24 D
EFINING
M
OMENTS
a manager’s responsibilities conflicted with others. The stakes were
high, and there was no exit—a manager had to decide, choose,
commit, and act. Doing one right thing would sacrifice others. Each
situation confirmed the view of Sartre’s veteran political leader: dirty
hands situations are sometimes the inescapable lot of men and women
with real responsibilities in life.
But perhaps Sartre is too gloomy. Perhaps these problems aren’t
really so grave. It may be possible to find what Oliver Wendell
Holmes sought—‘‘the simplicity on the other side of complexity’’—if
only one looks in the right places. Perhaps managers can rely on
fundamental ethical principles, or the law, or carefully crafted com-
pany mission statements and ethical guidelines, to clear a path
through these ethical conflicts. Or perhaps managers should simply
consult their moral instincts and intuitions, and then pursue a course
of action that they can live with in good conscience.
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