Leadership Values and Ethics

✋🏽Why is ethics crucial in leadership?🤷🏽♀️ Reflecting on my journey as a leader, one moment stands out that emphasized the importance of ethical leadership. Years ago, I faced a tough decision about whether to renew services with an organization whose ethical behavior did not align with mine. Despite the potential financial loss, I chose to end the partnership, prioritizing integrity over profit. This decision taught me three key things about being an ethical leader: 🌟 NEVER compromise integrity. Always choose integrity, even if it means tough decisions or short-term losses. 🌟 Don't just talk about trust, BUILD it by being transparent and honest, creating a culture where ethics matter. 🌟 Lead like you're grandkids are watching. Show that ethical standards are a must for longevity. These lessons have been game-changers during my 13 years as a business owner, helping me navigate many ethical challenges and highlighting the importance of leading with integrity. Being an ethical leader isn't always the easiest path, but it's the most rewarding and sustainable one. I’m committed to sticking to these principles in every decision I make. ➡️ Share if this was helpful👍🏽

🔹𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞🔹 Early in my career, I worked with a leader who was exceptionally skilled. He was sharp, strategic, and results-driven. The team admired his expertise, but something always felt off. Decisions were made solely on numbers, with little regard for ethics or impact. Over time, cracks began to appear :short-term wins, but long-term losses in trust, morale, and reputation. On the other hand, I have met individuals with a deep sense of responsibility and integrity but who struggled to translate their intentions into action. Their voices were valuable, but without the right skills, they were often unheard in decision-making spaces. The authentic leaders I have encountered seamlessly balance both : competence to execute and conscience to ensure decisions are made responsibly. They drive results without compromising on ethics. They understand that true success is not just about being effective but also about being principled. In today’s dynamic world, we need professionals who embody both. 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰. What do you think? Have you ever encountered leaders who leaned too far on one side? #Leadership #Ethics #ProfessionalGrowth Image Source : Pexel

Lately, I’ve realised just how differently I see and teach leadership. Most leadership development focuses on frameworks, tools, and tactics. These are great - they provide structure. But in leadership, alongside structure is an orientation. Your orientation defines degrees of sustainability and success of any structure. The leadership I teach begins (and ends) with a posture — a way of being in relationship to the world, to yourself, and to others. This posture is a values-based orientation rooted in presence, compassion, and justice. Without posture, structure loses meaning. With posture, everything has both meaning and direction. Leadership, in this light, is not just a skillset; it’s a philosophy. A choice to honour a path grounded in wisdom, courage, self-awareness, and service. Leadership from this place is energising, meaningful, and impactful. I'm creating a body of work that is my contribution to this leadership conversation. It's especially for the high-integrity, high-achievers dedicated to personal mastery, meaningful impact and the deeper levels of leadership. Because if we want a better world and better workplaces, we don't need more memorised frameworks, we need more conversations about ethics, integrity and the complexity of being human. We need to invest in becoming professional humans, alongside being professional managers.

Ever wondered what it takes to become an authentic leader? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the steps I've taken to cultivate my leadership style: Embrace Integrity Description: Authentic leadership begins with unwavering integrity. Honesty, accountability, and ethical principles should be at the forefront of every decision you make. Foster Open Communication} Description: Open and honest dialogue is a cornerstone of authentic leadership. It's important to foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Reflect on Your Values Description: Self-reflection is key in aligning your actions with your core values. Transparency about your strengths and weaknesses encourages your team to do the same. Seek Feedback Description: Authentic leaders are open to feedback. Encourage team members to express their opinions can be invaluable in honing your leadership style and making informed decisions. Lead by Example Description: The most effective way to inspire your team is by embodying the qualities and values you wish to see in them. Authentic leadership is about empowering others to reach their full potential. It's not just about achieving goals, but also about creating a positive work environment where everyone feels valued.

Your values dictate the culture of your team.  A lesser-known fact in leadership is personal values. There are very few people who acknowledge its importance. As a leader, you have a group of adult grownups who work directly with you. That means they look up to the culture they get when joining your team.  In my corporate journey, I have had my fair of good and bad leaders but do you know what separated the two?  Was their values.  🚫 No Gossip: If you, as a leader, steer clear of gossip, your team will follow suit. This fosters a culture of trust and professionalism. 🤝 Mutual Care: When you genuinely care for your team, they learn to care for each other. It creates an environment of mutual support and respect. 🤲 Trust Begets Trust: If you don't trust your team, they won't trust each other. Conversely, demonstrating trust can build a strong, cohesive unit. 📈 Embracing Failure and Learning: If you’re uncomfortable with and learning from failure, your team will shy away from new challenges. Encourage a mindset where failure is a stepping stone to innovation. Your leadership style is a beacon. It signals the values and behaviours that are acceptable and expected. Remember, what you bring to the table doesn't just matter; it's crucial. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how personal values have shaped your leadership style and team culture. Let's inspire and learn from each other! #Leadership #TeamCulture #CorporateValues #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment LinkedIn Guide to Creating

What if generosity was the secret to stronger leadership? Some time ago, I found myself reflecting on what truly makes a leader credible, trustworthy, and impactful. I used to believe it was strategic decision-making, expertise, and efficiency. But over the years, I’ve realized something deeper: the most respected leaders aren’t the ones who know the most—they’re the ones who give the most. In Mahayana Buddhism, two of the Six Perfections stand out: • Generosity (Dāna) → Leadership is about giving without expectations—sharing knowledge, opportunities, and trust. • Ethical Discipline (Śīla) → Leadership is about acting with integrity—aligning words with actions and leading with fairness. 💡 How does this apply in business? • When a colleague struggles, offer support without keeping score. • When making tough decisions—like budget cuts—ask: ⭢ "Is there a fair, human-centered way to do this?" The leaders who embrace generosity and ethical discipline don’t just gain respect—they build organizations that last. ↳ Have you ever worked with a leader who truly embodied these values? What impact did it have? Let’s discuss. #CoherentLeadership #LeadershipEvolution #GenerousLeadership #LaraReflections

𝗜𝘁‘𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁‘𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 especially if ambitious business goals and incentives are at play. The balance between these goals and maintaining ethical integrity can be delicate and complex. I have seen this in a case of bystanding first hand. A situation were a project lead was overtly harassing people at work for months, using inappropriate language and manipulation. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Hoping that someone else would finally step in and stop it. The project lead was on a mission to deliver a critical department goal, a one of a kind transformative solution promised to the executives. 𝗜𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁. Priority was given by the leadership to the ambitious project rather than ethics. Regardless if it left the organisation at a breaking point, exhausted and with team members at the verge of mental breakdown. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. In consequence, it created a culture of silence, where concerns raised were quickly appeased. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲. Months into it, the situation started to spiral, serious cases of burn-out and mental health problems started to emerge in the teams. There was no way leadership could turn a blind eye any longer, even though the goal was a few weeks short of being met. 𝗔 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. An open confrontation at the coffee machine between a courageous manager and the project lead finally tilted the situation. A battle for the right cause. Leadership and HR had to quickly move for damage control. Hastily a note went out, that unethical behaviour was to be condemned and speaking up was encouraged. It was a late awakening to the criticality of ethical leadership. 𝗨𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁. The subsequent learnings reinforced company policies putting ethical and business considerations at equal levels of importance. For me, ethical Leadership is always about taking action for what's right, inline with values. It's never about passivity, bystanding and silence to support business goals. Celebrating success is not only about achieving business goals but how these are achieved and at what costs of the team's integrity and well-being they are being delivered. What's your view on this? #leadership #sundayreflections #businesstransformation #ethicsinbusiness