5 Steps for Surviving and Thriving in a
Values-starved Era

Enron. Arthur Anderson. Catholic priests. Coaches. The media has paraded a dazzling variety of deceit and deception not committed by the underbelly of society, but by people usually admired and respected. We are now seeing unprecedented corruption in boardrooms, church sanctuaries, legal institutions, and the hallow halls of our most prestigious universities.

Are these isolated events or are they indicative of the failed systems in which we live and work. The answer to that quest I believe comes when we ask not only where have all our leaders gone, but what kind of leaders do we need.

Many of our leaders seem to have lost their moral compass and are wondering around with no sense of right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable. In the quest for power, riches, and individual freedom, they selectively choose to dismiss certain questionable behavior. With a wink and a nod, people who know better are failing their fellow man by not having the courage to stand up and say, “This is wrong,” and thereby give silent consent for the guilty to prey on the innocent.

In Dwight D Eisenhower‘s inaugural address in 1953 he reminded us “a people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”

I believe that ‘political correctness’ shares much of the blame for our moral decline, because it has made cowards out of us all. In an effort to not offend, not to call a spade a spade, we have blurred the line between right and wrong, between acceptable and unacceptable. And this has made people less responsible for their behavior and, consequently, their behavior less reprehensible. It is time for us to speak the truth, painful though it may be.

In July, 2001, when Jim Rhode the president of the National Speakers Association, announced the theme for his presidency - Voicing, Vision and Values - he could not have possibly known how on target it would be for the next several months of his leadership. If ever there was a time that calls for advocating honesty, and responsibility, it is now. Unless plain speech is allowed, clear thinking will be denied.

The plain truth is that in today’s competitive world, lies are replacing truth in the race for profits and prominence.

With boards and CEO’s coming under increasing scrutiny, I propose a switch in focus from values to virtues. Values can be bad or good; they are not absolute and must be defined. However virtue is always good; virtue is goodness, integrity, uprightness, justice, probity, rectitude, prudence, purity, merit, decency, distinction etc. There is no such thing as bad virtue.

So what kind of leaders do we need?
We need leaders who are strong enough to stand up for truth and justice, and humble enough to echo our motto of “in God we Trust”. Political differences aside, thankfully we have such a person in the White House, a president who is not afraid to voice virtues.

There’s no better time for all of us who value virtue to have the courage to stand up for what is right and noble. Don’t just encourage, but start open discussions on how to make virtues a visible part of our organization’s modus operandi.

Here are 5 key areas where showcasing virtues are guaranteed to help translate vision into performance and profits worth bragging about.

1. Create a Values-based organizations – Work only with people who understand and demonstrate integrity.
2. Recognize and Reward character - Character is what makes you follow through when your energy is gone or no one is looking.
3. Keep an eye on tomorrow - not just on today.
4. Develop Leaders - Help everyone appreciate the noble purpose of what they do.
5. Nurture the corporate soul - It will ensure that both your people and profits will grow.

Remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it”.

It is time for us to be responsible and stand up for what is right and eschew that which is wrong. Stand up and say, “Yes we will win, but not at the expense of our integrity! Yes we will be profitable, but how we make that profit also counts!”

Be brave, speak out and make your stand for positive good. Have the courage to hold our leaders responsible and accountable as we do ourselves. And as you go about your daily tasks, have the spirit of these words of Jonathan Sacks, a British Rabbi, echoing in your ears, “Virtuous motives should be the tapes we play on the Walkman of the minds”