Ethics

Deepwater disaster: Who’s in charge?

July 9, 2010
Heads-up when you hear arguments about who’s in charge. That means no one’s in charge … The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in April points to more than a pile of ad hoc exceptions to safety rules. It also points to an epic failure of leadership. Who was in charge: BP, the well’s owner, or Transocean, the rig’s owner?

Why we need an MBA oath

June 14, 2010
You may have heard about the MBA oath. It was created by a couple of Harvard Business School students and has spread to business school campuses around the world, leading to a book on the topic. If the MBA oath were to cause even a few leaders to stand up and say out loud how they intend to conduct themselves, then it would be worth the effort of writing and promoting it.

Raise your game the right way

February 12, 2010

In this second year of high anxiety, here are three ideas you can use as a leader to gain some altitude so you won’t be bumping along the bottom: 1. Do the numbers. 2. Take a walk on the workers’ side. 3. Consult your moral compass.

Putting your beliefs to the test

December 11, 2009

When put to the test, leaders do what’s right, even if it’s difficult. For longtime environmentalist, Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, the test came in 1994, when he learned that industrially farmed cotton, which figured in 20% of the company’s sales, required toxic chemicals …