Few of us will live up to exemplars such as Jeff Flug and Patrick Awuah. But I daresay each of us would do well to let their stories—rather than the money-grubbing exploits of some top execs today—guide our lives. Our legacies—our real legacies—depend upon it.

Sander A. Flaum is managing partner of Flaum Partners and chairman, Fordham Graduate School of Business, Leadership Forum. He can be reached at sflaum@flaumpartners.com