Man alive, can our Business Ethics get any worse?
When is the last time you can remember either a government leader or a business leader taking full responsibility for a problem, apologizing for the problem, fully dissecting and discussing the problem, and then laying out a plan to fix it?
It is literally the equivalent of playing cards and being dealt a royal flush. In short, we would all be hard pressed to recall one example.
Rupert Murdoch was paid $17 million in compensation last year to provide quality Business Ethics and leadership running a global company like News Corporation.
As CEO of the company, it is his job and responsibility to respond to stakeholders, shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and the communities where they operate in.
So what did he do in the front of the British Parliament?
Predictably, he blamed his direct reports for the alleged phone hacking and bribery that took place under his watch.
His lack of responsibility, lack of transparency, lack of honesty, lack of Business Ethics and willingness to point fingers at others and shift blame is all too common in the corporate world.
Wonder why there is worker unrest and mistrust in the work place? A recent survey indicated disturbing and not surprising findings.
Fifty four percent of those surveyed questioned the honesty of their company executives and leaders. Other telling statistics were the following: thirty three percent wanted to change jobs, forty three percent complained of heavy work burden, forty two percent complained of unrealistic expectations at work, and forty three percent felt that there were not given enough opportunities for advancement.
The irony here is that many senior managers, executives, and CEO’s believe they are honest and competent business ethics leaders. How wrong they are.
My experiences as a business owner, former executive, and leader told me that I was only as good as the staff I hired and managed. Nor did I chuck them under the bus like Murdoch did.
Anything significant I accomplished in my career can be attributed to the hard working, honest, and loyal colleagues who helped me every step of the way. I can say from experience that honesty, accountability, and integrity are essential to being a good business ethics leader. There can be no room in the workplace for arrogance, greed, and lack of humility.
It is time to wake up and lead by example.
It is time to quit making excuses and blaming others for our problems.
Time to do the right thing and not put our own interests first. We expect better business ethics and behavior.
We expect more from our leaders in the for profit and non-profit sectors. Please do your part.
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