For all the die-hard ice cream lovers out there, especially those who love a certain creamery in Brenham, Texas, the recent news that Blue Bell recalled all of its product from store shelves across the country was a bit of a sugar meltdown. But it was also absolutely the right thing to do. The company made the wise decision to put public safety above all else after reports of a listeria outbreak. In my opinion, Blue Bell made the ethical choice that emphasizes the importance of real values in action.



In my new book, Values, Inc., I described a similar situation when Johnson & Johnson recalled Tylenol from store shelves in the 1980s after a series of mysterious deaths. The company took a huge financial hit but acted with swiftness and transparency for the safety of the public at-large. Nobody knew if the brand could survive. But Tylenol bounced back and even ushered in a new era in tamper-resistant safety seals for medicines.