I remember getting my report cards while I attended school in the 1960s and 1970s and feeling very proud of myself for my high marks in Conduct.
I grew up in a time when I was expected to behave in certain ways to be respectful of others; more often than not they were adults. It did not exempt me from acting kindly towards my friends. I was held accountable for my behaviors and I took my grade seriously.
Conduct is defined as the set of behaviors that are expected of any individuals who are a part of a school or company. The conduct behaviors make up the culture and are considered the norms for anyone who is a part of the community.
We are known for the actions that we demonstrate when we are a part of a school or company. We develop reputations based on how we treat people. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words and we mostly remember how someone treated us and how it made us feel.
We all have the same access to developing habits in terms of the behaviors that are expected of us in certain settings. The habits ensure that we conform to the norms and culture.
LEADERS are held to the highest standards of Conduct and in some cases must exceed the expectations of the community in which they lead other people.
In most cases, LEADERS are considered role models and as such must be keenly aware of the behaviors at all times. LEADERS develop other LEADERS and in doing so must maintain the highest integrity between their values and actions.
LEADERS are charged with inspiring and motivating people to work towards achieving successful outcomes. In doing so, the LEADERS must demonstrate the highest respect for other people and their Conduct must be above reproach.
Companies establish their mission, vision, and values as a way of framing the work that they are focused on and the goals that they seek to achieve. In working towards establishing these components, the LEADERS of any company must also give guidance on the Code of Conduct.
A company’s Code of Conduct must be integrated with its values and ethics. These give guidance on how people will work with each other when seeking to achieve successful outcomes. The ethics have to be clearly stated in ways that everyone in the company can understand and apply.
One example of Conduct is to follow all of the rules. When LEADERS think that they are more powerful and without accountability for following them, they are more likely to not follow the rules. In some cases, this might lead to their termination or more severe consequences like legal actions being taken against them for breaking the law.
Ethics are a part of running a business that cannot be ignored or eliminated. Ethics are the moral principles that LEADERS are expected to follow when leading a company. Ethics includes taking responsibility and accountability as a leader for the things that happen in your company. LEADERS know the difference between right and wrong and conduct themselves accordingly.
Conduct unbecoming of LEADERS might include making false statements, flat out lying, or cheating. All of these breaches of Conduct speak to the moral character of a person, which might make them unsuitable to serve as a leader in a company with a clearly defined set of values and Code of Conduct.
The negative impact of failing to meet the expectations of a Code of Conduct for a company might be higher rates of attrition, lower levels of satisfaction for employees, and a higher number of complaints and grievances. All of these has a significant impact on the financial results of a company and must be avoided at all cost.
The positive effects of following the expectations of a Code of Conduct for an organization might include attracting and retaining high performing talent, developing more proficient LEADERS, and attracting a larger market share. These effects can make the company more successful and profitable.
It seems to me that when I look out at the LEADERS who are high profile in 2020, many of them lacked the education and upbringing that instilled the importance of following a Code of Conduct.
Too many LEADERS act in ways that are unethical and immoral which leaves a wake of devastation or destruction as a result of their leadership behaviors and actions.
I wonder what transformation would take place if LEADERS were given a report card that graded them on their adherence to the Code of Conduct. With a pass or fail system, which grade would be prevalent with today’s LEADERS?
—