There’s No Such Things as Business Ethics was written both at the peak of John Maxwell’s popularity and in response to a number of high profile corporate ethical failures (Enron, MCI WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, etc.). I only recently picked the book up when I had sold a box-load of books at the local Half Price Books and scanned the shelves for an interesting title I could buy with my paltry earnings. The book is 134 pages, but the pages are small and the type is large. Each of the 8 chapters can be read in 10–15 minutes, so the entire book could be consumed in a couple of hours.
If you want to know the key takeaway from the book, it’s quite simple: The Golden Rule (“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12) is the only guideline necessary for business ethics.
It doesn’t take 134 pages to make that point. What makes the book worth reading is the 7 chapters plus conclusion that follow that observation. Each provides practical guidance for how to consistently put the Golden Rule into practice in your life and your work. Each chapter introduces it’s topic, uses a list of things we need to understand or practice, heavily relies on quotes from well known leaders throughout history, and uses helpful examples to show what good and bad behavior looks like.