 | Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition |
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Product Description
Author royalties from this book go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation "The way Jon conducts his business and lives his life will not only inspire you to be a better person, citizen, and entrepreneur, it also will give you hope that the good guys don't finish last." Glenn Beck, CNN "Jon Huntsman is a different breed. He believes business is a creative endeavor, similar to a theater production, wherein integrity must be the central character." Larry King, CNN "Jon Huntsman's own life and personal values lend credence to his words. He walks his ethical talk." Neil Cavuto, Fox News "This book could put me out of business. Nobody would be happier about it than me." Wayne Reaud, Trial Attorney. The nationwide bestseller--fully updated for today's tough times and worldwide financial crises "Everyone does it." Everyone cheats. Cuts corners. Tells lies. Maybe it was different once. Not today. If you want to succeed in thiseconomic climate, you simply have to make compromises. Right? Wrong. You can succeed at the highest levels, without sacrificing the principles that make life worth living. The proof? You're holding it. Jon M.Huntsman built a $12 billion company from scratch, the old-fashioned way: with integrity. There were short-term costs and difficult decisions. There were tough times. Times just like today. But ultimately, leading with integrity wasn't just personally right for Huntsman, it also proved to be the best business strategy. In Winners Never Cheat, Huntsman tells you how he did it, and how you can, too. This book is about remembering why you work, and why you were chosen to lead. It's about finding the bravery to act on what you know is right, no matter what you're up against. It's about winning. The right way. Think about the kind of person you want to do business with. Then, be that person--and use this book to get you there.
Glenn Beck on Winners Never Cheat – Even in Difficult Times
In today's world where it increasingly appears that we can't trust our political or business leaders, this book is an unwavering reminder that traditional values never go out of style and are as essential today as they were forty years ago when Jon Huntsman launched a small chemical business that he grew into the world's largest privately held chemical corporation. Jon Huntsman doesn't like to be called a billionaire. He's uncomfortable with that title. I'm convinced he also doesn't like being one either because he's committed to giving away his hard-earned fortune—not after he dies, but during his lifetime. I believe in this book's message and its messenger. I have never in my life purchased any book by the case, except for this one. I give a copy to my friends who mistakenly believe that business can no longer be done with a look in the eye and a handshake. Many of the problems and much of the pain we're currently experiencing on Wall Street and Washington could have been avoided if those we trusted with our money and our power lived what's taught in these pages.
If you're looking for success, read this book. If you're wondering if you can be successful while staying true to your core principles, read this book. If you're wondering, like so many are, if capitalism has a bright future, read this book. I have and it's changed my life.
--Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck's newest book, The Christmas Sweater, follows the challenges and growth of a boy who struggles with the choices he has made and the decisions he yet must make. Beck is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, An Inconvenient Book, and The Real America. He is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Glenn Beck Program and will also be hosting his own television show on Fox News beginning in 2009.Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #21375 in Books
- Published on: 2008-11-08
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 256 pages
Features
- ISBN13: 9780137009039
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
"How timely! How needed it is for one of the finest human beings, industrial leaders and philanthropists on the planet to compellingly drill down on 10 timeless, universal values for business and life. This book edifies, inspires and motivates all of us to model these commonsensical lessons for our organizations, all our relationships and especially our posterity-for what is common sense is obviously not common practice.
Primary greatness is character and contribution. Secondary greatness is how most people define success-wealth, fame, position, etc. Few have both. Jon's one of them."
- Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author," The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "and" The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness"
"This is easily the most courageous and personal business book since Bill George's "Authentic Leadership," If anyone has doubts about how one person can make a substantive difference in the world, this beautifully written book should dispell them immediately. I hope it's message is embraced worldwide."
-- Charles Decker, author, Lessons from the Hive: The Buzz for Surviving and Thriving in an Ever-Changing Workplace
"Jon Huntsman's new book ought to be mandatory reading for leaders--and those who aspire to be leaders--in every field. His secrets for success are no secrets at all, but invaluable lessons that he has reminded us, with his life and now with his words, are the pillars upon which we can build our lives, too."
--Senator Tom Daschle
"Jon Huntsman has taken us back to the basics---the basic values that transcend all professions and cultures. He has provided real life examples that are inspiring and show that 'good guys'; really canfinish first. And he shows us how you can learn from mistakes. It is a "must read" for both young men and women just stepping onto the golden escalator to success and anyone seeking reassurance that how one lives every day really does matter." -- Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO American Red Cross "As I read Jon's book, I thought my father had returned to tell me that you are either honest or you are dishonest, that there is nothing in between. 2 + 2 = 4, never 3.999 or 4.001. Also, if you always say what you believe, you don't need to have a good memory. If we could only live the principles Jon has followed, what a different world it would be--both in our business and personal relationships."
--Senator Jake Garn
"Jon's outlook on moral and ethical behavior in business should be inspirational to all who read this book. The lessons of fair play and holding true to personal moral values and ethics are time honored principals which are all too often overlooked in today's world. While this book is geared to those in business, I see it as worthwhile reading to anyone."
-- Rick Majerus, ESPN Basketball Analyst and legendary former basketball coach, The University of Utah
"A refreshing and candid discussion on basic values that can guide you from the sandbox to the board room --- told by a straight shooter."
-- Charles Prince, CEO Citigroup
"I can't put down the book after reading the first page. These are values universally cherished, whether in the United States, in China or elsewhere. A great and loving man emerges from the pages so vivid that he seems to talk to you face to face, like a family member. My life is richer and mind is broader after reading the book. Iam very proud of my friendship with Jon Huntsman." -- Yafei He, Director General Ministry of Foreign Affairs - China (Dept. of North American and Oceanic Affairs)
"Nothing could be more timely than this provocative book from one of America's foremost business and civic leaders about the urgent need for greater ethics in our public and private lives. With wit and clarity, Jon Huntsman shares his guidelines for living a life of integrity and courage. It is a wondeful tonic for much of what ails us today. Winners Never Cheat is a valuable handbook for anyone wanting to succeed in business, or life."
--Andrea Mitchell, NBC News
About the Author
Jon M. Huntsman is chairman and founder of Huntsman Corporation. He started the firm with his brother, Blaine, in 1970. By 2000, it had become the world's largest privately held chemical company and America's biggest family-owned and operated business, with more than $12 billion in annual revenues. He took the business public in early 2005. He was a special assistant to the president in the Nixon White House, was the first American to own controlling interest of a business in the former Soviet Union, and is the chairman of the Board of Overseers for Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. Mr. Huntsman also has served on the boards of numerous major public corporations and philanthropic organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross. The Business School at Utah State University is named after him, as is the basketball arena at the University of Utah. The Huntsman businesses fund the foundation that is the primary underwriter for the prestigious Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, which he founded. The hospital/research facility has become a leader in the prevention, early diagnosis, genetic legacies, and humane treatment of cancer. He resides with his wife, Karen, in Salt Lake City. His oldest son, Jon Jr., was elected governor of Utah in 2004, later became ambassador to China, and is currently running for President in the 2012 election.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Good Times, Bad Times
Circumstances may change but your values shouldn't
When I wrote the original edition of this book in the fall of 2004, I had experienced four decades in the business world. My life had been enriched in every aspect. Like others before me, I discovered that ''happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it." I had witnessed it all: the greed, the cheating, the lying, and the selfishness. And the triumphs, the miracles, the rages-to-riches, and the flim-flam folks.
Or so I thought. It turned out I was wrong. There have been sequels galore on the downside (and a few on the up). As I write these lines in the fall of 2008, ethical corner-cutting has risen faster than the price of a gallon of gas. Even those tough, cold winters in rural Idaho were easier to swallow than some of today's Wall Street trickery. Traditional values appear to be as in vogue as a subprime loan.
The good times of 2004 to 2007—record markets, sizzling real estate, easy credit, relatively acceptable energy costs—conspired to make us morally flabby. It is easy to take the high road when the route is leading to better times. Generosity isn't difficult when money flows.
Historically, positive economic scenarios are followed by painful downturns. The result presents new temptations to bend rules, to hoard material possessions, and to dismiss decency as being so last year. Born of anger, fear, stress, and frustration, the temptation to cut a corner is strong and persuasive. For the honest of heart—life's real winners—times like this are just another passing test.
When reaping an abundant harvest, most of us keep our senses—the common variety and in relation to fair play. Yet, it is quite apparent, given the amount of irresponsibility, cheating, fraudulent behavior, and pure greed that has recently been exposed, that not everyone was playing by the rules. Indeed, the breadth and depth of abhorrent behavior from this minority were startling. From subprime loan scams to speculation on the oil markets to crises in the insurance and financial sectors to falsifying the financial conditions of companies, ethical abuses, and the scope of government bailouts have been jaw-dropping.
Unfortunately, doing it the "right way" seldom cushions economic blows. Such letdowns can leave one confused and angry, but it is no time to panic, to lose track of our moral compass. On my mother's tombstone in Fillmore, Utah, are etched Shakespeare's immortal words: "Sweet are the uses of adversity." Surefire winners understand this adage. Crises must and can be resolved in moral ways. In so doing, keep in mind two things:
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The situation hardly ever is as bad as it seems. It will pass. Better times are ahead. If nothing else, history tells us that. Americans inherently tend toward optimism. It is in our genes. The fact is, the past 20 years, overall, have been fairly good to us.
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Prosperous times are no guarantee we will adhere to a morally righteous path. Most people strongly adhere to a fixed code of ethics whether the economy is up or down, but some feel a sense of need for even more financial gain, regardless of the consequences.
The subprime mortgage and energy price debacles were conceived in a bed of raw greed, from a dream of getting something for nothing. They were born with illusions of easy, riskless, endless money. The erosion of moral values is the natural progression of this mindset. Such obsessions require the redrawing of ethical boundaries. This sort of greed destroys the financial and emotional underpinnings of others. For some, the idea of finding a morally acceptable alternative is placed on "call waiting" until the nefarious goal is reached.
When ethical boundaries are redrawn or removed, the addiction to wealth becomes all- consuming. When expediency trumps propriety, it results in an escalating toboggan ride down a mountainside, a descent impossible to stop until the sled crashes from excessive speed and lack of direction. The late '90s dot-com burst was evidence enough. Perhaps the hedge funds of today will be the next exhibit.
This scenario results from a flawed rationale. The "objective" or "goal" is an illusion because it is based on an ethically bankrupt premise from which nothing positive can be achieved. The goal can never be reached. There will never be "enough" money; there will never be "enough" power. Thus, the "success" some envision will never be attained. A crash nearly always follows a dizzying display of "success" that is not solidly based in economic and ethical fundamentals. You can be sure the Piper will demand payment.
If everything were fair in life, perpetrators of economic meltdowns would be the only ones who suffered for their impropriety. But life isn't fair, and the fallout too often envelops good people who played by the rules, who trusted institutions, who are left to survive the rocky times brought on by others. The innocent are made to suffer for the sins of the reckless, the greedy, the cheats, the fast-buckers, the indecent, and the liars. With tough times comes another kind of temptation: the perceived necessity to cut corners, to cling to what you have, to rationalize that traditional values can be jettisoned if the ship is sinking. During this period, one can easily fall into the trap described by William Wrigley, Jr.: "A man's doubts and fears are his worst enemy."
The confusion, frustration, stress, and fears that come with financial dilemmas can make even the most ethical of individuals vulnerable to bad choices. Nevertheless, reminding ourselves of the moral path and disciplining ourselves to follow it can sustain us in such trying moments. If there is a silver lining to bad times, it is this: When facing severe challenges, your mind normally is at its sharpest. Humans seldom have created anything of lasting value unless they were tired or hurting.
A discussion involving ethics can be easily misunderstood by some minds. In reality, it is quite simple. The adherence to an ethical code is best defined as how one honors a bad situation or a bad deal. Heaven knows it is easy enough to honor a good deal, or to take advantage of an event or circumstance that is rewarding and beneficial to all sides.
My company, Huntsman Corp., has completed a court trial in Delaware, as I write this. The entire case centered around the other party trying to break a contract with us. Economic conditions changed somewhat between entering the contract a year ago and when it was to be executed, and the other company's prospects of going forward are far bleaker than when they signed the deal.
One of the lawyers for the company that signed the "iron-clad" contract with us but tried to back out made an interesting statement to the judge. "This is a very tight contract," she told the judge. "Therefore, we must look for any loopholes possible to try and extricate my client from honoring the contract." The judge didn't buy it and required the company to keep its word.
Unfortunately, this sort of behavior happens on too many occasions. With crafty lawyers, it sometimes works. Most of the time, however, iron-clad contracts simply are what they were intended to be from the start: maintaining a binding agreement between two parties. And how one honors situations when things turn sour or when a deal ends up being more costly than originally thought is how one defines his or her personal values.
In survey after survey, Americans of all stripes—Republicans, Democrats, Baptists, Jews, Unitarians, liberals, conservatives, the rich, and the poor—indicate they are worried about values. I certainly am. Some shout their angst for all to hear; others express their concerns quietly. Civilization has basic standards for proper and right-thinking action. That was the theme of Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) when it was first published, and it remains so with this updated version.
I don't have to paint detailed landscapes. Each reader is able to point to his or her own painful experiences starting in 2007. The scenario is neither mysterious nor coincidental: Unbridled greed often prompted unethical, reckless behavior that temporarily turned on the money spigot and fueled the hysteria for many. The shock, anger, and heartbreak took place in Act II.
The twin tragedy is that generosity becomes expendable in times of contraction. The basic urge to share, instilled in us from youth, is dulled by the self-centered instinct to survive. Is anyone surprised that charitable donations decreased in the second half of 2007 and have tanked in 2008? Are we surprised that civility and decency have taken back seats when we are in survival mode? Yet, tolerance and charity also are pillars of ethical behavior. In good times and in bad, our values insist we act graciously and generously.
Most of us care about one another. Human beings have considerably more in common with one another than they do differences. One's religion, political persuasion, family, financial and social status, or vocation does not hamper the common thread of personal decency running through most of humankind. In spite of America's fervent embrace of self-reliance, the vast majority of us believe in taking care of one another. Albert Schweitzer said it well: "You don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here, too."
An ethical code of conduct is a nondenominational religion to which all but hardcore sociopaths can subscribe. Ethical responsibility is the gold standard for determining civilized, decent courses of action. Without established and commonly accept values, the earth turns into a global food fight.
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Most helpful customer reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful.
Honesty & Integrity is the Winning Formula
By Larry Underwood
Jon M Huntsman is a humble & self effacing man who quietly goes about his business; and business is good. He's a self-made billionaire who knows that success is attainable through hard work, determination, and of course; through honesty, integrity and generosity.
This book captures Huntsman's vision of setting good examples for the rest of society, by consistently doing the right things. This is a man who builds trust through his actions, and helps those less fortunate with his contributions of time and money. In his mind, whatever success he's attained is irrelevent to the big picture; and that's making our planet a better place to inhabit.
I'm sure all of us, from time to time, have witnessed actions of people we once trusted that made us think otherwise; whether it be shaving a stroke off their golf game to avoid losing a few bucks, double crossing us on a business deal, or worse, sabotaging a career. Once the trust has been destroyed, everything else collapses with it.
Huntsman, on the other hand, with his remarkable philosophy on life, is a shining example that successful people are measured more by their basic core values as human beings, than their net worth. Some, if they're really good; possess the ability to do it all.
Huntsman clearly fits that bill; and we're all just a little bit better off because of it. This is a great book, written by a truly great man.
48 of 52 people found the following review helpful.
Good book, just not enough
By T. R. Turton
After seeing Jon Huntsman on The Glenn Beck show, I knew I wanted to read this book and find out more about the man and his philosophy. I feel the book was worth the purchase price (especially because he donates the profits from the book), but I was a bit disappointed. I guess I expected more details regarding his life growing up and what shaped him. There were snippets, but not anywhere near enough. Also expected more details of his dealings in business, the ups and downs and how his values, honesty, and ethics carried him through. There were definitely a few examples, but if you've seen him on Glenn Beck, you've heard most of them probably.
Really wanted to be able to give this 5 stars, and I would give Mr Huntsman 5 stars for his standards in life.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful.Ethics at its finest!
By D. Murawski
What a refreshing view of ethical business practices by one of the most down-to-earth men to ever be successful. Jon Huntsman is an inspirational figure who practices the basic human skill and desribes how we are born with these "sandbox" skills and ethical behaviors. Corporate America, WAKE UP!
http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/0137009038
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