The Enron meltdown was thankfully brought to our societal microscope last August, when Sherron Watkins had the guts to blow the whistle.
Yet I often wondered: Why did she do it?
I was able to answer that question, with the help of her lawyer. To most of the world, he is Philip Hilder, attorney at law. To me, he is simply Phil, a valued friend.
Phil and I have known each other for 20 years. In March, Phil and I yacked on the phone. And then, on the evening of June 19th, we got together in the lobby of the downtown Hyatt to once again catch up on family, friends and the Enron debacle.
When I asked Phil, to tell me about Sherron Watkins, here’s what he said:
· she was raised to do the right thing
· she had good role models, her parents were teachers
· she still works at Enron, where on the executive floors…she is
· considered an outcast or pariah
· her decisions have been influenced by a strong moral code of conduct
· her choices were about values, not merely numbers
And according to Phil, here are some lessons to be learned:
· have the courage to challenge authority
· do not blindly follow leaders, without asking tough questions
· control your own destiny
· do not allow your financial fate to be tied to only your company
· let values guide your decisions
