integrity by the numbers: clean sheets

Julius Baer is the latest Swiss bank to settle with United States justice and tax authorities over an

investigation that revealed its active participation in a scheme with wealthy American clients to avoid taxes. Were this an isolated incident, one could chalk it up to greedy bankers and self-centered multimillionaires—the former for the hefty fees, the latter for the hefty fortunes. Yet this is merely the latest in ongoing investigations. Even if we were not in our current age of omnipresent—and, to be sure, omnipotent—electronic financial trails and travails, why do some people still consider integrity a human trait best left to our society’s do-gooders? Why can clean balance sheets still not be taken for granted, if only because they are so difficult to hide nowadays, let alone because tax fraud is hardly a victimless crime?

The easy answer is that the house needs to be bigger, the Ford needs to be a Mercedes, the meals need to be five-star, the travel needs to be first-class, the art needs to be in the trophy league. Yet how much is enough? Five million, 10 million, 100 million dollars or euros? Two, four, six houses? Beyond a certain point, the pursuit of money takes on its own appetite, its own “freedom” or “glory.”

As the New York Times put it, “White-collar defendants seem to be emerging as the new media stars, generating publicity sometimes rivaling that of social phenomena like the Kardashians.” What governs individuals from Martin Shkreli, the hedge-fund manager and pharmaceutical executive recently charged with financial fraud, to corporations like Volkswagen charged with emissions fraud? The key answer is what does not govern them—integrity.

Is it legacy that they crave, as they already have more money than is spent annually by an entire country like Bangladesh? Is it ego, power, control and/or a dozen other all-too-sweet human attributes?

Taking a few steps back, how humbling to recognize the brevity of our time on this little planet, the gratitude that comes with having instant access to food and heat, and the desire to look beyond ourselves to help other individuals and nonprofits. During the last month, email inboxes have been overflowing with year-end donation requests; how fortunate that the same government that prosecutes tax fraud also allows tax deductions for charitable giving.

As we look ahead to 2016, grateful for our health, our relationships, our finances, or helping others with their health, their relationships, their finances, the big picture remains huge. Those clean sheets allow for very good sleep indeed.

using time wisely: autumn leaves

In just five days, when December 20th comes to a close, autumn leaves and we brace for winter. How many of us remember the start of 2015 as though it took place a mere few months ago? Then multiply that feeling by 10 and a decade has passed. How easy it is to forego an extra hour for Law & Order, a further hour for Judge Judy, confident that the time could well be made up tomorrow, next month, next year…. Fill in the blanks for any activity that stretches a bit too far and the hours add up like credit-card interest, unable to be recouped and ultimately a waste.

To be sure, those few extra hours in bed or relaxing in front of the browser, cup of tea in hand while nursing a cold, or that two-week vacation in Paris or Prague after an intense and productive period of work, are both wise and rejuvenating. Yet day to day, this extra 10 minutes here or that 15 minutes there can add up to hours each day, dozens each week and hundreds beyond.

Recognizing the brevity and preciousness of life is a prime starting point that teenagers rarely display, that 20-year-olds are generally immune to, that 30-year-olds only begin to sense, that 40-year-olds start to understand, that 50-year-olds tend to embrace, that 60- and 70-year-olds long to maximize, and that 80- and 90-year-olds accept with either resignation or satisfaction depending on whether having lived an unfulfilled or satisfying life.

This awareness goes a long way in separating what really matters from what simply musters, let alone minimizing the daily stressors that ultimately carry little import. The body and brain—that lyrical duet playing in concert—then do their part in offering adrenaline, endorphins, dopamine, serotonin et al.

A sensitive perspective also reveals layers of appreciation and insight. Writing in today’s New York Times, Stefan Friedrichsdorf brings us back to the beginning of breath, reminding never to take a day for granted: “Our interdisciplinary team has met the families of many children facing life-limiting conditions. Each case is heartbreaking, tragic and utterly unfair in its own way. Our role at Children’s Minnesota—one that still goes unfilled at many pediatric hospitals—is to work with families on a plan to help their child live as long as possible, as well as possible.”

As long as possible, as well as possible. When the end of breath inevitably comes, when winter, spring, summer and autumn leave, if we can utter or think these words with the force of reality and truth, then how much easier to brace for the coda.

ego in the workplace: a bad knows job

Self-esteem in the workplace can be both healthy and productive, as it points to self-respect and confidence in one’s abilities. Lawyers, for example, having gone to four years of college and three of law school before passing a rigorous bar exam, not only have reason to be confident but in fact must be, given the competition and stakes involved. Doctors require years more training with life and its quality at stake. Executive assistants need to be highly organized and efficient. Insurance salesmen must be well versed in the often-arcane byways of life, home, auto, health and disability. The same parameters of individualized excellence apply to a thousand other professions, which lead to promotions, salary increases, personal fulfillment and positive societal contributions.

Yet why does the ego so often cross the line from benefit to baseness? S. Mark Young, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, points out that “narcissists may do the most damage at the top, but they can disrupt workplaces at all levels. They possess very little empathy and have grandiose views of themselves, leading to feelings of entitlement and a constant need for admiration. Narcissists are cutthroat and scheming; they tend to dominate the conversation and will do just about anything to be the center of attention, even if it’s negative attention.”

The history of the business world is littered with examples of executives who may have started out their jobs with idealism and discipline, yet became ever more unbearable as their responsibilities, salaries and stock options increased. This hardly needs to be a quid pro quo. For every such insufferable manager, there are those on the other side whose egos do not require skyscraper attention and who take corporate social responsibility seriously. Why do some descend into the former camp, while others thrive within the latter?

Taking a step back from the moments and tasks at hand, those able to recognize the brevity of life, and how small they are not only in relation to the size of our planet but within the annals of history—regardless of title or entitle—have consistently shown themselves to be happier and more content than those whose ego allows them to operate with the visibility of a snowstorm. And beyond home and hearth, family and fellowship, education and enlightenment, what good is money? Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s cofounder and chief executive, just announced that he and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, would donate 99% of their company shares (currently approaching $50 billion) to charity during their lifetime, a pledge made via an open letter to their newborn daughter: “Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.”

Who would anyone rather work for, someone who knows how fortunate he or she is and is determined to give back, or someone who knows little beyond a job’s daily parameters and base measurements? Given how permanently obvious the answer is to most people with a heart and two lungs, it remains astonishing how prevalent—how bad—the alternative.