The Business of Honor: Restoring the Heart of Business

Should businesses strive to do good? It is a seemingly simple, actually complex, and hugely important question. Many business issues are looked at through the lens of businesses vs. stakeholders: increasing worker protections are good for employee safety and morale but bad for business because they increase costs, and increasing consumer protections guard consumers from unscrupulous companies but increase regulatory burden for companies. If you want businesses to be successful, you can’t support higher wages or better protections because those things are bad for business; business success comes at the expense of employees and customers, or so the thinking goes.But what if businesses could partner with workers and consumers instead of compete against them, and what if this partnership could actually improve the bottom line? This is the stand that Business of Honor takes. By honoring employees and customers, we actually improve long-term business performance. We end up with happy, fulfilled employees, customers that we’ve treated fairly and want to do business with us, and excellent business results. We get success with each set of stakeholders when we treat everyone with respect and honor.Throughout the book, Business of Honor gives anecdotes and examples of positive business results resulting from honorable dealings with customers, employees, and suppliers – a banker extends loan terms because of forthright discussion of current business problems, a coworker prevents the author from making a bad decision because they fostered an atmosphere of collaboration, and a favorable settlement brought about by the author’s ability to listen to the other side and reject the urge to argue and belittle.As the reader accepts the premise of acting honorably in order to perform superbly, you are also given a guide in how to lead with honor. Like anything else worth doing, the journey starts by empowering yourself. In order to lead others with honor and respect, successful leaders need to look into themselves and address psychological wounds: we can’t effectively hear feedback, be held accountable for goals, or be in community with others if we are insecure about our own worth, needs, or intelligence. Insecurity makes feedback sound like blame, accountability seem like impossible expectations, and community seem risky and scary. We can only operate in truth when we can objectively look at ourselves and see the value in who we really are.As you empower yourself by becoming comfortable with your own strengths and weaknesses, the journey to serving stakeholders with honor can begin. Business of Honor gives leaders, and it shows us how we are all leaders, a guide to leading lives of honor by fostering an environment where colleagues can give and receive truthful, direct, and helpful feedback; be held accountable; and be given deserved trust, purpose, and autonomy in order to create value how we see fit. All of these actions that build honor lead to fulfilling relationships, a sense of purpose, and business success. The book gives us the blueprint. It is up to us to better ourselves and lead with honor.

You don’t need to be a business owner to benefit from the abundance of wisdom in this book. The author speaks from his own experience, and prophetic insight gained from his close walk with his God, living & walking out Proverbs 3:5-10. That being said, you don’t need to be a Christian to benefit from this book, because the principles here apply to to all who want to succeed in not just business but all your relationships. However if you’re looking for a list of “principles” or a concise do’s & dont’s you wont find it here. Quite the opposite. The experience & knowledge the author gained from growing a business that started with just himself to a multi million dollar “tree of life” employing people in multiple states are very generously shared here. I loved reading this book and from the very first chapter I could not put it down. Its filled with personal stories about his very successful company and how he overcame the many different challenges that come with that, through relationship, connection, integrity & what exactly that looks like. I was edified, inspired & challenged. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to prosper in life.

This book is one of the most applicable and impacting books I have read in years! No matter your line of work or level of leadership, the principles outlined in The Business of Honor are clear, encouraging, and easy to implement. Bob Hasson, with Danny Silk, shines a clear light on blindspots that so many leaders have and can easily miss. Then, with grace and encouragement, he provides paths to leading and living in greater honor, influence, and excellence. While reading I found myself challenged and changed and I'm excited to live a life that better represents the heart of the Father. This powerful book is more than just a tool for professional relationships but also a beneficial guide for living a life of honor as well. Immediately after finishing it, I bought more copies to give away. It's too good not to share!Thanks to Bob for writing a refreshingly vulnerable, honest, and helpful book. Your willingness to give so much of yourself away is an inspiration for others to do the same!

Bob Hasson is addressing a critical issue for Corporate America culture, and it is not only relevant but it’s absolutely counter-cultural and practical. I love the expressed vulnerability and a call to action to show people the light inside. Working in toxic environments under poisonous leaders had lead me to believe in a Machiavellian style and discouraged me from wanting to engage with people who seemingly have ulterior motives. But now I am more motivated and challenged (positively) to be the agent of change using the honoring principles I have learned in this book. I bought the book club on facebook and the discussion/engagement was very helpful. In addition, I have a list of one-liners from every chapter that will help me pursue healthy relationships in business and in my personal life. The content was gold. Thank you, Bob Hasson.

Though I so want this to work with, I know that my current employer won’t offer this type of culture. I have even been reprimanded for wanting a deeper connection. So though I would love for this to work for me, it was most likely the wrong book for me since I am not in leadership. It just left me discouraged.

Not only is this an excellent business book, it is also an excellent relationship book. The stories are inspiring, the suggestions are practical and the writing style is engaging. You don't have to be in business to benefit from this book because it is a real lesson in how to relate to people well. It takes some of the most important principles of creating connection, honor and respect in relationships and applies them to the business realm.

A fantastic book filled with so much fruit not just for business, life.

Best book for business owners: concise, great examples, great take aways and applicable. This is written to address the roots of the problems and not the surface fluff. Yet it is very encouraging to love and bless people around us.

How does a business culture that values and honors relationship before bottom line look alike? If you are interest then read this book.

Amazing book, with powerful and essential advices that will help you to build a thriving culture in your company and reach true prosperity!

My fav