One of the biggest business myths is that business ethics is an oxymoron. There are some that would say that business is a big competition, a competition where business people are competing for a limited prize – success, money, power – and thrive achieve it by any means possible, including advancing your own personal interest at the expense of others.

Do you agree? Is there no room for etiquette in business? Is corporate social responsibility an oxymoron?

Take the following two anecdotal examples:

* Kenneth Lay’s and Jeffrey Skilling’s personal greed brought an end to Enron and killed thousands of jobs.
* The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is endowed with over $29 million, mainly consisting of Gates’ own money. The richest man in the world, Bill Gates, has a social conscience. Do you think he made it to where he is by conniving and cheating people. I think not.

Do you still think business ethics is an oxymoron?

Who would you rather have as a business mentor, Bill Gates or Kenneth Lay? Bill Gates has a track record of corporate social responsibility and Kenneth Lay is quite the opposite.

In my view, a socially responsible business, all other things being equal, will be more successful than one that is not. A good reputation is important in business and a business with a good reputation will have loyal customers. The opposite is true of businesses that perform bad business etiquette.

Be good. Your customers will thank you for it.