“Everybody’s ethics are different”, claimed Richard Desmond, owner of the Daily Express. He was being put on the spot to say what ethics meant to him. His much derided response landed badly. Particularly at the national enquiry examining the ethics, or lack of them in the media and especially at […]
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The secret cultural advantage of Indian firms
Fast growing international Indian firms have a built-in cultural advantage. It hardly seems apparent to their rivals in the west. The competitors’ perception is wrong and has cost them dear. Many have lost out to highly competitive Indian companies. Blaming this loss of business on cheap labour, a plethora of […]
What non-executive directors should know about tone [PART 1]
What is tone at the top and what does it mean for the role of non-executive directors? A survey by one leading consultancy has shown: “A resounding agreement from our respondents that Tone at the Top is vital in developing and maintaining the ethical integrity of the business. Without it […]
Keeping the sustainability plate spinning
All company directors and leaders juggle many plates, all spinning simultaneously. One of the most challenging plates is labelled “Sustainability” and is about ways of affecting all company activities. It is also about achieving corporate ethical respectability. But what does sustainability mean in practice? How do leaders and managers know […]
When executives become Malware
“I see this as the most damaging event for our brand in the company’s 140-year history…I don’t think these problems can be overcome overnight.” The picture of Toshiba’s CEO making a ritual deep bow of contrition while cameras whirred and flashed has gone round the world. Hisao Tinaka resigned most […]
What is ethical leadership and does it matter?
Let’s talk about noodles! Food giant Nestle in India, is currently battling to preserve its instant noodles brand Maggi. This is a long-standing favourite of millions of consumers. Surprising evidence the noodles contained unsafe levels of lead and traces of monosodium glutamate (MSG) has proved a direct challenge to the […]
How to predict the future
Financial managers got it wrong. As a group they confidently expected a “yes” vote in Greece. Hardly a triumph of peering round the corners of the future. They joined the shamed pollsters of the UK’s recent general election, in which all the main poll services failed miserably to predict the result, […]
Speak up, or fail as a leader!
Leaders sometimes speak up. Ethical business leaders most definitely speak up, though not enough do. A sure way to fail as a leader in today’s demanding corporate environment is to keep quiet when you should be doing the opposite. Speak up about what though? How far should progressive business leaders […]