Temptations to loosen or abandon your ethics are all around you in today’s competitive business world. But there are some steps you can take to stay ethically strong:
- Start within. Take time for reflection about what your values and purpose are. What matters most to you when it comes to ethics? Write down key decisions you’ve made in life and consider what they say about you.
- Align your senior team. Talk to them about their aspirations and the kind of company they want to create. Consider developing a consensus statement to guide you.
- Be prepared to get off track. Like it or not, there will be times when feel pressured to put your ethics on hold to please a boss or the board or to advance your career. Don’t get caught off guard. Schedule regular conversations about your organization’s ethical ambitions to see how they align with yours.
- Don’t wait for the whistle to blow. Have a way for managers to lead conversations that uncover the truth about how the company really works.
