Big news today from the Big 10 in college football. Jim Tressell, the incredibly talented and successful Ohio State football coach today resigned under pressure from a scandal that started last winter about his players committing various NCAA offenses, namely accepting freebies from local businesses and trading team memorabilia for services like tattoos. Tressel was tipped off to it far before it became public, and he was not the one to announce it. Accusations of a cover up ensued, and now here they stand with a firing labled as a resignation.
DISCLAIMER: My husband went to University of Michigan, and there is no love lost for Ohio State in this household. Especially after these players were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl and beat my alma mater's Razorbacks in that game.
That said, although I am just a little bit happy to see this massive chink in the mighty Ohio State's armour, I think it's sad that such a great coach had to resign heading a hugely successful program, and it makes me think there's a lesson here for all of us, not just those in college sports.
It's not only about winning.
I heard a news analyst say on the radio that Tressel kept it quiet because he wanted to just focus on the team and winning and not let it get in the way.
But sometimes things DO get in the way, and sometimes there's a price to pay if we keep quiet. He would still have his job right now if he had of not been focused not only on winning, but on doing what is right.
This makes me think of the ethics questions we face as Realtors often. We have to disclose material defects we know about a house, even if it impedes the sale (ie, keeps us from winning). We need to tell our buyers if we think a house is not worth buying if a home inspection proves too much work for them (again, we don't win that game). We have to be honest with prospective sellers about value and tell them what we think their house is really worth, even if it might mean we don't get to list it.
Real estate is made up of a series of games (potential transactions) that we can sometimes lose, but in doing so, keep our ethics intact and build our business for the long run. Our focus is not on the sale, but on the fiduciary duty to our clients and for making sure they make the best choices for their goals. That is how I run my business. I have talked buyers out of buying houses and talked sellers out of listing. Did I get paid for that? Not that particular game, but I built trust, confidence and loyalty - at that's what will keep me here for the long haul.
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