396 - The True Test of Integrity!

0:00Anyone can have integrity when it's free.

0:03Bruce Whipple:When doing the right thing costs you nothing, no risk, no loss, no discomfort, of course you do the right thing. But that's not integrity. That's just convenience wearing integrity's clothes. The real question, the one I want you to think about today, is this. Do your circumstances dictate your ethics? Because if they do, you don't really have integrity. You have a policy that's subject to change. I want to share two stories with you. One is my father's, one is mine. Both taught me the same lesson from different angles, though. My father was a weather forecaster during World War II. His job was to forecast the conditions for planes flying out of the United States up through Africa and then into the European theater.

0:58Bruce Whipple:Lives depended on his accuracy. Missions depended on his word. In terms of his record, when it was all said and done, he was one of the few forecasters that never lost a plane. But he was tested. and on one occasion he submitted a forecast that stopped the flow of planes entirely. He believed a sandstorm was coming, one severe enough that if the planes launched, they wouldn't have enough fuel to return to base in Africa when the store blocked their path going forward into Europe. His commanding officer wasn't convinced and he said to the other weather forecasters on the base, what do you think is Whipple right?

1:42Bruce Whipple:They essentially said Whipple's been here the longest, but we can't say if he's right or wrong. So the commanding officer came back to my father with what seemed like a reasonable compromise to some people. He said, given the uncertainty, I'll let you rate this as an uncertain forecast and I'll send the planes. My father said no. The commanding officer then told him directly, if the sandstorm does not come after I've grounded the planes, I will court-martial you, but I'm giving you one chance to change your forecast. My father said no again. The planes were grounded, but the sandstorm did not come exactly when my father said it would.

2:29Bruce Whipple:So the commanding officer called to tell my father that he was going to move forward with the court-martial. But here's what my father did next. He didn't beg. He didn't backpedal. He told the commanding officer after the sandstorm did come, and albeit a few minutes late, my father said he didn't want to serve under that commanding officer's command any longer. and the commanding officer said, well, what do you want? And he said, I want my own weather base, so I'm out from under your command. And then he got it. He got sent to a weather base that had an average mean temperature of 132 degrees.

3:13Be careful what you ask for sometimes, right? He wasn't vindicated with a parade. He wasn't celebrated. He paid a real physical daily price for refusing to compromise his professional judgment. and he accepted that without flinching. He suffered long-term effects in his health from that decision, but that decision taught me a lot about integrity. Now, let me tell you my story. When I co-founded Property Tax Consultants, we eventually did a lot of work for IBM, helping them reduce their school and property taxes. We pursued a grievance on their behalf, which was the process, and we were denied a reduction.

4:02But we were sure that IBM was due a reduction, and we said to IBM that we think you should continue to pursue this. The next step after filing a grievance and being denied was to file a law firm. And while my partner was a lawyer, we could not practice law within the property tax consultants business. So we said to IBM, don't stop this process. If you want us to do this, we can do it through my partner's law firm. But if you want to use your own staff lawyers, corporate lawyers, we will prepare the paperwork for them to be able to pursue it. We were essentially out of money at that point.

4:52Bruce Whipple:So could we afford to do that? Some would argue no, but it was the right thing. So we told that to IBM and they said to us, we've stuck with you this long, you go ahead and handle it. We ultimately were successful. We got a massive reduction for them. It was a good fee that we earned during that day. But the point is, we didn't maneuver them into doing something with us. We were honest with them, but we acted in their best interest. Don't fold your tent and go home. If it's with us, we will pursue it. But if not, at least pursue it on your own. So here's what I want to leave with you from those two stories.

5:38Bruce Whipple:In business acquisitions, in any business really. Your reputation is the most valuable asset you have, and it can be destroyed by a single event after a lifetime of building it. We've all seen examples of that. One moment where you choose expediency over your principles. One time you let circumstances dictate and decide your ethics. Most people have integrity when it's easy. The market for fair whether integrity is crowded. What's rare and what will define your career and your character is the person who does the right thing when it genuinely costs them something. My father chose 130 degree posting over a compromised forecast, which would have put planes and lives in jeopardy.

6:29I chose transparency with a client over protecting our revenue.

6:34Bruce Whipple:The question I'll leave with you is simple. When your moment comes, and it will, what will you choose? That is critically important.