A few days ago, in talking about trade, Donald Trump said this: "I want great deals. I don’t care if they’re free. I don’t care if they’re fair. I don’t care if they’re good. I don’t care if they’re horrendous. I just want great deals. I’ll do it all different ways.”
How very early-1980's. You know, The Despicable Age when everyone was expendable and it was profit at any cost, baby.
Gratefully, the world has moved on - well, at least most of the world. I am struck especially by this in the quote, "I don't care if they're fair."
All of us, especially leaders, must be concerned with fairness; in each decision we make we must strive for the important ethical goal of treating all equally. Why? Because simply put it is the right thing to do; it is the ethical thing to do.
And as is the case with many things, because it is the right thing to do it creates many side benefits.
Unfair treatment, in its very nature, creates a deliberately lopsided playing field. Someone is at a disadvantage. While that may be seemingly justified in terms of securing a short-term win; that win is quickly tainted with the idea that the winning side didn't play as aggressively, as hard, as honestly as they could because they had an unfair advantage. On the other side, it creates belligerence and ill-will that will evidence itself for days and years to come.
When things are fair, the exact opposite happens. People need to play and work to their best. They win and lose honestly and they take that satisfaction and move on. There is no call for belligerence or disrespect because all have played by the rules and have been fair with one another.
Some will excuse unfair treatment with this (ahem) gem - "well, life isn't fair." Well, here's the thing - people who have that high level of disregard for life are probably miserable human beings because they can't see fairness to begin with. To be able to see equal and ethical treatment of all is a gift. It is a gift that we can all share. . .because we must be convicted and consistent with the idea that fairness is an integral part of greatness.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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