Ethics in Business: Where will they get you?

Ethics is something that every industry holds high, but how often do we stop and assess what ethics means in our industry? Honouring ethics is the ideal yardstick to benchmark your success, as it means you will always be operating in the best interest of your business code and the community you serve. Ethics can be an all-including concept, so let’s get to the bottom of what ethics in business includes and why upholding these standards is in your best interest.

Leadership opportunities

Leaders wondering what you need to get an MBA will find that their first degree and industry experience will set them up to be an ethical foundation. Individuals with an interest in business ethics may find leadership roles to be the ideal fit. The average employee may not be going about their day with business ethics front and centre in their mind, as that is the job of the leadership team. An ethical leadership team will design SOPs (standard operating processes) that curate an ethical business, which includes how teams are structured, how success is measured and how HR issues are handled.

Attracting the right candidates

When you have strong ethics in business, you will find that there will always be a healthy supply of strong candidates interested in your business. Do you think employees want to work for a business that is ethical or one that cannot be trusted or only looks out for its own interest? It’s an easy answer. Our current society is a value-driven one, with the rise of issues such as sexism, LGBTQ inclusiveness and racism, so your business ethics will hold every employee to the same code so that all can feel safe.

Fostering the right partnerships

Just because you have all the best intentions with your business ethics, does not mean the rest of the business world does. This means you will have to work to find the appropriate partners and suppliers for your business so that you are upholding your business ethics and promise to your staff and community. If your ethics centre around sustainability, for example, then there are events, forums and organisations where you can connect with like-minded professionals. Find out where your people work and you can have a better chance of working with partners and suppliers who share your ethics.

Take your ethical principles far and wide

Inspiring people within your business is an incredible accomplishment, but it can also make you an industry leader. If there are few leaders out there who are as dogged in their approach to ethics as you, then start amplifying why it is important to you and your business and why it should be for others. LinkedIn is a great platform to extend your reach and share your wisdom, and you may also like to become a member of associated industries and organisations so you can be part of that dialogue too. Sure, public speaking and global leading will not be for everyone, so you can also inspire through writing and audio platforms like podcasts.

Making a genuine impact

Now that we have covered how you can share your ethics and leadership with your employees, your partners and your industry – let’s cover how you can make an impact in the lives of those in need. If your ethics include looking out for the community in your local area, championing youth justice, LGBTQ right and so on – you will want me to explore ways to assist these organisations. Take a look at the communities and groups in your local area and start working on how you can make an impact and bring your employees and industry on the journey with you. A great passive result of this is that you will also generate great publicity for your service to the community, and your organisation will be known to peers as a business with ethics.

Where your ethics will take you is absolutely up to you. You can make a significant mark in your business and on the people who work for you, so start collaborating with your team about what ethics means to them so you can effectively champion this part of your business.