What lessons did you learn from your mother that have helped you in your business or career?

As part of the Lessons from Mom series, I’d like to share an excerpt from  a Business Class interview with Aaron Nelson, Executive Director of The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, during which he answered that same question.

Aaron said there were many lessons – one of them – respect for others. It was important to her and she stressed the importance to Aaron and his sister – that independent of a person’s sex or race or sexual orientation or country of origin or religion – that each person deserves respect.

Aaron said that from that also came a real sense of responsibility to community. He said:

“Mom always told us that you can never spend too much time working on good projects that will help the community. If you have the flexibility in your schedule or the resources to apply to those things – you ought to. Not just that you should, but that you ought to. She implied that there is a responsibility on her children and the people who she cared about to play a role in the community and not to leave tasks that were important to the community to others to do.….but that we should endeavor to do them ourselves.

“She taught me about honesty and sensitivity to other people, respect for other people and their opinion and about hard work. To work hard for the things we believe in, to stand up for what you believe in even though it may be unpopular.”

Listen Here:

Wonderful lessons passed from Aaron’s mother, to Aaron and now to us…valuable lessons for business and life.

What about you? What lessons did you learn from your Mom that have helped you in your business or career?