Did you ever have that experience of reading a book or a newspaper article that so closely parallels your own thinking, or your own writing, that you might have a doppelgänger out there someplace you never knew about? Well, thatâ''s the feeling that swept over me when I reader Warren Buffetâ''s recent memo about peer pressure and monkey-do, monkey-say corporate behavior. It was as if Buffet had torn Chapter 14 from my book, Cheat To Win, and reprinted it as his own. Of course, he did not. Any guy whose net worth is measured in the gazillions doesnâ''t need to swipe copy from my book; he already knows what works in businessâ''and what doesnâ''t. Buffet knows, as I know from years as a corporate CEO, that the notion of â'œEverybody else is doing itâ' neither justifies nor exonerates the multitude of nefarious acts that seem to be gripping modern business. And Iâ''ve made it a big point in my book to define what I call, â'œgood cheating,â' and â'œbad cheatingâ'â''the kind Buffettâ''s memo is talking about. Still, itâ''s flattering to know how Buffettâ''s thinking so closely parallels my own on this subject. In case you missed Buffetâ''s memo. Iâ''ve reprinted it below. And if you want a definitive study on the problem and the solution, well, read Cheat To Win. To: Berkshire Hathaway Managers (â'œThe All-Starsâ') From: Warren E. Buffett Date: September 27, 2006 The five most dangerous words in business may be â'œEverybody else is doing it.â' A lot of banks and insurance companies have suffered earnings disasters after relying on that rationale. Even worse have been the consequences from using that phrase to justify the morality of proposed actions. More than 100 companies so far have been drawn into the stock option backdating scandal and the number is sure to go higher. My guess is that a great many of the people involved would not have behaved in the manner they did except for the fact that they felt others were doing so as well. The same goes for all of the accounting gimmicks to manipulate earnings â'' and deceive investors â'' that has taken place in recent years. You would have been happy to have as an executor of your will or your son-in-law most of the people who engaged in these ill-conceived activities. But somewhere along the line they picked up the notion â'' perhaps suggested to them by their auditor or consultant â'' that a number of well-respected managers were engaging in such practices and therefore it must be OK to do so. Itâ''s a seductive argument. But it couldnâ''t be more wrong. In fact, every time you hear the phrase â'œEverybody else is doing itâ' it should raise a huge red flag. Why would somebody offer such a rationale for an act if there were a good reason available? Clearly the advocate harbors at least a small doubt about the act if he utilizes this verbal crutch. So, at Berkshire, letâ''s start with what is legal, but always go on to what we would feel comfortable about being printed on the front page of our local paper, and never proceed forward simply on the basis of the fact that other people are doing it. A final note: Somebody is doing something today at Berkshire that you and I would be unhappy about if we knew of it. Thatâ''s inevitable: We now employ well over 200,000 people and the chances of that number getting through the day without any bad behavior occurring is nil. But we can have a huge effect in minimizing such activities by jumping on anything immediately when there is the slightest odor of impropriety. Your attitude on such matters, expressed by behavior as well as words, will be the most important factor in how the culture of your business develops. And culture, more than rule books, determines how an organization behaves. Thanks for your help on this. Berkshireâ''s reputation is in your hands. Bob MacDonald is a business maverick who is a 40-year veteran of the insurance industry. Heâ''s the retired CEO of Allianz Life of North America and presently CEO of Allianz Income Management. He brings a unique and sometimes controversial perspective to business ethics, entrepreneurial management and personal success. For more of his wit and wisdom visit Bobâ''s blog on the Internet at cheattowin.net.