This timely book is the result of the Stanford/Harvard/Claremont study of “good work” in business, under the direction of William Damon, Howard Gardner, and Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. During the course of the study, researchers interviewed 48 men and women who have achieved success in business. The interviews revealed the surprisingly strong role that morality can play in successful business careers. Based on this information, William Damon developed a set of principles for using the moral advantage in business. Damon’s book describes the principles and illustrates them with cases drawn from the study.
These principles include “moral imagination” — creating a business concept that serves a larger purpose without losing profits; forthright communication that inspires trust; cooperative strategies that build teamwork and community; uses of the Golden Rule for managing complex relationships; philanthropic efforts that express compassion; and a public commitment to ethical standards. The book shows how and when business people can most effectively draw on these principles and explains how to develop the personal capacity to do so throughout a career.