Ethical Values Are Good For Business (Part 7)

By Linda Fisher Thornton

In Part 1 of this series “Ethical Values Are Good For Business” I shared the importance of clearing up the confusion employees have in balancing ethical values with bottom line profitability. In Part 2, we looked at the importance of aligning strategy with the organization’s values, and Part 3 addressed the senior leader’s important role. Part 4 looked at using values to guide us in challenging times, and Part 5 dug into the trends fueling the values-based leadership movement and their business impact. Part 6 shared how to help leaders grow into the leadership needed for the future. In Part 7, let’s take a look at the specifics of what is expected of ethical leaders, and how it goes beyond traditional measures of success.

Only if You Get Multiple Levels of Leadership Right

We need to get leadership right because so much depends on it. Many global factors are driving changes in ethical leadership expectations, and in high-stakes times, how we handle ethical leadership development can make or break our success. This week I’ve created a graphic that brings the expectations and priorities into clearer focus.

Since publishing a previous graphic on this topic, I have noticed that it’s not enough to move from “one behavior” to “another behavior” or action. We need to get multiple levels of leadership right. We need to use “both-and” thinking to avoid getting stuck in one lane or another when both are important.

As you review these 10 Trends Shaping the Future of Ethical Leadership, identify one change you could make to your leadership right now to improve in one of the 10 areas described. By making it a priority to lead from BOTH columns on this graphic, you may reap the business rewards which include improved customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty, reduced turnover, as well as a better bottom line.