Nine important roles of ethical CEOs

1. Critical Roles of the (Ethical) CEO
By Linda Fisher Thornton
There have been many stories about unethical CEOs in the news, but not as many about the good ones. That’s a
shame, because the ethical CEO is a positive powerhouse – devoted to serving employees, customers, and
communities. I thought it would be helpful to describe some of the critical functions of the ethical CEO that enable
organizational success. Intentionally investing in these roles creates the kind of workplaces that attract top employees
and devoted customers.
Critical Roles of the (Ethical) CEO
Ethical Leadership Role Model
High Level Trust-Builder
Champion For Ethical Values
Ethical Prevention Advocate
Highest Leader Accountable For Ethics
Accountability Consistency Monitor
Ethics Dialogue Leader
Ethical Decision-Making Coach
Ethical Culture Builder

2. There are many other things that CEOs do besides the roles listed here, but these are particularly important for
creating ethical high-trust cultures. The ethical CEO knows these roles should never be ignored when other
pressures loom. The reason? Investing in these roles every day (while doing other things) greatly reduces the need
for handling crises later.
Ethical CEOs know that ethical prevention, open dialogue and intentional trust-building are keys that unlock great
organizational performance. Besides that, it’s much easier to help leaders wrestle with ethical problems in real-time
than it is to clean up messes when there is a visible ethical mistake.
Don’t leave organizational ethics to chance. Ethical cultures need these roles, and the best ethical CEOs tackle them
earnestly. Are these roles included in the CEO’s job description in your organization?
For more, see new book 7 Lenses and the 21 Question Assessment: How
Current is My Message About Ethics?
2014 Bronze Axiom Business Book Award Winner
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Originally Published at LeadinginContext.com/Blog