.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
In my native language, Urdu, there is an old saying that goes something like this: “Money comes and goes, but it’s your integrity and character that count most.” Even to those not familiar with the language, nothing is lost in the translation.

It’s probably a common saying in many cultures around the world. It’s most likely a lesson we all want to engrain in our own children as they embrace the real world.

I am reminded of this wise saying now more than ever before – and I see its significance coming to life. In our current economic times, the line has been blurred. The dividing line, that is, that made the rich very rich and separated them from the rest of us.

Clearly, money has come and gone. A sense of vulnerability has emerged. Tales of fraudulent investment schemes, failed ventures and reckless corporate debt are endless, trumpeted in headlines and on the covers of almost every publication.

Undoubtedly, it’s hard to overlook the importance of money and the direct impact it has on all our lives as we witness the loss of jobs, homes and retirement funds. But now more than ever, let’s not lose focus on the importance of strong integrity and good character.

After all, some may argue that, had we kept these two tenets at the forefront to begin with, we may not have arrived at the debacle we are currently experiencing.

I don’t pretend to understand the complexities of microeconomics, derivatives and quantitative modeling, and though it might seem too simple-minded on my part to blame all our troubles on lack of integrity and character, I do know this much: Despite the most savvy corporate CEOs, the most seasoned economists and the most brilliant minds on Wall Street, we find ourselves in the toughest of times.

Now may be the time to revise the curricula of those Ivy League management classes and reflect on centuries-old, yet timeless, principles that have somehow escaped us. After all, what a waste it will be if we don’t learn from our mistakes and our next generation finds itself revisiting thoughts on “ways to survive in a bad economy” or “tricks to a recession-proof resume.”

Embracing the importance of integrity and character becomes a “must-do” on our task list, whether in the workplace or in the household. Failing to do so may bring us right back to where we are today, just a generation later.

Mashal Husain is the director of development at the World Food Prize Foundation.