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Message: Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article I found. Ethics and Law Firm Marketing: Who Else is a Flawed Human Being? Too many people pretend to be perfect in the eyes of others. Not only is that unrealistic it is also unethical. In any profession, your ethics matter. You must be completely transparent. Take a look at people who run for political office. As I write this (May 2011) Newt Gingrich has announced that he will be running for President of the United States. Before the announcement was made, people were already jumping all over him for his two failed marriages, the tales of adultery and womanizing from his past and the financial difficulties he and his companies have experienced. Do these things make him unfit to be President of the United States? Maybe. We like our Presidents to cover up their flaws until their behavior gets the best of them while in office. As the provider of professional services, as a lawyer, you will have an intimate relationship with your client. He must trust you implicitly. That’s why you have to be transparent when it comes to your flaws and your character. Will this cost you some business? Maybe. But nobody will ever be able to call you inauthentic or a fraud. And you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and know that you have been honest with your clients. A few weeks ago I saw an interview with Jerry Jones (the owner of the Dallas Cowboys) who currently has a personal net worth of about $1.1 Billion. He told the story of how, when he first purchased the team, he went up to the counter of a car rental agency and presented his maxed-out credit card which the clerk promptly cut up right in front of him. Would you hesitate to invest in the Dallas Cowboys now because Jerry didn’t pay his credit card bills years ago? Should a person’s past financial or personal history keep you from working with them? How do you feel about Jerry knowing that he discusses his financial issues openly rather than covering them up? I’ve been there. Many of us have. And with the tough economic times of the past three years, many of us made bad investments in Real Estate that resulted in business decisions to sell the property for less than it was worth. Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers – all have made bad financial decisions. Does that make them unqualified to be a doctor, a lawyer or a banker? Is it fair to judge these people based upon their past decisions? I think it depends upon how you come upon that information. Is it disclosed by the person involved or was it concealed? My life is the perfect example. My rich background includes: A failed marriage, financial problems, being fired by clients and companies, having public (and often messy) disagreements with past partners and dealing with people in my life who were convicted of a crime. What does this say about me? Does it say I picked the wrong people to marry, be friendly with, invest with, and work with/for? Maybe. Have I learned from those mistakes? Absolutely. Will I make them again? Hopefully not. In my mind, those mistakes say that I am human. And as a human being, I handle adversity. Do I brag to others that I have had these experiences? Absolutely not. But I do not run and hide from them either. Keep that in mind as you work through the crisis-du-jour in your own life. People make bad decisions – with their finances, with their relationships, with their choices of employment. Everyone stumbles. My message to you is this: If you are struggling with one (or several) of these issues now, realize that you are not alone and this is not the end of the world. You will get beyond this difficult time in your life and you will be stronger for having gone through it You cannot control how people will judge you. But you can learn from your past and move on. Be upfront and disclose this information. Then go about your business. Ultimately you will be judged by the grace with which you handle these issues. Be transparent and do not judge others too harshly. Treat them as you would like to be treated and do not worry about the things you cannot control. Link: http://www.rainmakerlawyer.com/site/permalink/ethics_and_law_firm_marketing_who_else_is_a_flawed_human_being/