Make no mistake, today's business leaders have the enormous responsibility of balancing the short-term expectations of investors while building for the long term and serving multiple stakeholders. Regardless of company size, the pressures are intense. A leader cannot do this alone. All members of the organization must be engaged to accomplish big goals. But the rules of engagement are defined by the culture created by the leadership.
Culture is the set of norms and behaviors that reflect a business' true character.
And any individual working within that culture can anticipate rewards and recognition when his or her behavior lines up with the culture. Ethical business cultures reach for a higher standard. Ethical business cultures attempt to choose right from wrong and, even when the options all appear to be right, seek the choice that reaches a higher standard, regardless of whether someone ''is looking. And when there are collisions between short-term financial requirements and ethical practices, ethical cultures are uncompromising. And most people bring a set of ethical values to work that can cause them to flourish in an environment that practices the same values.