Our core values are listed in order of importance.

And while I’ve already talked about how putting “Be Good” before “Be Excellent” creates a moral imperative to execute at the highest level, I haven’t spelled out why “Have Integrity, Serve Others, & Do The Right Thing” comes before every other core value.

In fact “Be Good” could be visualized as the foundation for all the core values.

The reasons why fall into two lines of thinking.

1. The exact opposite is clearly a marker of the wrong way to go.

2. Heading towards the goal directly (defined as “Have Integrity, Serve Others, & Do The Right Thing”) can shed light on how to optimally implement each core value.

Here’s examples of both for each core value:

Be Excellent

1. As explained in THIS POST If you were to be excellent at being a jerk that would be the definition of ‘bad’. Or, if you were less than excellent in the way you served someone, you’re literally robbing them of the value you agreed to offer them.

2. With The Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, in order to step our game up we always ask, “How can we honor these people more? How can we make them feel more special & appreciated for their accomplishments?” This thought process has been the guide that has kept us on track for 5 years now, and made the events better every year.

Be A Friend

1. Being a mean friend is worse than being an enemy.

2. If you’ve had a bad day & your friend just had something awesome happen to them, should you complain to them or join them in their excitement? Asking how you could serve them better makes the decision much clearer & you a much better friend.

Be You

1. If “You” were without integrity, always selfish, & did the wrong thing all the time…that’s called being a villain (and an idiot).

2. If you think of the music you enjoy, the clothes you wear, the interests you have as a way to celebrate the life you’ve been blessed with…then that’s what the world needs. And you need to share it as often as possible.

So if you start with Be Good, it can provide both ends of the magnet for every other core value - pushing you directly away from its opposite & pulling you closer towards its ideal.