Management’s Ethics Mantras:

1. Credibility is conferred on us by those around us based on our past behavior and the demonstration of our integrity.
 
2. To gain credibility and trust: The fundamental behavior of an organization reflects its leadership and the leadership’s commitment to trustable behavior.

This document contains six actionable ethical tasks that, if executed by everyone in the organization (but especially by leadership), will foster trust and credibility as well as demonstrate extraordinary integrity.

Professing, Teaching, Explaining, Living Your Integrity Is More Powerful Than Just Praising the Code You Live By

  1. “When problems occur, we’ll be prepared to talk openly about them and act quickly to respond to them operationally.”
  2. “If the public should know about an issue or problem which could affect them, we will voluntarily talk about it as quickly and as completely as we can.”
  3. “When problems or changes occur, we will keep the community posted on a schedule they set until the problem or changes have been thoroughly explained or resolved.”
  4. “We will answer any questions the community may have and suggest and volunteer additional information on matters the community hasn’t yet asked questions about.”
  5. “We will be cooperative with the news media and other publicly facing platforms, but our primary responsibility is to communicate promptly with those most directly affected by our actions as soon as possible.”
  6. “We will respect and seek to work with those who oppose us.”

Praising yourself wastes time and prevents professing, advocating, or demonstrating what you believe to others.

Your ethics mission, should you decide to accept it:

  • Preach the specifics
  • Teach the wisdom
  • Explain the ethical elements of your own character
  • Parabolize truthful stories that others can use to guide their lives

*©2015-2025, James E. Lukaszewski, “The Ethical Expectations of Leadership,” The Lukaszewski Group, Inc. Contact the copyright holder at jel@e911.com for information and reproduction permissions. Editing or excerpting forbidden.