As we write this column, the news is full of dire articles about the impending U.S. default on its loan obligations. The great debate over our budget has us musing about the meaning of the term “full faith and credit” . . . especially how it relates to the ethics of selling in today’s business climate. Read more...

Many business professionals savor their independence. That’s why corporate employees often go independent as their skill, knowledge, and client list grow. But even as a free agent—a lone cowboy or cowgirl—how independent are you really? Are you subject to the influences of other entities in your professional life? Do you let those influences affect your decisions—and your ethics? Do you let them call all the shots? And most important, can you truly be an independent and unbiased professional when industry “ranchers” with huge stakes in your success brand your hide, but have little ownership of your mistakes? Read more...