Resources | Articles

The importance of transparency and reputation

Bringing what is in darkness into the light

In the last few years Australian "hacker" Julian Assange, the founder or WikiLeaks, has certainly made history. And in the past few days he has made more international enemies than anyone would care for in ten lifetimes! There is much debate over whether WikiLeak's leaking of more than 251,000 American diplomatic cables, many labeled "classified" or "secret", was justified. Assange claims that the world has a right to know. Many foreign government officials disagree though, including former US president Bill Clinton, who this week said that the leaks will inevitably lead to the death of innocent people.

Whether the leaking of these documents is morally right or not, I do not want to comment on. But what this whole saga has made me consider is whether or not I would stand tall under the same public scrutiny if all of my personal and business decisions were splayed before the world to see. Could my life stand up to such scrutiny? If not, then I am being a hypocrite and I am not Unashamedly Ethical.

Graham Power often says that his greatest test of whether a deal is ethical or not is to ask himself, "How would it make me feel if this were published in tomorrow's newspaper?" A great question, and we can apply it to many other areas too, like how we treat our wife or husband, or what we allow ourselves to watch on our computers, and many other "private" decisions.

I remember when I was closing a previous business of mine, there was so much cash flow pressure, coupled with uncertainty about the future, that I was tempted many times to take cash out of the business for myself before my employees or creditors were paid. The money was running out and everyone else was being sorted out except me, and at times I felt that this wasn't fair. But I made a commitment during that time that I wouldn't draw a salary from the business until every last creditor was paid and every employee received their rightful retrenchment. For months and months my family and I did not draw a salary, and there were some very trying times. I even visited one creditor and showed him my bank statements (he was kind enough to negotiate a settlement with me, which we honoured). I'd love to tell you that a major contract came through as a "reward" for my faithfulness, but alas, the business folded and we lost it all.

But can I tell you today that I am so glad that I played open and honest cards at that time. Somehow we still paid the rent! Somehow we still had food! And God puts the peices all back together again if you trust Him! But I can just imagine how if I had swindled a few creditors, or short-payed a few staff members on their retrenchments, I would still today be living under the fear of someone bringing what I had done to the light, some revelation about me that would ruin my reputation. In the long term it is ALWAYS worth doing the right thing, even if it costs you everything! What is written in the Proverbs is right: "A good name is better to be chosen than great riches."

This story from my own life is a constant reminder, and lesson for me. It is something I must still battle with each day, because each day has it's temptations, does it not? It is written that there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to the light. My friend, let me encourage you today, if there be anything in your life which is darkness, which is concealed, which is not right, let me encourage you today that it will be better for you to bring it to the light yourself, make it known and deal with it, rather than have it exposed some other way in the future.

Bless