Being a loyal team member is a virtue. So is maintaining our personal integrity. What if you run into a situation where you have to choose between the two? The following true story illustrates this scenario as good as any I know:
In 1914 at age 27, Herm Krannert was hired by the Sefton Corporation. Sefton made corrugated boxes, and they were at the top of their field. Herm was eager and worked hard. At age 30, he was rewarded by being promoted to VP and director. There was one condition: He would be required to vote as the president wanted him to. This offended Herm and he saw it as an affront to his integrity. He immediately quit. Imagine being promoted to Vice President and director of a major company and unemployed in one day!
Herm came home and shared the news with his wife, Ellnora. She comforted him, and assured him things would work out fine. They did! A group of co-workers heard what had happened and they quit also. They said they wanted to pool their cash together and start their own company, and they wanted Herm to be president. That was the beginning of the Inland Container Corporation, which would end up to be the 2nd largest container manufacturing corporation in the country.
If you walk the campus of Purdue University, you will find Herm’s name in many places. Most noticeable, there is the Herman Krannert School of Management.
Herm was a man of rock-solid integrity. We respect people with such a quality. We also respect one of the most important ingredients we need to achieve and sustain our integrity…COURAGE!
