The Neuroscience of Leadership Ethical Traps

Leadership Ethical Traps

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for his company to thrive she needs to create a climate of trust. I am consulting with members of the company senior leadership team to consider firing a company vice president. The vice president has betrayed everyone’s trust by not being truthful.

The CEO knows that for the company to thrive depends on all company leaders to create a trusting work environment. She is empowering her leadership team to create a culture of trust and accountability. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping the company repair the trust that was broken. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping leaders create a culture of trust.

Ethical Roots

Psychology and other social sciences offer a huge body of experimental studies that demonstrate the allure of cheating. In The Ethical Executive (Stanford University Press, 2008), Robert Hoyk and Paul Hersey describe 45 ethical traps inherent in any organizational environment.

Many of these traps are psychological in nature, creating “webs of deception” that distort our perception of right and wrong. Such rationalizations lead us to believe our unethical behavior is normal and appropriate, and they have contributed to large-scale corporate disasters like the Enron and WorldCom affairs.

The Brain Science of Traps

Fish are caught in wire cages with funnel-shaped entrances, which are designed to direct the fish to swim inside.

In the same way, individuals and organizations move in a certain direction—one that may trap them if they fail to reverse an ill-fated course.

At any given moment, we have impulses that motivate us to act. They are reactions to internal or external stimuli, which may be powerful enough to trigger automatic behavior. At this point, we may rationally ignore other (and better) options.

Other times, we’re aware of several distinct choices, but the stimulus’ effect overrides these potential actions. We may desire a specific outcome so strongly that it propels us to move in an unsound direction. Anxiety and stress may also compel us to make choices that alleviate our short-term distress, yet lead to irrevocable long-term consequences.

Our ultimate behavior depends on a complex weave of situational factors, history and personality.
Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders model integrity and trust? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders be worthy of employees trust? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage their people in building a culture of trust and accountability.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who is honest and builds trust?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to create an environment where employees are engaged and trust company leaders.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that trusts leaders will do the right thing. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.