothing.
Don’t spend your time thinking about how unfair life is because some people seem to be benefiting despite the way they are living their lives. You may never know what price they have paid or will pay for their apparent success, but rest assured there is one because what goes around does come around.
This article is so true, but I hope the author Steve Bruce can forgive these guys that were involved in that past business dealing. Don’t know, Mr. Bruce, if you are a Christian or not, but God won’t hear your prayers if you are harboring unforgiveness. I’ve personally been working through some of these same issues myself. Good Luck!
“Integrity is forever.” Often, when you are in the middle of an issue, it’s hard to see the trees in the forest. Call on a business advisor or coach to talk you through BOTH sides of the challenges … it will help to create a win-win outcome that others publicly and privately applaud.
Excellent article. Like you I believe in Integrity mainly because I have to live with myself. I just can’t do what I watch others get away with. It’s frustrating. Thank you for stating exactly how I feel.
Let’s not forget those who actually do NOT care about what happens to others and how they treat them as CEOs and leaders of organizations. Several studies have now shown that the incidence of psychopathy among CEOs is about 4 percent, four times what it is in the population at large.
You stated that it will come back around or somehow they will feel loss of integrity. These folks don’t have that ability. Many of us work for these types of folks. The only way out of that situation is to leave (hard to do for some, especially in this economy) or do what you can to have as little contact in any way with that individual or what they “lead” or manage.
Unfortunately, they exist, believe me…
I couldn’t agree more.
This is a wonderful article and an approach that more people need to take to heart. The world seems to be lacking in morals these days. If only everyone took this stance the world would be a much better place.
Great article. Absolutely, what goes around comes around. I have my own adage: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but some people will always try to take a shortcut by looking for the angles.
As for still being burned by having your integrity questioned, perhaps you are looking at it the wrong way. Why would you care about what someone who has no integrity themselves says about you? We can’t control what other people say about us, but we don’t have to let it define us. The people who care about you will know the truth, and the other people don’t matter anyway.
I really liked your article, it gave me hope because I recently left a job in which I was hired during a crisis they were having. The owners were glad to see the director leave who was, they felt cheating them with time and mileage. The director had also hired her own husband who appeared to be doing the same. When the director left, she took all her notes and passwords. I literally started from scratch figuring it all out. There was piles of filing, etc. I was the bad person, in firing people they felt were not loyal and furthermore cheating as well. I got the office back pay in the thousands, finished the filing, proceeded in getting new funding, and became a favorite with the clients and their families. I got along well with the staff, except one. At one point I told her she had a habit of interrupting me. This anger her in a way that she did everything to get me fired. She even stated she knew how to get people fired. I met with the owners that and stated to them that I felt they had stop listening to my ideas and advice as a director. They naturally denied it. I also told them I noticed they had stopped inviting me to crucial meetings and trainings and I felt left out. I proposed I become a part time employee since I was only doing payroll, billing and acquiring new funding. They said they would meet with me in a week. In a week they told me they decided to let me go, but if I could stay two weeks to train them on excell and many other numerous things I was doing. I couldn’t believe this was the thank you I was getting. They said I was an excellent employee but yet they needed my help to show them everything. After talking to my husband, I decided to leave the following day after I wrapped up some work and gathered my belongings. Now they tell everyone I didn’t do a thing. These are church going people and claim they want to return to their country of Equador to help their people and set up the exact same business. I was very hurt and sadden by them and felt like calling them to ask why they were smearing my name and work. My husband said just let it go. I don’t want to carry the grudge and your article has helped to continue forward and maybe I am entitled to the grudge but I will feel better letting go.
Absolutely, what goes around comes around. I have an adage of my own: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but some people try to take a shortcut by looking for the angles. As for having your integrity called into question, maybe you should look at it a different way. Why would you care what someone says about you who has no integrity themselves? The people who care about you will know the truth and the others don’t matter anyway.
I agree 110% with Karma (except for the BinLaden comment as I have my own political views on this)
There are also lessons to be learned in life. Perhaps one of your life’s lessons was to learn to “learn to forgive and Let Go”. You see my friend bitterness will eat you alive. Now you have been carrying this around inside of you for 6 years or better. Let me ask you this? Are you any better off? Release your anguish bless the mistake on their part and go forth. Karma will come around you will be at peace and perhaps the other parties will see their imperfections as well.
I’d like to think that what goes around comes around. Occasionally, I’ve seen it happen. But too often, the coming around is long after the original principals–the evildoer and the person(s) harmed directly and immediately–are gone or no longer able to feel any benefit from the coming around. Perhaps that, too, is a truth. It comes around when you no longer think about it or want it or no longer are literally or figuratively “here” to see it.
I’m also a firm believer in “give ’em enough rope and they’ll hang themselves…it might not happen in the time frame you want but it WILL happen eventually”.
I agree wholeheartedly that you don’t want to lower your integrity to that of others, for your own sake of dignity and self-worth. For people who behave dishonestly or unfairly to others, it will come back to them someday. Maybe during this life, or maybe afterwards, we may never know. In the meantime, it takes a lot of energy to hold a grudge, no matter how well deserved. Even if you don’t feel like forgiving them, if you make the choice to do so, it will release you from a different type of bondage.