A blind woman pauses at the curb and listens for the rumbling of combustion engines. She hears nothing and proceeds to cross, but her service dog won’t budge. Frustrated, the woman tugs the leash. The dog holds its ground. The woman reprimands the dog.

Seconds later, a cherry-red Tesla quietly zooms past them. The dog sits up, wags its tail, and together they cross the street.

It takes strength to do the right thing when it’s the opposite of what's expected—especially when no one’s looking.

Where does the strength come from? Here’s my formula:

Intelligence + Morals + Courage = Strength to do the right thing

• Intelligence: To think critically and understand the “why” and the impact.
• Morals: To know your values, to have a higher sense of purpose, to understand that you’re but a small part of the world, and that everyone can make the world a better place.
• Courage: To assert yourself and actually take action.

Imagine if the woman’s dog had blindly obeyed orders.

I have a framed poster in my home office that reads “It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” It encourages me to be strong. To be courageous. To do the right thing when no one is looking—just like the dog.