Nobody can claim they have their arms around human conduct, but we certainly can teach at all levels why the construction of our moral compasses is a mandatory exercise in ethical self-awareness and revelation.
Who are we, what do we stand for, and what we believe in are key questions for all of us to answer that moves the ethical needle in the proper direction. Some people might call these purpose statements or personal mission statements.
Regardless of the semantics, this is a key building block for our ethical pyramids.
In order to avoid ethical blind spots, we have to increase our self-awareness so we have a reasonably fair and decent chance of making the right choices and doing the right things.
It has been my experience that most humans overestimate what they think their self-awareness is and this skews the corresponding conduct that is exhibited.
One of my colleagues who teaches leadership recently indicated to me that most executives he comes into contact with have relatively low self-awareness skills.
I’m willing to make a calculated wager that all of us can avoid such a low state simply by exerting some effort and making moral compasses the driving force in our lives.
As a former white-collar offender and corporate executive who rejoined my family three years ago, I have been lucky in my transformative journey to start rebuilding my life and reputation.
This could not have happened without a loving family and friends, some who have turned into wonderful wingmen and wing women for me. We can’t have enough quality people in our lives whom we respect, trust, and can turn to in times of need, moral dilemmas, and challenges.
It is imperative that we construct our networks with people around us who have similar morals, principles, and values.
The other thing we can do is identify the four or five most important things in our lives we value and spend time doing each week. This kind of exercise is eye-opening and simplifies things in a hurry.
After all, we are humans and conveying to others our emotions and what is important clearly is a part of our DNA. Let’s embrace and encourage such conversation that leads to more ethical behavior.
Lastly, we need to be aware that any decision we make or are a part of will have some impact on other colleagues, customers, suppliers, stakeholders/shareholders, and the communities we serve.
This ethical ecosystem is quite real and plays a vital role in how we function with each other; and specifically how successful we are in ripping down the walls of harassment, disrespect, and discrimination that is rampant on this planet.
As always strive to do the right thing and do your best each day!!
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