It only seems appropriate, in light of Oliver Stone’s recent release of the sequel to his 1980’s smash hit Wall Street, that we take a short detour into the twin theories that “Greed is good,†and “Nice guys finish last.†While the Wall Street raider character, Gordon Gekko – played by Michael Douglas – would have you believe that a complete lack of morals and ethics is the only way to truly get ahead in business, we at Solomon Success are not drinking that Kool-Aid.
Despite the media and entertainment caricature of dedicated business men as lacking souls, with a cold-as-ice approach to destroying anything that gets in their way, we’re all aware that stereotype requires all the brainpower of a dim-witted child to create. The truth is far from that. Your business life can be whatever you want it to be. The workplace can (and should) be a haven for Bible business. The list of positive forces to be gleaned from business is a long one but, since moral and ethical behavior isn’t “sexy,†media outlets don’t pay attention.
Here are some darn good things about business when done the right way:
1. Establishes social connections with like-minded people.
2. Regular paychecks lift people out of poverty.
3. Establishes the foundation for a free and democratic society.
As with so many things in life, you get out of the thing what you put into it. Eschew the temptations to lie, cheat, and steal, while embracing the power of business to create good in this world – now you’ve got something. Don’t think you’re all alone in the undertaking. There is more good than bad in the world. Sometimes it takes a little searching to find it. So we say greed isn’t good and only a sub-moron would claim that it is.
‘Nuff said.
The Solomon Success Team
Flickr / crimsong19
