Ethical living – and leading – takes courage and conviction.
It means doing the right thing, even when the right thing isn't popular or
easy. But when you make decisions based on your core values, then you tell the world that you can't be bought – and you lead your team by
example.
What we rarely see, however, are stories about the numerous
companies that are managed by ethical leaders. While standards seem to keep
falling in some corporations, other leaders "raise the bar" and
Inspire their teams to do the same. These leaders do the
right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. They put their ethics
before the bottom line– and as a result, they have dedicated teams that would
do almost anything for them.
To begin, you must know your own values as well as your organization's
values. Professionals must live and breathe the principles of honesty and
integrity every day. They must communicate clearly, keep promises, have
personal accountability, and respect others in the work force. Your personal
values are also important. If the company's written rules don't say that you
must be fair to everyone, but this value is important to you – then, of course,
you're going to do it.
Good leaders follow their personal values as well as
organizational values.
Ask yourself these questions:
- · What standards of behavior are really important to my company?
- · What specific values do I admire in certain leaders? Do I identify with those values?
- · Would I still live by those values, even if they put me at a competitive disadvantage?
- · Once you identify your company's core values as well as your own, you can start to set the tone with your team and your organization.
Actions always speak louder than words, so make sure you
do as you would wish others to do.
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