In 1963, I became the board chairman of a Swedish company, Imodco, a leader in the growing offshore oil industry. (The company specialized in ship-to-shore loading systems for tankers.) Soon after, the company nailed a major order for an installation in the South Pacific. The catch: The client wanted $75,000 in our budget for an "educational fund" – a kickback. I told our president to walk away. I said, "I wouldn't do this when I was poor. Why would I do it when I am wealthy?"
I have worked with businesses as small as the corner drugstore and as large as a Fortune 500 corporation. Here's what I found: It's not necessary to "play the game" by bending or breaking laws. My businesses never suffered because I refused to take part in shady dealings. Honesty really is the best policy.
– Stanley Dashew is coauthor with Josef Klus of the new book "You Can Do It! Inspiration & Lessons from an Inventor, Entrepreneur, & Sailor."
