No one wants to think that they are suspectible to corruption. Everyone wants to think that they work for the highest of noble purposes, and that whenever they must compromise by doing something that is marginally ethical, that it is the exception to the rule. A thousands simple compromises done with the best of intentions can lead to the corruption of an organization.
Here's what I've learned from my clients.
Rigourous wrestling with issues, intense raising of questions is absolutely essential for the protection of an organization from corruption. It is clear to me that the strength of character that is the foundation of trustworthiness doesn't come because you read a book on character, or even because you "value" character. It comes because you are rigourous in your attention to the issues that matter. You ask tough questions, and you don't let superficial answers rule the day.
Character is that inner strenght that is needed to deal with crisis and change. It is built intentionally by attending to the issues that can easily lead to corruption. If everyone is in group think, no one asking the hard questions, then the chances of the loss of character to corruption are already there.
Tom Morris' new book If Harry Potter Ran General Electric deals with these issues very well. I've not read the Potter series. (I am waiting for the last one to be published so I can read them in sequence in a short period of time.) However, based on Tom's description of the stories, the books are about character in the face of challenging times.
Honest, rigorous honesty, is essential for trustworthiness. I'm not talking about cynicism, but constructive skepticism. To ask the hard questions is an example of character. And it is the leader's choice that will result in either trustworthiness or corruption.
Technorati Tags: Real Life Leadership, character, trustworthiness, corruption, Tom Morris, If Harry Potter Ran General Electric
Comments