A Call for Ethical Leadership

Photo by @jaysung

Just as a heightened awareness of ethical imperialism is necessary for international business, so too is the knowledge that there is no such thing as "global ethics." What is considered to be acceptable in Bangladesh (i.e., working conditions) may be considered appalling and unethical to Switzerland. Whether or not the Swiss company chooses to do business with another country that may disregard basic human needs, depends upon the company’s ethical code. The point is the drastic difference in ethical foundations. There is simply not a synonymous ethical language spoken across nations and thus, it is paramount that the ethical standards referenced within nations are consistent and prevalent. 

Considering cultural relativism must be taken into account when doing business internationally, it’s equally as important to have leadership in place that recognizes the nuances in cross-culture ethics - well, not only cross-borders but within them too. Three guiding principles suggested for ethical consideration in difficult scenarios include: 1) Respect for core human values, 2) Respect for local traditions, and 3) The belief that context matters when deciding what is right and wrong. We can adopt ethical leadership in our backyard - and these considerations have the ability to permeate throughout a culture.

This is timely. We are in need of ethical leaders. 

There must be a backbone for corporate ethics. At the root: ethical decision making is the difference between successful companies and broken ones; the variance in nations that thrive, and those that are broken from within. If leaders do the work, they will be aware of the steps to take when an ethical dilemma is presented. Without a guideline, those in positions of influence and in positions of power could make a decision lacking in sound judgment.  

What should be applied in any decision-making process? 

Preciseness. 

It’s logical that any person who faces a predicament should reference corporate materials that were created to help guide leaders in complicated situations. The majority of companies  (ninety percent of all Fortune 500 companies, in fact) have codes of conduct. These materials have the need to be explicit about procedures in an array of situations. If a lack of specificity is provided, the leader should seek out answers to questions. Ideally, though, these procedures are already in practice.

Call for Core Values.  

At the deepest level of an ethical dilemma, leaders should reference core values in order to determine their next steps. These values include respect for human dignity, respect for basic rights, and good citizenship. These concepts are in alignment with the theoretical concepts constructed for ethics, as seen in ethical leadership texts dating back to the 1970s.

When determining what is ethical, it would serve the leader well to consider these core values and or ethical theories, prior to making a decision and/or presenting options to a  supervisor. 

But what about the processes for implementation of these guidelines? 

Ethics Committee.

Adopting an ethics committee will support the goals of maintaining an ethical organization. The committee can be composed of both company leadership and representatives from all company hierarchy. The purpose is to discuss ethical issues/problems being faced. It is important to include all levels; when subordinates feel like their input is valued, they are more likely to be invested in the company, ending in higher loyalty and decreased turnover. The participants would be welcome to provide input into possible ethical code additions or adjustments. 

Leadership Training.  

It’s no surprise that subordinates learn by example. In order to ensure proper conduct,  leadership training would be paired with ethical values training. This training would provide the framework for ethical decision making and would help team members learn about appropriate conduct in an array of situations. This would be part of the on-boarding process, a foundational topic raised in meetings and corporate updates, and would be an annual training program.  

Code of Conduct. 

A code of conduct would not only be created, it would be treated as the road map for decision making. The code of conduct, or ethical standards, would need to be treated as the must all, whether at home or abroad. This consistency would reaffirm the company’s values and help establish its footprint for ethical practices. 

What practices does your organization have in place to ensure ethical leadership?

First published on LinkedIn.

Leading Amidst Challenge

It’s no surprise to anyone that our world has changed. Notably, the way we conduct business and communicate. COVID-19 has undeniably adjusted how companies govern and the virus has been a source of stress for families – from unemployment to a fear of falling ill, emotions have stirred over these past four months.

As many companies looked to cut costs, headcount reduction was sizable. What’s more, teams were stretched thin regardless of an unchanged workload. When considering how to lead through a challenge, it is more amply clear than in previous taxing situations, how stress and limited resources can affect leadership. In observing team and management behavior, here are fundamental reminders for how to lead amidst challenge. 

Mentorship.

If you have a mentor, you know it takes work. Not only from the recipient to be receptive, but from the mentor: to engage, listen, and offer advice. As a leader, we must realize that it is our turn to pay that mentorship forward and actively engage – answering hard questions and offering support in difficult times.                                                                       

Self-Care.

I learned an important lesson during COVID: increased workload decreases the ability to govern effectively. This is why witnessing leaders through crises is a truth serum for their core self. Leaders are fully challenged when resources are scraggly, tensions are high, and economic fear ensues. In order to persevere, to remain constant, and to not spiral out of control, we must practice self-care. Daily meditation, exercise, and actively facing our own shortcomings is the path to ensuring that your team is cared for. Liken this to putting on an oxygen mask in a plane when needed; you cannot help others if you do not have an oxygen supply for yourself.

Recognition + Communication.

When a challenge is staring us in the face, we often focus on the task at hand, pushing personal feelings and emotional baggage aside. This, I argue, will only exacerbate discontentment, fuel hostility, and remove effective communication. The responsibility falls on you to pause, recognize your team for the work they are doing, and not take a back seat to communication. Easier said than done, I get it. But make an active decision, daily, to hear your team and resist the urge to put tasks before relationships, even if your day-to-day workload has increased exponentially.

Does Empathy Belong in the Workplace?

You better believed it.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Research has found that empathy can help increase trust and, in my opinion, trust is the lifeline for teams. What’s more, according to empathy experts, we can harness empathy to increase productivity.

We have all experienced the frustration of a team member not completing his or her assigned duties. In these cases, it is typical to assume a team member does not care about the work or is disengaged. However, what if that is not the reason? What if there is a family or life scenario that is causing deadlines to be missed?

The natural outcome of a missed deadline is harsher scrutiny on the employee. A varied approach suggests that there is value in seeking to understand what is occurring in a person’s personal life. It is possible a less favorable situation is being faced, and that provides an opportunity for other team members to assume additional responsibility (within reason and for an agreed upon time). The goal here is not to make excuses for anyone; it is to encourage the team to function as a team – allowing the team member who is undergoing difficulty an opportunity to be transparent. [Have you ever noticed how quick we are to point fingers? Rewriting this narrative may be challenging, but it yields powerful outcomes.]

To this point, a manager has the opportunity to commence an empathetic cycle by putting the feedback loop in motion. The first step is to inquire. It is common employees who are underperforming know that they are and are fearful of discussing the topic. Posing the question, “How are things going for you?” may present a moment of candor – opening the lines of communication, rather than assuming a person is actively trying to underperform.

Human behavior can be very predictable; when someone pushes, the natural response is to push back. But, when a manager demonstrates care for employees – dedicating time and energy to understand perspectives or challenging scenarios – it deescalates situations that could otherwise have been time exhaustive. Employees pick up on the ability for a manager to extend care and empathy, which, in return, generates higher functioning teams, saves on lost productivity, and enables incomparable trust.

Is there a need for increased empathy in your place of work? Contact me.

First published on LinkedIn.

Today is the Day (to be an awesome boss)

If you have a team, and you are earnest in your desire to be an effective leader, keep fighting the good fight. It is proven that engaged employees (those that have a sense of meaningfulness, feel safe in their place of work, and know their superior is available) put forth discretionary effort which reflects well on you and the team as a whole.

Perhaps you do not have time to read the latest empirically backed study about just what makes a manager successful. But what you do have is a couple minutes to chow down on simple – undoubtedly sound – reminders.

Trust.
Does your behavior increase and support trust? This is a non-negotiable. If you want a transparent team dynamic, where members feel psychologically safe, trust is paramount. Be your word.

Belief.
Do you believe that your people are capable? Make one adjustment to your day that encourages a person (or multiple people) on your team to take ownership of a process or task. Empowering your team is not about micromanaging the process along the way. It’s quite the opposite. It is about watching them thrive on their own and being nearby for assistance when you are needed.

Integrity.
I recently read an article about Warren Buffett’s philosophy on integrity. In brief, if your behavior was published in a newspaper every day, would you be pleased with what you read? Would you be proud that your family and friends receive the same paper? To me, this take-away is powerful. Strive to be the best version of yourself, with integrity as a guiding principle.

Humility.
When you trip over your ego you are on a path to alienate your team and set a reputation that is hard to correct. Knowing that you do not always have the answer - and giving credit to its rightful owner - is a strength, not a weakness. I liken the ability to be humble as the ability to truly listen to what a person is suggesting; are you gathering information effectively? Are you assessing the facts accurately? Humility is the antidote to delusion!

First published on LinkedIn