Choose the right path, there is no excuse…you know who you are and you know the path to choose.
I was recently in a meeting with an executive of a very large local company in Indianapolis. This gentleman has spent the majority of his professional life with this firm, poured his heart and soul in to this company, sacrificed many late nights with his family for the betterment of his company and his family’s fortune. Don’t get me wrong, it has paid off and afforded he and his family many great riches in life, along with professional growth that most of us would be jealous of. Now, because of this gentleman’s efforts he can perhaps write his own ticket if he were seeking a new opportunity. However there is a twist to this story and it is a common one with this local company and is a trend I fear that has been crossing this nation for years. He has become disenchanted with his company’s vision, morals, values…and unfortunately this a difference that cannot be corrected.
This Indy executive’s story is one that almost any of my colleagues would be interested in experiencing. Unfortunately there is major Irony in this story, and I fear this is a story that resonates with far too many people in this country right now…what is sad is that it is not necessarily their fault at all. This A+++ executive would spend the next 25 years with this company and retire from the same organization if their values had not changed.
Our values have changed significantly in this country.
There are many businesses in Indianapolis that were founded on solid ethics, values, and practices that have given back a thousand times over to its employee’s and the community. Unfortunately, (as with the executive I met with last week) management changes over time…then you add the pressures of Wall Street, analysts, and growing egos…as a result, corners get cut and most of the remaining professionals are not listened too and seen as expendable. Thus, as the story comes to an end…we are in danger of losing our local executive.
The life of business has changed, no doubt.
I am
not asking our leaders to ignore those changes. However I AM asking, no…pleading, for all of our state’s leaders to continue to innovate but not loose sight of the values in their heart that got them to the height at which they currently sit.
Please do the right thing…the alternative is not an option.