Many factors contribute to the success of a business, but one of the most critical is the character of the CEO and other key people who drive it. And what drives that, whether consciously or not, is the philosophy they hold - the basic beliefs and values that underpin their choices and actions.
We do not presume to speak for the winners of the IT's Million $ Babes Awards, but our philosophy of business is summarised by these excerpts:
...What are the valid aims of a business - its values? That is easily answered by its reason for existence: to make money. Making money is the proper purpose of any business, just as making money is the proper motive of a worker offering their services for hire.
...This does not mean "making money at any cost", any more than the fundamental value of life means one can or should seek to preserve one's physical existence at any cost. Again, this is because at the most basic level virtue is what makes life possible.
...A business should be run in the same way and for the same reasons as your life. You should choose rational values, then do all in your power to achieve and defend them. Nothing less will do, and nothing less is moral, in life or in business.
...It is virtuous to run a business, to earn your own living, and to make as much money as you can and want to, as long as the money you earn is made honestly by production and trade, not dishonestly by force or fraud. It is right and proper to defend your right to the money you have earned, and more, it is virtuous to be proud of any money you have made in that way. You do not have to buy approval by "returning something" or appeasing someone else's agenda: making money by free trade is justification in itself and proof of its own virtue.
...The Objectivist philosopher Tara Smith gave a good illustration of why one should live a moral life, which can be paraphrased to explain why one should be moral in business as well:
Imagine all you want to achieve in your business or your career. Think of all the things you value that can be yours if you succeed, all the reasons why you would want to succeed. Just think about it for a minute...
That is why you should be moral.
The complete article from which these excerpts were taken can be purchased via the ThoughtWare secure web store (A$5.00; Australian residents add 10% GST).