Ethical Leadership

An ethical business establishes an "ethical culture" in the organization that begins with the very top leader.

Top Leader	Top leader embraces high ethical standards vs. "success at any cost" operating guidelines Top leader "walks the talk" regarding character and ethical issues Top leader takes responsibility for ethical missteps Top leader demonstrates courage in upholding ethical principles despite potential negative impact
Ethical Culture	An environment is created whereby unethical behavior stands out at all levels throughout the entire organization structure Staff is free to challenge and is comfortable in doing so Staff is empowered to make ethical decisions
Communication	Company "code of conduct" is documented, used and disseminated among the staff Staff understands and abides by company ethical policies Company has internal mechanism for reporting exceptions
Validation	Management listens, evaluates, and to acts on ethical issues or staff concerns Ethical behavior is assessed throughout the organization and staff periodically and appropriately rewarded Upper management has the trust of staff at all levels