(BALTIMORE – September 20, 2026) – We talk a lot about the skills required for success, but not nearly enough about the character required to sustain it.
Character is not a glamorous subject. It speaks to our values—the principles we hope are first instilled at home. We study our disciplines, practice our crafts and sharpen our skills. Yet none of that determines what we will do when doing the right thing comes at a cost.
That is when character takes over.
It is not a glamorous topic. It speaks to values—the ones we hope are first taught at home.
We all come to the table with our own experiences, skills, talents and ambitions. Businesspeople aspire to become successful. We study our disciplines. We practice our crafts. We sharpen our skills.
At some point, however, we will face a decision: Do the right thing, or do something unscrupulous, shady, unethical—perhaps even illegal.
That decision will have little to do with our abilities and everything to do with our character.
Can I look at myself in the mirror? Can I sleep at night? Am I a decent person?
Issues of moral turpitude typically involve dishonesty, theft or other conduct that reveals something troubling about a person’s character.
It might begin with something small—so small that we barely give it a second thought. But over time, that small compromise becomes easier to repeat. Then it becomes something bigger. Eventually, a person can find themselves in a world of trouble.
What is lost may be far more valuable than a job, a position or even one’s freedom. The greatest loss may be the damage done to one’s character.
If we are driven solely by money or ego, then we need to take a hard look at ourselves. Everything cannot be about money. How we treat people matters. How we conduct business matters. How our business is perceived matters. What people believe about us can determine how far our enterprise will go.
We see failures of character everywhere—in politics, business, sports, churches, mosques and synagogues. No profession, institution or individual is immune.
What will we do when we face our defining moment?
Will we cheat to win? Will we turn a blind eye to something that could hurt the company or the community? Will we surrender our souls for a comma in our bank accounts? Two commas? Three? Will we do whatever the boss tells us to do, even when it violates our morals?
When my father was in business, he told me about some drug dealers who approached him to purchase formaldehyde. They intended to use it in connection with a street drug known in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County as “Dippers.” Back in the day, some called it “Love Boat.”
My father refused.
He could have accepted their money. He could have told himself that what they did with the product was not his responsibility. He could have looked the other way and made the sale.
But he understood the real cost.
The money from that transaction could never have compensated for the damage to his name, his business and his standing in the community. His decision was not based on whether he could make the sale. It was based on whether he should.
When people place their trust in you, they are giving you something extraordinarily valuable. Trust can take years to build and only seconds to destroy.
Money comes and goes. Positions come and go. Businesses rise and fall.
But your name follows you everywhere.
Protect it.
