“We like you and we trust you,” Roger said to me.

“It’s just so hard for us to let our advisor go,” Sally added. “He’s a friend. He knows us. But he has not taken good care of us, and he knows the way we feel.”

“What would you do, Jeremy?” they asked.

I thought about it for a moment. I empathized with them. They were in a truly difficult position – one we all find ourselves in at some time: a conflict between social convention and avoiding those uncomfortable conversations versus doing what is clearly best for us.

And yet, the answer was incredibly simple.

“Roger, I am deeply respectful of long-standing relationships and the need for those, as well as the time involved in developing them,” I said. “But at the end of the day, of course we want your business, and we will respect it.”

Roger and Sally shook their heads in acknowledgment, but I wasn’t finished.

“That being said, you will not hear me speak poorly. I would rather share how we can help you, how we would approach a strategy for you two, and how we’ll make sure we give you our very best.”

“And THAT is why you are hired!” Sally said, a smile of relief on her face.

Take the high road. Always.

Look, I get it – it’s so easy to beat people up and to “fight” dirty. To get our ego involved and try to call people out.

To be honest, I think spirited competition is good, healthy, necessary even. I actually love it.

But instead of belittling others or even taking the time and energy to turn to the negative, there’s a far better way.

Why not just demonstrate your value instead?

A mentor of mine once said, “Absent value, price becomes the only determining factor.”

That is so true. You may even want to read that one again.

And so is the Golden Rule: treat people the way you want to be treated.

Expect respect and you will get respect in return! If you ask me, it’s the only way to conduct business and even live your life.

-J.D.