What Were They Thinking?

What were they thinking? The Canadian Women’s Olympic Soccer team coaches got caught using a drone to spy on the New Zealand Team. Apparently, they were never taught the ‘Trending on Social Media’ test; also known as the ‘Front Page of the Newspaper’ test.

Most Canadians would agree that ethical behaviour is simple — do the right thing even when no one is looking.

If you’re unsure what the right thing is, apply the Trending on Social Media test.

In other words, ask yourself if you would be comfortable with your act trending across social media or captured on the front page of a newspaper, being read by your family, friends, and associates.

In recent years, the need for more ethics and integrity among our leaders has become alarmingly common.

Perhaps it’s time for all of us to do more to understand, create awareness, and emphasize the importance of ethics and integrity.

Ethics are typically about an external system of rules and laws. Many organizations and professions have developed a code of ethics and monitor its compliance.

On the other hand, integrity is more about an internal system of principles that guides our behaviour. In that sense, integrity is more likely to be a choice rather than an obligation. It means we do the right thing. Virtues such as kindness, respect, honesty, wisdom, compassion, trust, and objectivity contribute to our integrity.

So, what can we do to ensure our businesses, organizations, and communities reflect a culture of integrity?  Here are five things we can all do.

1. Be a truth-teller

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Establishing and maintaining one’s integrity not only means being honest, but it is also about refusing to be an ostrich and instead working at discovering and facing the absolute truth and reality of a situation.

2. Be brave.

It takes courage to stand up and speak out about what you believe. Of course, that also means you need to know your core values. Sometimes, leadership is mainly about courage — the courage to challenge the status quo and plant your flag for what you believe. This courage can inspire and empower others to act with integrity.

Walk your talk.

While discussing integrity is easy, your actions will speak louder than words. Know that the right thing to do is rarely easy, and you must act with integrity, even when it’s inconvenient or just plain hard.

4. Ask yourself and others the tough questions.

Do you think this is the right course of action? Would I want others to act the same way? How will I feel about myself after the fact?

5. When you are unsure about the right thing.

After all, many decisions aren’t black and white — err on the side of fairness.

If by chance you should overlook this list of five things and head in the wrong direction, remember that leading with integrity also means having the courage to apologize and make U-turns when necessary. This is not a sign of weakness but a testament to your commitment to doing right, and it offers the possibility of redemption.

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