Doing the Right Thing...

Browsing around and generally cleaning things up on my computer when I came across this tidbit – thought I’d post it. I think it offers good general guidance on doing things you might otherwise not want to do, or wish you didn’t have to. Good way to start off a Monday, I suppose.

I wish I could remember where I saw this...

Always do what's right - you've got to live with the consequences

"There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right." -Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) Baptist minister and civil rights leader

Recently a client of mine mentioned that he didn't like the way a certain colleague treated staff members. I asked him why he hadn't done anything about it. The question caught him off guard. He didn't have a good answer. Upon further reflection, he realized that he was contributing to the problem by letting it occur. He ended up speaking with the guy. And later he told me that though the conversation felt uncomfortable, it eventually improved the situation immensely.

Consider this… It isn't always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it can feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders. In these situations, use your conscience as a guide. Don't look for the "easy way out." What looks easy at first is often tough to live with in the long run. Always remember that you have to look at yourself in the mirror each day. And it's a lot easier to do if you're proud of what you see.

Something to try:

1. Start noticing where you don't stand up for what's right (however you define right).

2. Develop some ideas on how you could take action.

3. DON'T TAKE ACTION RIGHT AWAY - chat with others to get some perspective.

4. Choose your course.

5. Take action.

How has doing the right thing paid off for you?

Martin Luther King was quoted elsewhere saying the day a man starts to die is the day he stops doing the right thing. Kind of an extreme view if you ask me, but food for thought.

UPDATE: I found the original reference! It was a Fast Company Now article/blog entry from 15 March, located here. Sorry I didn't credit you guys the first time...