Do We Treat Bad Behavior Different in Our Companies Than in Our Governments?

I find myself writing about a humanitarian crisis…a war…a political quagmire…sadly again…but let me be clear, yet again, this is a business newsletter and I write only about issues that affect us from and in that world.?

Having said that, my readers know that my worldview is that how we behave, how we act and react, and how we address the world is core to who we are as people. Business or personal life, our humanity is central to all, and one cannot be separated from the other.?

To that end, and to add even more rationale, I have a question for you…

How many meetings were you in this week where Russia and Ukraine were central to discussions on supply chain, global economics, and the stock market? And on the flip side, how many personal conversations did you have that began with a sense of sadness and horror at the deaths…the aggression…the pure cynicism?

If you are like me, this was almost every meeting…and every discussion.

So I will begin with another question…a business one.

How do you handle bad behavior in your company??

Abusive behavior, for example. My bet is that these days, you have a protocol that includes documentation, warning, and possibly some form of remediation. If the abuse continues unabated, it would end in short order dismissal without fear of legal entanglements because you took the time to plan for every scenario, and you used your plan to document the process and its outcome.?

Well done! And no doubt this system has been developed and honed through trial and error. Unfortunately, many of these lessons came through the tragic consequences of countless companies ignoring or dismissing the complaints and pleas of victims who had no recourse but to suffer, leave, or be dismissed…back in the day.

Yes, it took us too long. And yes there is no excuse. And worse, there are still companies that don’t get it…we witness the revelations literally every month. Yet, we cannot overlook the fact that progress has been made; the issues are finally public. In the end, at least most of the time, one day all justice is done…or better yet, one day we will have no need for justice because zero tolerance has worked.

Yet, dear reader, here is what amazes me…I was always bummed that our business life often seemed more complicated and convoluted than any governments’, and our politics more arcane and byzantine than any parliaments…damn…was I wrong.

On September 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini which provided for the “cession to Germany of the Sudeten German territory of Czechoslovakia”…why? Germany claimed it was theirs historically, and the people spoke German…not to mention they threatened war.

Hailed by some, as Hitler swore this was his only territorial claim in Europe, others called it The Munich Betrayal because they had read Mein Kampf and listened to Hitler’s speeches which made clear his true desires.

Suffice it to say, exactly one year later Nazi Germany attacked Poland and the world was plunged into WWII and all its horrors.?

Sound familiar? See any parallels??

Going back to my business case…there is a myriad of examples…The top executives who were given a total pass by their Boards and Leadership Teams because they were either making a lot of money for shareholders or were too scary to take head-on. Or the ones who were caught, got wrist slapped, sounded contrite, and continued to wreak havoc on people and organizations.

Ultimately, it was you who brought them down. When people had enough…they raised their voices no matter the cost…and yes, many suffered…Customers began to take note. Boards were litigated against. The world began to change for the better. Well, most of the time…except for the occasional swinging pendulum that went all the way in the other direction…a story for another time.?

And yet, here we are with historic lessons from all sides…business and geo-political…so clear and so real…watching the situation in Ukraine where an entire population is under attack, people are being killed, traumatized, and starved by someone who has never made a secret of his ambitions and desires. We didn’t stop it before, and many are still just shaking their heads wondering how it all happened…ARE YOU KIDDING?

Folks…dear readers…the sadness is that we would not let this happen in our businesses, and yet many are making excuses…looking the other way…blaming all kinds of third parties…FRANKLY, WHO CARES!

Once again, I implore this community of business people to come together…not to blame or bemoan, but to fix. Major KNEE JERK ALERT…please!!!

I have received messages from both my Russian and Ukrainian friends and readers all asking for our support as a community to use this powerful platform to speak out in solidarity with them for Peace and an end to violence.?

I have no doubt that none of us would tolerate such behavior in our commercial world. We wouldn’t allow serial abusers to hold court and thrive and grow at our expense or that of our friends.?

I rest my case…

Join me in speaking out…not with hate, but with a message of enough.

What’s your view?