Leadership Lessons: Integrity is the basis of Trust

Leading from voice is a necessary attribute for leadership movements. But the ability to inspire, persuade through empathy and trust should be commenced in all organizations.

The Challenge of Trust

There are many major challenges that today’s Trust leadership face due to the escalation of various corporate misconducts. Which you can see anywhere and everywhere! Among those, “Lack of Integrity” or “Lack of Ethics in Culture” is a severe threat for the foundation of trust.

A strong work ethic is crucial to an organization accomplishing its objectives. Each representative (from the CEO to workers) must maintain a good work ethic to keep the company functioning at its pinnacle. The elements like empathy and trust must reflect not just in the language of ethics, but also in the organizational culture that supports ethical conduct.

After reading this much, you must be thinking how should I define Ethics of my life?

Ethics are the set of morals and principles that a person gives commitments to articulate his/her Personal Values. How does she want to spend her time at work? What kind of work environment does he want to maintain? How does she take her responsibilities? What extent does he like to mingle with others? How does he want to face complexity in work? All these questions when you ask yourself, what kind of answers you get?? There must be a standardized pattern you have been following consciously or unconsciously when you come into a crowd. Does this ring a bell?  

In Temenos language, we define this as one of the practices of “Containeering” (Container building) - coined by Temenos+Agility founder, Siraj Sirajuddin.

What are the reasons that make people abandon their ethics at work and what we can do about it?

• In organizations, many times people’s personal values are get blocked by the needs of the company. In a certain survey, 70% of the nearly six thousand Executives said, “They felt pressure to catch up to the corporate standards and often compromised their own ethics on behalf of their employer.” This is actually a culture change that requires a leader’s true efforts. As a lead person, you should engage others in more ethical resolutions and responsibility issues.
• Short-term thinking in leadership and business puts a great impact on culture and ethics. Johnson & Johnson's Jim Burke said, “Most Executives want to be ethical. But they are not ready to accept this enormous change because of their obligation to the shareholder, and many other things. They don’t want to encourage short-term thinkings. They are no villains. They know this is wrong, but they’re in traps and can’t find their way out. They need help.  They need someone to put a spotlight on it, so that what’s wrong will be seen by everybody.”
• The language of Ethics should be clear to leaders. So that, they can make people understand “Ethics are not some rules or laws. These are behaviors, ways our organization and our employee operate.”
• People don’t honor the commitments if they can’t see the value residing in them. So, a leader should set examples to stakeholders, workers that they pay attention to ethical values for many good reasons. Like how ethics influences their employee to work more and act together in times of troubles.
• Integration of Ethics should be there at every level of organizations. Because everything your people do, talk, hear puts influence on culture. On the contrary, people behave the way leaders build the culture around them. 
• Tell stories about Ethics and how it is a lifelong change for each and every person. In a changing world, how ethics are needed to be more observant and keen.
• Ethical leadership begins with trust building. Create a positive environment where people can engage with respect for each other.
• Whether it’s a client meeting or training the new people or managerial meetings, talk about your regards towards maintaining work ethics.
  

Former Lucky stores CEO Don Ritchey said “I start out with the presumption that most people want to be ethical. It’s sort of a Golden rule philosophy. So set up a climate where you not only say it, but where people see that you mean it, and it works. If you are able to remove the unethical barriers then nobody has to go through the choices between -- What is the right thing to do and what is good business.”

Reference Courtesy to Warren Bennis, Bestselling Author of “On Becoming a Leader”

Want more articles like this, Subscribe to our Blogs Here!!!