In a matter of a few days, three of our top military generals were involved in highly controversial behavior involving their lack of judgment and ethical values.
What did happen or better yet why did it happen?
I don’t have all of the facts and it is not all that important or frankly relevant. The lack of personal ethics and ethical leadership was clearly absent from the proceedings.
What is important is this: General David Petraeus had an affair with a military woman posing as his biographer. As the good General happened to be our Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, it is fair to ask whether any sensitive information was leaked or compromised.
The Pentagon announced it was investigating potentially “inappropriate” correspondence between fourstar general John Allen and a woman linked to the David Petraeus sex scandal by the name of Tampa socialite Jill Kelley.
Last but not least, a four-star general who formerly led the U.S. Africa Command has been demoted after accusations that he spent thousands of dollars on lavish travel.
Gen. William “Kip” Ward was stripped of a star, and will be allowed to retire as a three-star lieutenant general.
According to a Defense Department Inspector General’s Report released in August, Ward took an 11-day trip to Washington and Atlanta, costing $129,000, in which only three days of the trip were official business. The military charged that Ward extended trips seven times for personal reasons and claimed and received reimbursement for expenses.
Generals are often treated like “Gods” and enjoy a lavish lifestyle courtesy of the American taxpayer. They wear their medals and stripes proudly, but are they aware of their personal ethics?
In all walks of life, I maintain that power, control, compensation, and perks are accrued over time. The higher a person climbs rank wise in any organization, the less likely they will give up their position.
These very people, including our military leaders, will put their own interests first almost every time failing to rely on their morals, principles, and ethical values.
Time and time again we see accomplished individuals fail to yield to their core ethical values that should encompass their moral conduct. The lack of quality conduct and behavior sends the wrong message time and time again.
It must stop and it starts with all of us. Define who you are and what you are all about.
My foundation happens to be built around my Christian morals, principles, and values tied to doing my very best to serve God each day. As such, I realize in the scheme of things that I am not very important and quite dispensable.
We all have to know our place. The lack of ethical leadership we see from our military and other areas in society is tied to weak foundations of words talking about ethics, but rarely practicing it.
We have an opportunity to transform our words into deeds and build ethical cultures that are sustainable over the long haul. Failure to promote and teach ethical leadership will cost us big.
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