on ethics

A Barometer of Our Character How we act when no one is watching

BY BRAD YARBROUGH

We hear a lot of commentary today about good character and great ethics. The ambition will damage your ultimate our collapsing culture and the erosion of game of golf is a showcase for good and success. Jones knew this to be true by its foundational, long-held values. If you bad behavior. Perhaps no other sport saying, “When you cheat in golf, the agree with the observation, you’ll also places such emphasis on etiquette, only person you’re cheating is yourself.” concur that the culprit is the collapse of rule-keeping and sportsmanship. On individual character. the course, a player’s actions are usually The Power of Good Habits under scrutiny by others. Yet, it can be Success at All Costs during one of those “no-one-is-looking” Success in today’s world relies on moments that true character is revealed. good character, integrity and ethics. The wide world of sports has a featured It requires that we learn from past role in our society—providing an Take a look back at one one of the mistakes and know the difference insightful view of our definition of and greatest golfers in history, Bobby Jones. between what’s right and wrong. It’s not regard for rules, values, character and He was playing in the 1925 U.S. Open about personal gain. It means staying ethics. Breaking the rules often points when he self-reported an infraction and true to our values in everything we do. to a character failure. In some cases, took the one-stroke penalty. During an athlete may not know the rules or play, as he addressed the ball lying in Individuals must make doing the right inadvertently violates them. Yet, all the rough, it moved ever so slightly. thing a habit, and through the process too often it is simply a willful act of an No referee or official saw it move, of maturity, become an individual of athlete that knows better. so they insisted that he should not good character—not merely a character take the penalty. But he knew he had that does a lot of good. As Stephen An online search will yield a long list inadvertently done it, and he applied Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly of cheaters, crooks and criminals that the rule. With that added stroke, the Effective People, “Our character is a made sports history. , holder game ended in a tie. In the end, he lost collection of our habits.” Character is of numerous Major League a 36-hole playoff. That one stroke cost everything, and it’s especially obvious records, was banned from baseball in him the outright victory! Afterward, a when no one is watching. J 1989 for placing bets on pro baseball sportswriter tried to praise Jones for his outcomes. In more recent years, the integrity. Jones reacted by saying, "You world was shocked when stories emerged might as well praise me for not robbing about world-renowned cyclist Lance banks." Armstrong, who used performance- enhancing drugs to achieve success. This Albert Einstein once said, “Relativity was also the case with numerous baseball applies to physics, not ethics.” Though pros, including , Mark it is tempting to make decisions based McGwire and Sammy Sosa. In 1994, on the cost or reward to one’s reputation Tonya Harding orchestrated the “knee or bank account, such situational whack” on skating competitor Nancy ethics should be carefully considered. Kerrigan. Bobby Jones, who remained an amateur throughout his career because he feared True Sportsmanship playing for money might corrupt his love of the game, made another oft Brad Yarbrough is the Owner and CEO of Pilgrim Land Services, a right of way services company quoted statement. He said, “Many shots Every sport has its illustrations of in Oklahoma City. With over 35 years experience ethics failures. Fortunately, there are are spoiled at the last instant by efforts in oil and gas, he has clients nationwide and an also some bright shining examples of to add a few more yards.” Greed and extensive network of landmen and agents.

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