Some leaders talk about the importance of an ethical culture at every opportunity, without prompting. It comes from the heart and employees can feel it.
Some only need a gentle reminder and say all the right things on their own.
Some will include remarks on ethics if and when prepared by the ethics office.
Others won’t ever say a word, until it’s too late.
The employees writing the policies, creating the training, embedding the controls, conducting the audits and investigations – not to mention those doing the day-to-day work of the organization – they all have the leader’s last words on ethics ringing in their ears.
Or they don’t.
The Ethical Leader 