A discussion about business ethics, character traits, integrity, and values

From Mark McCormack, Never Wrestle With A Pig (I can’t quit reading this book):

Vigilance means keeping your eye on the situation at all times. A lot of people don’t have the discipline to do this. They get an idea, act on it, and if it doesn’t work out immediately, they stop paying attention to the situation. They simply forget to go back when the timing is more propitious.

Patience may be the toughest quality to master, because it runs counter to the equally prized quality of speed and decisiveness in business. When everyone in your organization is functioning at warp speed, it takes great discipline to not do something. Yet in my experience, when business people’s timing is off, it’s usually because they acted too soon. They didn’t wait.

As for the third quality, if you can teach yourself to be vigilant and patient, finding the courage to act decisively should be almost automatic.