Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) [Hardcover]

Jon M. Huntsman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2005

Next time someone tells you business can't be done ethically -- corners must be cut, negotiations can't be honest -- hand them Jon Huntsman's new book. He started with practically nothing, and made it to Forbes'list of America's Top 100 richest people. Huntsman's generous about sharing the credit, but in the 21st century, he's the nearest thing to a self-made multi-billionaire. Now, he presents the lessons of a lifetime: a passionate, inspirational manifesto for returning to the days when your word was your bond, a handshake was sacred, and swarms of lawyers weren't needed to back it up. This is no mere exhortation: it's a practical business book about how to listen to your moral compass, even as others ignore theirs. It's about how you build teams with the highest values, share success, take responsibility, and earn the rewards that only come with giving back. Huntsman's built his career and fortune on these principles.  You don't live these principles just to 'succeed': you live them because they're right. But in an age of non-stop business scandal, Huntsman's life proves honesty is more than right: it's the biggest competitive differentiator.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This year, Huntsman took his multibillion dollar eponymous petrochemical company public, pushing him even higher on the upper tiers of Forbes's wealthiest list. This little book is structured around old-school aphorisms ("Play by the Rules"; "Check Your Moral Compass") from which Huntsman draws an informal moral code. King's foreword touches on the big picture: Huntsman's unremarkable beginnings, his scholarship to Wharton, his founding and stewarding of Huntsman Chemical, his giant Salt Lake City home and his philanthropy-as well as Huntsman's struggles with cancer, and the family members he has lost to the disease. Huntsman's own chapters include mild rants against lawyers, the story of his son's "successful 2004 campaign for governor" of Nevada, tales of his other eight children, their travels, business deals and the role of prayer in their lives. Prescriptive but digressive, Huntsman's book feels a lot like a long, informal speech to a graduating class.

Review

"How timely! How needed it is for one of the finest human beings, industrial leaders and philanthropists on the planet to compellingly drill down on 10 timeless, universal values for business and life. This book edifies, inspires and motivates all of us to model these commonsensical lessons for our organizations, all our relationships and especially our posterity—for what is common sense is obviously not common practice.

Primary greatness is character and contribution. Secondary greatness is how most people define success—wealth, fame, position, etc. Few have both. Jon’s one of them. "

- Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8^th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

 

"This is easily the most courageous and personal business book since Bill George's Authentic Leadership. If anyone has doubts about how one person can make a substantive difference in the world, this beautifully written book should dispell them immediately. I hope it's message is embraced worldwide."  

    -- Charles Decker, author, Lessons from the Hive: The Buzz for Surviving and Thriving in an Ever-Changing Workplace

 

"Jon Huntsman's new book ought to be mandatory reading for leaders--and those who aspire to be leaders--in every field. His secrets for success are no secrets at all, but invaluable lessons that he has reminded us, with his life and now with his words, are the pillars upon which we can build our lives, too."

--Senator Tom Daschle

 

 “Jon Huntsman has taken us back to the basics---the basic values that transcend all professions and cultures.  He has provided real life examples that are inspiring and show that ‘good guys’; really can finish first.  And he shows us how you can learn from mistakes.  It is a “must read” for both young men and women just stepping onto the golden escalator to success and anyone seeking reassurance that how one lives every day really does matter.”

-- Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO American Red Cross

 "As I read Jon's book, I thought my father had returned to tell me that you are either honest or you are dishonest, that there is nothing in between. 2 + 2 = 4, never 3.999 or 4.001. Also, if you always say what you believe, you don't need to have a good memory. If we could only live the principles Jon has followed, what a different world it would be--both in our business and personal relationships."

--Senator Jake Garn

 

"Jon’s outlook on moral and ethical behavior in business should be inspirational to all who read this book.  The lessons of fair play and holding true to personal moral values and ethics are time honored principals which are all too often overlooked in today’s world. While this book is geared to those in business, I see it as worthwhile reading to anyone."

-- Rick Majerus, ESPN Basketball Analyst and legendary former basketball coach, The University of Utah

 

"A refreshing and candid discussion on basic values that can guide you from the sandbox to the board room --- told by a straight shooter."

-- Charles Prince, CEO Citigroup

 

"I can’t put down the book after reading the first page. These are values universally cherished, whether in the United States, in China or elsewhere. A great and loving man emerges from the pages so vivid that he seems to talk to you face to face, like a family member. My life is richer and mind is broader after reading the book. I am very proud of my friendship with Jon Huntsman."

-- Yafei He, Director General Ministry of Foreign Affairs - China (Dept. of North American and Oceanic Affairs)

 

"Nothing could be more timely than this provocative book from one of America's foremost business and civic leaders about the urgent need for greater ethics in our public and private lives. With wit and clarity, Jon Huntsman shares his guidelines for living a life of integrity and courage.  It is a wondeful tonic for much of what ails us today.  Winners Never Cheat  is a valuable handbook for anyone wanting to succeed in business, or life."

             --Andrea Mitchell, NBC News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

chapter one of Playing By the Rules [PDF]

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Prentice Hall; 1 edition (April 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131863665
• ISBN-13: 978-0131863668
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jon M. Huntsman is chairman and founder of Huntsman Corporation. He started the firm with his brother, Blaine, in 1970. By 2000, it had become the world's largest privately held chemical company and America's biggest family-owned and operated business, with more than $12 billion in annual revenues. He took the business public in early 2005. He was a special assistant to the president in the Nixon White House, was the first American to own controlling interest of a business in the former Soviet Union, and is the chairman of the Board of Overseers for Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. Mr. Huntsman also has served on the boards of numerous major public corporations and philanthropic organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross. The Business School at Utah State University is named after him, as is the basketball arena at the University of Utah. The Huntsman businesses fund the foundation that is the primary underwriter for the prestigious Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, which he founded. The hospital/research facility has become a leader in the prevention, early diagnosis, genetic legacies, and humane treatment of cancer. He resides with his wife, Karen, in Salt Lake City. His oldest son, Jon Jr., is governor of Utah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crossing The Finish Line, May 27, 2005

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) (Hardcover)

This little book is small in size only as it covers significant and wide ranging discussions on a persons moral compass. The author is probably one of the most successful and positive people I have ever read that would write a book that focuses on the positive side of human nature. The author believes in being honest, fair and gracious at almost all costs. He argues that if we all focused on these aspects of our human contact, then many other positive results will present themselves.

Not only is this book a wonderful pick me up for anyone fighting their way through the corporate jungle, but it is full of bits of solid management techniques for those of us in the business world. Even the authors personal story is a wonderful look at how someone can become such a success treating people fairly and honestly. Overall I can not say enough positive about this book. It is a great shot in the arm and a road map for a positive legacy. This book is a keeper and one that you will find reading over and over.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh air to fill your business lungs - enjoy!, April 6, 2005

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) (Hardcover)

"Winners Never Cheat" is a tonic for our jaded age. To those already imprisoned in cynicism this book will read like a bunch of soft platitudes suitable only for children, but worse than useless to anyone trying to make it in the "real world". Of course, the cynics are not objectively correct. Cynicism and bad behavior are only necessary when you deem them to be the tools of your trade. If you decide that lying really is a losing long term strategy and that short run gains aren't worth long term losses, well, lying becomes a stupidity and easily avoided.

This is not to say that the kind of honorable behavior Huntsman advocates in this book leads to easy business success or a world of bright flowers and constant sunshine. Far from it! Competition is still tough and things still go wrong. It is simply how you compete and what you do to get things right that matter. These "everyday" values make for a more sustainable success that lead to better personal interactions, trust, and a more enjoyable life for everyone. Business failure is unpleasant, but it is transient. Corrupting your character for short term success is bitter and not easily undone.

Huntsman fills this short book with anecdotes from his own successful career. We learn about lessons he learned in the Nixon Whitehouse working on HR Haldeman's staff. The author describes how he handled various negotiations for rather large business deals. He tells us that lawyers are invaluable as business tools, but not as a substitute for business thinking or creativity. He describes his personal relations with a few business leaders of large companies.

In a couple of these I feel he raises some questions that are never directly addressed. For example, he describes the Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell as a friend without addressing what the huge and expensive reserves write down implies about the leader's character and leadership ability. He also mentions Armand Hammer as a friend! All I can suggest is to read about Mr. Hammer's true character in Edward Jay Epstein's terrific "Dossier". It is actually frightening to contemplate these two men being actual friends. I have to assume that Mr. Huntsman was simply using friend as a polite title the way Congressional enemies refer to each other as "my good friend". They could not possibly share genuine ideals and have anything in this book actually mean anything.

It is also clear that Mr. Huntsman has no use for Wall Street bankers. He must have hand some bad experiences in dealing with them. This makes me wonder why he ended up taking his company public. I also wonder if the bankers who helped him do so were honorable in his eyes or of low character. If they were honorable, shouldn't he have noted the exception in his book? If they were scumbags, why didn't he walk away from the deal?

Mr. Huntsman also makes a huge point of charitable giving. His personal example is inspiring and demonstrates what considered and generous giving can do to lift people and benefit communities. He also is unsparing of the notion that public corporations should be focused on profits for their shareholders. Mr. Huntsman says that as long as he is running Huntsman Chemical it will be doing charitable giving. This begs a thought experiment. Let's suppose that Mr. Huntsman were to retire, but still live a long, robust, and healthy retirement. Let's suppose that a chairman appointed by the board should decide, for personal reasons, to donate millions of Huntsman Chemical's dollars to anti-Mormon causes (Huntsman is a believing and faithful Mormon). Would this seem sensible or appropriate to Mr. Huntsman? That the person who did this would be immediately fired is beside the point. That shareholders in widely held firms have diverse interests apart from the management of the firm they own and that they are perfectly capable of their own charitable giving is really the point. When Huntsman chemical was a private and closely held firm, its giving was his business. Now that it is a publicly held firm, it is a different creature and has to act differently. There is a reason that I am more and more in favor of more firms staying private.

Two other short points. Two honest people with good intentions can still come out with different interpretations of simple English statements. I know this can all be avoided with careful negotiation, good contract writing and so forth. My point is that the fact of a powerful and even bitter disagreement is not necessarily evidence of bad character on the part of either side. It might well be that one or both of the parties is a ratbag, but they could both be good people who strongly disagree. This is important to note as you go about your business career and simply make sure to take extra steps to avoid such painful disagreements through prevention.

The second point is that I wish Mr. Huntsman had gone one step further. It is true that bad managers and dishonesty caused the financial tragedies at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, and others. However, who hired them? Why were they hired? Shareholders hired them by investing their money in these firms looking for the big returns. Those who lost money investing in equity in these firms are not innocent. They helped create an environment where the solid management teams of older less explosive firms were cast aside for the go-go huge return firms of the nineties.

We hired these clowns and they delivered the lies we asked them to tell us because they agreed with the lies we were telling ourselves about the likelihood of these huge returns. It is actually a dishonesty to simply blame the CEOs who ran these firms. Oh, they deserve every punishment they get. But let's not deceive ourselves that they were the only bad actors in this scenario. We were all acting in that dark comedy and deserve the wages earned.

Highly recommended.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, October 3, 2005

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) (Hardcover)

No matter what business you're in, these principles apply to your work and your life. None of them are new - honor, fairness, honesty and respect are as old as time - but this is a refresher course that reinforces what you already know about morality and ethics. Author and successful business leader Jon M. Huntsman can cite himself as living proof that you don't need to compromise your core values to become a success - or even a billionaire. If you're a leader or aspire to be a leader in any field, this quick read is well worth your time. We recommend it to help you focus on values that the modern world often tramples. The message is sweet, simple and clear: stick to your beliefs staunchly, even if it costs you in the short term, because character, integrity and long-term results are what really count.