Back in the Middle Ages, life was simple. There was right and wrong. Some of the Ten Commandments revealed the right; the others, plus "The Seven Deadly Sins," conveyed the wrong. If you made good choices, you went to Heaven. Bad ones landed you in Dante's "Inferno."
Today, life is…well, confusing. For many people, commandments and sin are quaint concepts. Instead, they pursue secular goals such as a big paycheck and social network reach. But, alas, they are lost in moral darkness.
So here's my solution. Let's update the "The Seven Deadly Sins" for advisors. "Save" yourself by avoiding these transgressions (and examples) at all costs:
1. Pride. The desire to be more important or attractive than your clients. If you must raise your office chair two feet above your clients, watch out.
2. Avarice. The aggressive pursuit of wealth, stature and power. Don't succumb to the temptation to trade in your Jag once a quarter.
3. Envy. Being resentful of the good fortune of others. Don't "unfriend" clients who snare the latest Internet IPO before you do.
