The typical corporate policy is rules-based and the average compliance training is boring. You don’t inspire employees to do the right thing by numbing their hearts and minds.
Ethical leaders connect with others by being real. They get emotional, personal, vulnerable. They say “People like us do (or don’t do) things like this.” They take a stand and invite others to join them. Ethical leaders don’t play it safe because safe is uninspiring.
Even the most values-based companies do things that are not aligned with their values (i.e. no one is perfect). Ethical leaders identify those behaviors and work to change them. It’s risky, but the rewards are deeply satisfying.
