Good morning, Team!  It’s Friday!

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Do the right thing.” and we typically understand what that means.

•Eat your vegetables.

•Call your Mother often.

•Help the elderly to safely cross the street.

…and there’s the more serious…

•Don’t do anything illegal, immoral, or unethical.  (If questions on this one, refer to the Bible under Ten Commandments for clarity.)

What about the gray area?

For instance:

What do you do when someone “interprets” their actions as within the bounds of acceptable but most  know, through good business judgement or common sense, that it’s not.

It’s hard to spend a significant amount of time in business without encountering marginal behavior.  Anything from selective listening to blatant misuse of intellectual property to mismanaging funds or misrepresentation of current state of employment or abuse of power for personal gain.

What do you do if you encounter this?  (hint: Here is where it gets hard and why leadership is so critical).  Leaders know that you become what you tolerate.  Does that seem harsh?  Stated another way, In what environment is lying, cheating and stealing acceptable or sustainable?  If someone you know does tolerate that kind of environment…Does that sound like a place you’d like to be associated with?

It’s pretty easy to convince yourself that it’s not your place to intervene or to question someone’s actions.  We whisper little safe messages in our head like, “Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to accuse someone of doing something wrong only to find out they weren’t?”

Perhaps a well-phrased, well-meaning question would be appropriate and enough to expose bad acting and inspire reflection?  Reaction to the question by the suspect would certainly provide clarity to the inquisitor.

My contention is that most everything negative we hear and read about in the headlines today:

is nothing more than a lack of leadership, the courageous people willing to ask the right questions at the appropriate time.

… and it is mostly preventable.

Does it really take

•Congress in numerous highly publicized and mostly ineffective hearings or

•economically disruptive tariffs

before we are willing to tackle things that are clearly wrong?

Pay attention.  Show interest early.  Take charge of the environment you are responsible for.  Provide guidance and leadership instead of assuming it’s someone else’s problem.

Have a blessed weekend!