Exception to the Rule: The Surprising Science of Character-Based Culture, Engagement, and Performance

Epilogue and Takeaways

It is interesting that we need to prove that a culture characterized by trust, fairness, courage, and hope would somehow outperform cultures characterized by distrust, injustice, cowardice, and despair.

When Virtue Is Absent

Turnabout is fair play. Rather than put virtue on trial, let’s put vice on trial. Consider what happens to our relationships when virtues are missing:

•  Without trust, relationships with our customers, our patients, and our colleagues deteriorate. Mistrust slows down decisions, decreases quality, and costs more.

•  Without compassion, we fail to relate to others, fail to gain insights from another person’s perspective, or fail to consider how our decisions affect others. In the absence of compassion, ...