In the business world, there are many pathways from the drudgery of the worker-bees to the top floor. For example, winning a highly publicized court case, finding a medical cure, or obtaining a patent on a new energy-saving process comes with financial success, notoriety, and a big jump up the corporate ladder. Regardless of the pathways to success, many find themselves “walking around dead in my shoes” (Williams).

Some people see everything in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. Others see an ocean of gray with nothing ever firmly planted on one side or the other. Unfortunately, what is seen as gray are our ethical choices.

If you want to develop and maintain long-term business relationships, honor will probably need to be central to how you operate. In business, how people judge your character is critical to sustainable success because it is the basis of trust and credibility.

When you lack words, you shut down new insights and lines of reasoning. People who possess a limited vocabulary have a much tougher time breaking out from old patterns of thought or questioning. By the same token, each new word you learn opens a new avenue of thought, empowering you to think or take action in ways you could never have before.