You should take it as a compliment when someone calls you “noble,” right?
Yet when an old business associate and friend used that to describe me recently, it didn't feel that way. We had not seen each other in years, so there was some lengthy catching up to do. I told him where I had taken our business since those early days of our association and how much I liked the business model we had developed. We're profitable, growing at a manageable pace, and treating customers how we would like to be treated. We tell them the truth and don't worry about reputational risk. We're true to our values, and our culture is in sync.
That’s when he said – dismissively in my view -- "You’re noble." I'm afraid I have to disagree… Read my 21hats.com column on this topic here: Is Treating Customers Well Noble? Or Just Good Business?
