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In another year I probably would have been justifying a new Rolex Chapter 2 • the IntegrIty trap and OppOrtunIty 29 watch or blue sapphire ring (Special Forces affectations) for the boss and me as I plowed through the line in the sand that would have gotten further and further behind me, my upbringing, and the seventh commandment. S. currency gained through blackmarket deals. Revulsion? Disgust? Outrage? Not really. I probably would never have done it, but the dreamy view of a 23-year-old with $100,000 tax free in 1969 might some day have had some appeal.

Canius came to dinner as a fleet of boats sailed before their eyes; each fisherman brought in, in turn, the catch that he had made; and the fishes were deposited at the feet of Pythius. ” Inflamed with desire for it, Canius insisted upon Pythius’s selling it to him. At first he demurred. To make a long story short, Canius gained his point. The man was rich, and, in his desire to own the country seat, he paid for it all that Pythius asked; and he bought the entire equipment, too. Pythius entered the amount upon his ledger and completed the transfer.

Nelson claims that “staff people” (human resources, finance, and marketing people, for example) are more likely to succeed than “line people” (operations people) because, as he says with his characteristic reticence, those in line operations often have “visions of grandeur” and react to potential failure in their new responsibilities with arrogance and a refusal to reach out and learn and trust. Steve Bennet, former CEO of Intuit (Turbotax), told me, “They 52 Losing it often tend to focus on managing their ‘image,’ convince themselves that they really are great, and do all sorts of things to facilitate that image, surrounding themselves with lower-performing players who kiss their asses.