Tag Ethics

Why Integrity Is Crucial to Effective Leadership

Steve Keating Leave a comment

I have written about this topic so many times it almost feels like I’m addicted to it. I keep writing about it because so many crappy, unethical people in leadership positions tell me it’s not that big of a deal. They are completely, utterly, often fatally wrong.

As wrong as wrong can be.

Of the many characteristics of authentic, effective leadership, integrity stands above them all. The fact is that absent integrity, there can be no true leadership. You can have a fancy title, a high-level position, and the nice corner office, but if you don’t have integrity, then you don’t have the number one requirement to authentically, effectively lead.

Integrity is a cornerstone of effective leadership because it builds trust, credibility, and respect—three things no leader, no true leader, can succeed without. When a leader consistently acts with honesty, keeps their word, and aligns their actions with their stated values, people know what to expect. That predictability creates a sense of security and reliability, which is critical for people and teams to function well, especially under pressure.

Without integrity, a leader’s words lose weight. If they say one thing but do another, or bend the truth for convenience, their people start to question their motives. Doubt creeps in, and loyalty erodes. A team that doesn’t trust its leader won’t fully commit—why would they if they can’t count on ethical treatment or clear direction? Over time, that lack of trust tanks morale and productivity.

Integrity also sets the tone for everyone else. Leaders are watched closely; their behavior signals what is acceptable. If they cut corners or dodge accountability, it trickles down—soon you have got a culture where no one owns their mistakes. But when a leader owns up, admits flaws, and sticks to principles even when it is hard, it inspires and encourages others to do the same.

That’s how you get a team that’s not just effective but resilient.

Research backs this up too—studies like those from the Center for Creative Leadership show that trust in leadership drives engagement and performance. And trust hinges on integrity more than charisma or even competence.

A leader can be brilliant, but if they’re shady, people won’t follow for long. Real-world examples prove this out: think of someone like Nelson Mandela, whose moral consistency turned skeptics into allies, versus leaders who’ve tanked organizations by prioritizing self-interest over principle.

It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being real. People forgive missteps if they see genuine intent. But once integrity is gone, it’s a hell of a lot harder to win back than it was to lose. That’s why it’s non-negotiable for anyone trying to lead effectively.

I’ve seen so many people in leadership positions convince themselves that they could “get away” with cutting corners on ethics and integrity. That it was necessary “this one time.” And then the next time and the next.

They were wrong every single time. They negatively impacted their people, their organizations, and themselves. Some of them eventually figured out where they went wrong; some of them never did.

If you’re tempted to try and convince yourself that integrity is optional, or you’ve already succeeded in fooling yourself that it is, then you should know that failure is in your future. It’s only a matter of time.

So let me say this again: integrity is crucial to effective leadership. It always has been, and no matter what else changes in the world around us, it always will be.

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How to Be a Difference Maker

Steve Keating 2 Comments

I recently left a company I had worked at for many years. I had fully intended to work there at least a couple more years, but I decided it was best to leave instead. I left for one main reason: I was no longer able to make a difference there.

The values of the company had changed dramatically over the last couple of years. There were lots of new faces and attitudes. I was shocked at the willingness to cut corners on ethics and at the unwillingness of newer people to learn the principles that had made the company great for over 100 years.

At that stage of my career, my main goal was to help others succeed. Once I determined that was no longer going to happen there, I knew it was time to go. I needed to be somewhere I could have an impact.

One of my strengths is that I’m actually a pretty average person. That means I think like most people, act like most people, and want the same things as most people. Since I want to be a difference maker, it’s likely most other people do as well.

If you fall into that category, then this post is for you.

Making a difference for people often starts with small, meaningful actions. Here are some ways that you can create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of others.

1. Practice Empathy and Listen Actively

Take the time to understand others’ perspectives without judgment. Sometimes, listening and making people feel heard is powerful on its own. It will take time to do this but giving some of your time to others is perhaps the greatest gift you can give. That’s because once you give someone else your time, you can never get that back. Giving someone your time is a powerful sign that you care enough for them to truly want to help.

2. Share Your Skills or Knowledge

If you have expertise in a certain area, offer to help others develop those skills or solve problems. Mentoring or tutoring can empower others and boost their confidence. This is an excellent way to leave a part of yourself behind once you’re gone.

3. Volunteer for Causes You Care About

Engage with organizations or community projects that align with your values, whether it’s helping the homeless, supporting education, or protecting the environment.

4. Support People Emotionally

Being there for friends, family, or coworkers in times of need can be one of the most meaningful ways to make a difference. Small acts of kindness, like offering a compliment or checking in, can have a BIG impact.

5. Be Consistent in Your Support

True change often comes from sustained efforts. Show up regularly and be reliable in your efforts to help others. This builds trust and can inspire long-term improvement.

6. Advocate for Positive Change

Speak up to bring attention to issues that matter. This might mean raising awareness about inequality, advocating for policy change, or simply educating those around you on topics they may not know about. Stick up for those who may not be able to stick up for themselves. If you can’t think of a reason to do that, try this… it’s simply the right thing to do.

7. Practice Compassionate Leadership

If you’re in a position of influence, lead in a way that puts people first. Encourage fairness, and respect, which can create a more positive culture for everyone involved. This doesn’t mean you have to go all woke. It means being the kind of person you’d like other people to be.

8. Be a Role Model

By living with integrity, kindness, and responsibility, you inspire others to do the same. Small, positive behaviors can create a ripple effect that encourages others to make a difference too. Strive to always be the best version of yourself possible. People are always watching; be an example of excellence for them, and yourself.

You do not have to be a superhero to make a difference. You don’t have to be famous, and you don’t need a position of authority. You just need to be you. Who you are today is more than enough to make a difference in this world. You only need to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Making a difference doesn’t require grand gestures; sometimes the most impactful changes come from everyday acts of compassion and commitment. You have it within yourself to do this; the only question is… do you have the will to do it?

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Why Ethics are Such a Big Deal in Business

Steve Keating Leave a comment

I should probably add “some” to the title of this post. As is, “Big Deal in Some Businesses.” Or I could have made the title “Why Ethics are Such a Big Deal to a Sustainable Business.” But I’d like to think that ethics matter to every business, and every business person, even though I know that’s not true.

Even a small group of unethical people can harm a once highly ethical organization. Ethics are fragile. They can slow down what seems to be progress at times. They can even seem to be expensive. That’s why some people simply don’t bother with them.

Some people are experts at justifying ethical lapses. They make a decision “for the business” that benefits them. They convince themselves it was ethical, even though it was not.

It was clearly an unethical decision but the passion with which they defend the decision is incredible to see. I sometimes think they actually believe themselves.

But, sustainable businesses cannot allow an unethical person’s passion, or even their results, to lessen the importance of ethics in their organization. Overlooking unethical behavior gets a business one thing and one thing only, it gets them more unethical behavior.

If you lead an organization, big or small, you must understand that unethical behavior will first weaken, and then destroy, its foundation. That’s not a guess, that’s not a maybe, that’s a fact.

There are a host of reasons why ethics are fundamentally important to a business, here’s the most important ones.

1. Trust and Reputation: Ethical behavior builds trust. It does so among customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. A company that is known for its ethical practices is more likely to attract and keep customers and talent. It will also have strong relationships with suppliers and partners. A good reputation is a big advantage. Ethical lapses can lead to scandals. Scandals damage a company’s reputation and erode customer loyalty.

2. Legal Compliance and Risk Management: Following ethics helps ensure obeying laws and rules. This reduces the risk of legal penalties, fines, and lawsuits. Ethical businesses are proactive. They identify and address potential legal issues. This can prevent costly lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny.

3. Employee Satisfaction and Retention: A strong ethical framework contributes to a positive workplace culture. When employees feel they are working for an ethical company, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal. Ethical practices attract top talent and reduce turnover. This saves the company money on recruitment and training costs.

4. Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction: Ethical behavior builds customer loyalty. Customers prefer to do business with companies they perceive as honest and responsible. This loyalty leads to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. These are crucial for long-term success.

5. Sustainability and Long-term Success: Ethical businesses often focus on sustainability, both in terms of environmental impact and long-term strategic planning. By considering the broader impact of their actions, these companies are set up for long-term success. They invest in sustainable practices. These practices may cost more at first, but they yield benefits. These benefits include brand loyalty, operational efficiency, and risk management.

6. Investor Confidence: Investors are increasingly looking at ethical considerations when making investment decisions. Investors see companies with strong ethics as lower-risk. This is because they are less likely to have legal, reputation, or operational problems from unethical practices.

7. Innovation and Creativity: Ethical companies often foster an environment where innovation and creativity can flourish. They encourage transparency and integrity. This creates a culture where employees feel safe to share ideas and take calculated risks. They have no fear of unethical repercussions.

8. Community and Social Impact: Ethical businesses recognize their responsibility to the communities in which they operate. Ethical practices help companies contribute to society. This can enhance their standing and create goodwill in the community and beyond.

Ethics are crucial for building a sustainable and successful business. They maintain trust. They ensure compliance. They foster a positive work environment. They secure customer and investor loyalty. By making ethics a priority, businesses can navigate challenges better. They can also build a strong base for future growth.

Ethics are the responsibility of every member of an organization. That’s an all day everyday responsibility. Once a year “training” in ethics does not absolve anyone of the responsibility to hold each other accountable to the highest of ethical standards.

The reality is every person in an organization must be ethical or the organization itself is not ethical. Think about that and you may be less willing to allow a person’s passion to explain away their lack of ethics.

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How to Work With Unethical People 

Steve Keating 4 Comments

Some people would tell you that figuring out what is ethical and what isn’t is hard. I do not agree with that. There’s a simple “test” to determine whether something is ethical. If you think there is even a slight possibility that something is unethical then it almost certainly is. 
If you’d be even the least bit embarrassed or concerned if someone found out you did it, then “it” is almost certainly unethical. 
People who struggle with whether something is ethical or not are usually only trying to convince themselves that something that is clearly unethical is actually ethical. They tell themselves “it’s not that big of a deal.” They tell themselves “well, I know other people who do it” so I can too.
Here are two rules I do my very best to live by. First, always remember that if something isn’t ethical then it’s unethical. There is no in between. Two, you’re either ethical all the time or you’re not ethical. Period. There is no such thing as “business ethics” or “personal ethics,” ethics are ethics all the time. 
Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it. Living any other way only serves to cause you personal internal conflicts. Sneaking around, hoping no one finds out what you did or only being able to discuss it with other unethical people is no way to live. 
Working with unethical people can be challenging and uncomfortable. Unfortunately it is sometimes unavoidable in professional or personal settings. Here are some thoughts on how to navigate such situations.

  • Establish your personal and professional boundaries from the beginning. Make it clear that you won’t tolerate unethical behavior and ensure that you stick to your principles.
  • It’s crucial to know your values and principles and not compromise them due to the influence of unethical individuals. Maintain your integrity and don’t engage in or support any unethical actions.
  • Keep a record of any unethical behavior or actions you witness. This documentation can be useful in case you need to address the issue with higher authorities or HR at a later stage.
  • When dealing with unethical people, be careful with your communication and actions. Avoid sharing sensitive information or getting involved in any unethical activities.
  • If possible, find colleagues or friends who share your values and ethics. Having a support system can help you stay strong and provide guidance in handling difficult situations.
  • If you witness unethical behavior, consider addressing it with the person involved. Choose a private setting and approach the topic calmly and objectively. Avoid being confrontational, as it may lead to a defensive reaction.
  • If the unethical actions are affecting you or others in the workplace, it might be necessary to report the issue to a supervisor, manager, or HR department. Make sure to have your documentation ready to support your claims.
  • Working with unethical people can be mentally draining. Focus on your personal and professional growth, and try not to let their behavior negatively impact your career or well-being.
  • If the situation becomes unbearable and you see no positive change, consider whether it’s worth staying in that environment. Sometimes, it may be necessary to explore other job opportunities or find a way to distance yourself from the unethical individuals.
  • If the unethical behavior involves illegal activities, consider seeking legal advice to protect yourself and ensure you’re not inadvertently involved in any criminal actions.

Remember that every situation is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s essential to trust your instincts and take appropriate action that aligns with your principles and personal circumstances. In extreme cases, consulting with an HR professional, an attorney, or an ethics advisor may be beneficial.
Above all, above absolutely everything else, never never ever sacrifice your core values just to get along with unethical people. They are most definitely not worth it and they never will be.

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Ethics

Steve Keating 6 Comments

Books have been written, lots of books, on the topic of ethics. Most of them are well written and I suspect they were written with the best of intentions. But many of them are flawed (in my humble opinion) right from the start because they have titles that suggest there are different “kinds” of ethics. As soon as I see something like “Ethics in the Workplace” I’m turned off.

I’m turned off because of my admittedly simplistic view of ethics. I believe you’re either ethical all the time or you’re not ethical at all. Titles like “Workplace Ethics” or “Levels of Ethics” would indicate you can turn ethics on and off or be more ethical sometimes than you are others.

I originally titled this post “The Ethics of Leadership” and even that is a misnomer. There is no such thing as a special set of ethics for a leader. They are either ethical or they or not. They didn’t become more ethical when they accepted a leadership position. I changed the title of this post to “Ethics” because Ethics stand alone.

Ethics have no need for support from additional words or actions. Leaders don’t need to be held to a “higher standard” of ethics than anyone else. There is not a higher standard of ethics to be held to…you’re either ethical or your not.

If you’re ethical when it’s easy or convenient but not so ethical at others times then stop congratulating yourself because you weren’t actually ethical when it was easy either. It only appeared that way.

One particular concept I’ve recently read said that an ethical leader has no favorites and that they treat everyone equally.

Well…not exactly.

Until the robots take over all the leadership roles leaders will have favorites. That’s because all leaders have one thing in common. They are human. Humans connect with some people better than others. They have similar backgrounds, beliefs, work histories, etc with some people. That makes those people more “favored” then other people who have less in common with the leader.

That’s a fact of life. It does not mean the leader is unethical. Ethical leaders do however treat everyone equally. But do not mistake treating everyone equally with treating everyone the same.

Every person has different motivations, different needs, different levels of understanding and different life and career goals. Authentic Leaders understand those unique characteristics of their people and lead them accordingly.

They apply rules and regulations equally but expectations not so much.

I would never question another person’s ethics. I don’t have to because I’ve only met a few truly ethical people in my lifetime. (and nope, I’m not one of ‘em) My only question to people would be “are you getting closer to being an ethical person or moving farther away?”

I’m trying to get closer. I’m a work in progress.

What about you?

Defining Ethics

Steve Keating 3 Comments

The concept of ethics is easy to understand but it is difficult to define in a precise way. Ethical behavior refers to treating others fairly but “fair” isn’t exactly precise either. 

 

When I think of fair I think of things like being honest, maintaining trust and credibility. Fair to me means following the rules and behaving in a proper manner. It means doing your share of the work and accepting responsibility when you don’t do something you should have…or did something you shouldn’t have.

 

An ethical dilemma is a situation where you have multiple choices and each choice has some undesirable elements with negative ethical consequences. I hear about supposed ethical dilemmas from time to time but most often they don’t meet the true definition of a dilemma. They don’t meet the definition because while most of the choices might have the potential for negative ethical consequences there is at least one choice that doesn’t. 

 

The actual dilemma in those cases is that we want to make one of the choices with the negative ethical consequences. We see what’s right but what’s right is not necessarily what we want. So we claim an ethical dilemma and do whatever the heck we want. 

 

I’m tempted to say we have all, at one time or another, sacrificed our ethics for something we really wanted. But I can’t say all; surely there are people in the world who have such high ethical standards that they would never trade them for anything. 

 

I’d love to say I’m one of those people but I can’t say that either. Well, I could say it but lying about your ethics seems to me to be an especially egregious ethical violation. 

 

What I can say is that I’m a work in progress. I understand the three levels of ethics and I’m much closer today to level three than I’ve ever been. The struggle is that when I think I’ve got level three locked in I slip back to level two. That’s not bad but at level two your motivation can be called into question. 

 

Level one is what experts call the Pre conventional level. At this level an individual acts in their own best interest and only follows rules to avoid punishment or receive awards. They break moral and legal laws if they think they can do so without being caught. Sometimes they don’t even care about being caught.

 

Level two is known as the Conventional level of ethics. This level is where individuals conform to the expectations of others. They uphold moral and legal laws because they believe it’s right and they want to fit in. 

 

At level three, known as the Principled level of ethics a person lives by an internal set of morals, values, and ethics. These are upheld regardless of punishments or majority opinions. These individuals are ethical all the time, in every circumstance, even if it means they are completely alone. 

 

Remaining ethical in the face of endless temptations to sacrifice your ethics is a huge challenge. It’s another area of life where a coach or mentor is an immense help. They can point out to you why your ethical “dilemma” really isn’t a dilemma at all. They can’t make you do the right thing but they can sure point you in that direction. 

 

What ethical level are you at? What will you do to get to the next level? Who is going to help you?


Answer those questions and then get a move on. Real ethical dilemmas don’t wait and neither should you

The Ethics of Leadership

Steve Keating 6 Comments

Here is one irrefutable fact about leadership: an organization and the bulk of the people who work in it will seldom be more ethical than the organization’s leadership. 

 

When key leaders in an organization demonstrate less than ethical behavior it gives permission for the entire organization to behave the same way. (Think Wells Fargo for a current example) 

 

Truly ethical leaders know that ethics are not a part time kind of thing. They don’t talk about business ethics or personal ethics, they simply talk and demonstrate ethics at all times. They know that you either are ethical all the time or you are not ethical. There is no in between.

 

Ethical leaders always do what’s right. There may be some dispute about exactly what “right” is but they do what they believe is right. They do it regardless of the consequences. They don’t seek popularity, they practice ethics.

 

Ethical leaders show respect for their people. They listen to them, truly listen without prejudging what they might say. They value differing points of view and when they must overrule or choose an opposing viewpoint they do so with respect and compassion. 

 

Ethical leaders know that they primarily lead by example whether they intend to or not. They understand that their people will do what the leader does far faster than they will do what the leader says. They set an ethical example in everything they do and hold high expectations that everyone in their organization will do the same.

 

Ethical leaders do not accept unethical behavior from anyone in their organization. They don’t overlook violations in an attempt to avoid confrontations. They are consistent when applying policies even when it’s inconvenient for them. 

 

Ethical leaders hold themselves accountable. They allow everyone in their organization to hold them accountable as well. They are transparent and open with their actions and in their communications. Their actions match their words…always. 


The term “ethical leader” is actually redundant. The fact is, if you’re not ethical then you may hold a position of leadership but you most certainly are not an Authentic Leader.