“I would prefer to fail with honor than win by cheating.”

–Sophocles

Do you ever wonder where the term ‘the high road’ originated? Before modern roads were paved, they were level with the ground. Some roads would run across lower ground, and others would wind through hills. It was frequently faster to travel the low roads, but you risked getting stuck in the mud. The high road took longer, and was frequently more difficult, but you arrived without having to clean the mud off yourself. It became a metaphor for life.

“Take the harder right.” 

– West Point Military Academy Saying

In my own experience, I’ve been in a position of having to tell a superior or a customer something that I know they did not want to hear. In those moments I was faced with a choice: diplomatically tell the truth, or, as the saying goes, dodge and weave to avoid trouble. As difficult and uncomfortable as those moments were, I knew what the right course of action was, and I chose the difficult right. Your honor code – integrity (link to integrity post), honesty, fairness – is what guides you and leads you to make choices that put you above reproach.

About the Author: Susan Finch

Susan has been a web solutions provider since 1997 and combines it with her years of experience in Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising. In her own company, Susan Finch Solutions (http://www.susanfinch.com) Susan provides training, design, set up, strategies, and graphics for clients online and for print. Susan has been a director for the SLMA since 2008.