(Side note: I have a particular interest in the history of this region since both my parents were born and raised in southeastern Ohio where the first settlers arrived in the late 1700’s.)
The book is full of brave, adventurous, and principled individuals who followed the lead of Manasseh Cutler, a New England pastor who had the post-Revolutionary War vision of the development of the unsettled and largely unexplored region west of New York and Virginia. Cutler played a key role in the creation of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which established the ground rules for the development of the territory including the prohibition of slavery and a reaffirmation of the rights of individuals who settled in the territory.
But most of all (and why I decided to write a blog), I was impressed with the selflessness, humility, and integrity of the early settlers as McCullough describes the extreme hardship of the first several years. Let’s just say:
There was a lot of “Doing the Right Thing… Even If.”
One particular passage describes the lack of enough food to last the winter for the first settlement in southern Ohio… and to make matters worse, new settlers were arriving who had endured the difficult months long trip and arrived with even less. And McCullough describes the extreme generosity of those who had little – to those who had even less.
Fast forward to today.
It occurred to me that the COVID-19 pandemic has produced and continues to produce situations where people are facing the dilemma that the early settlers faced in the Northwest Territory in the late 18th century. That is – do I focus on self-interest or do I make decisions that focus on the welfare of others “even if” the decision costs more than I really want to endure?
As many of you already know, I teach ethics to students, licensed professionals, and organization leaders. And I provide my opinion that we should all become The Everyday Ethicist™. There are many definitions and characteristics I provide in my training, but you could sum it up by saying that The Everyday Ethicist makes decisions that put the welfare of others first, “even if” there is a personal cost. Just like the early settlers of the Northwest Territory.
On a positive note, I believe the pandemic has produced a multitude of Everyday Ethicists – first and foremost, healthcare professionals who consistently and continuously have provided urgent medical care even while risking their own safety, health, or even life. But remember, we can all become our own version of an Everyday Ethicist… by making decisions that benefit others at our own personal expense or at the expense of our organizations.
We can do the right thing… even if… it hurts for a bit…
We can be a “Pioneer” in today’s world.
“Where poverty, improvidence, and scarcity meet, charity and benevolence only could give relief.”
Need Ethics CPE? Book your virtual 1-hour, 2-hour, or 4-hour Ethics training with Jo today! Email Jo@AuditConsultingEducation.com.
Amanda “Jo” Erven, CPA, CIA, CFE, is the President and Founder of Audit. Consulting. Education. LLC. After a successful career in external/internal audit and accounting, Jo is now an active Internal Audit Strategist, Management Consultant, Higher Education Professor, Author, and Trainer/Speaker, providing Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours, live and virtually, to organizations across the globe. Jo’s motto says the most about her personal and professional outlook: “Good things come to those who wait… but don’t. You deserve better than good.” Every one of her books and presentations focuses on that proactive stance, and how we can immediately connect our actions to our values.
