It’s easy to be good when you have something to gain by it. The test is when you have a lot to lose by standing up for what’s right. Here’s someone who did exactly that:
Name: Gerald J. Arpey
Title: CEO, American Airlines
The Good: Resigned in 2011 with no severage package and nearly worthless stock.
Why: Because he thought the airline’s decision to declare bankruptcy was “morally wrong.”
The Take Away: He stood up for moral accountability over his own bottom line. He has been called “the only airline CEO who regarded bankruptcy not simply as a financial took but a moral failing.”
Source: D. Michael Lindsay, New York Times
Have you ever given up something of value because it was the right thing to do? Was it difficult or did it come naturally?