Career Mission's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar as explained why we need to focus on doing good work and avoid maligning others. 

According to Harrison it is much easier to criticize and gossip about others than it is to achieve anything of significance in our own lives.  To achieve something of significance requires an incredible investment of time and energy; it requires dedication; it requires risk; it requires believing in ourselves and overcoming obstacles.  Conversely, gossiping or maligning others can usually be done very quickly by simply logging onto a gossip site or blog, sending an email or making a phone call.

The people who are most interested in gossip and so forth are most often the people who lack the dedication necessary to achieve anything of significance. When an employer is looking to hire new employees, the worst mistake the employer can make is to bring in people like this.  Just a few bad apples like this can easily destroy the whole bunch.  In fact, it is precisely this fact and this attitude that can lead to the destruction of entire companies, governments and so forth.  Good organizations are experts in removing bad apples-and keeping the good ones around.

The people who live lives of significance are not the people who talk about and watch those who are making things happen; they are the ones who are accomplishing things.  People who feel the need to gossip and malign others are usually coming from a place of weakness.  There is nothing strong about gossiping and talking negatively about others.  When you are coming from a place of strength this type of behavior is just something you do not need to engage in.

The strongest people out there avoid gossip and avoid maligning others because it detracts from their ability to move forward.  You should be focused on doing and not talking about those who are doing.