Leading with Integrity: The Key to Ethical Decision-Making in Life, Leadership and Business

The Role of Integrity Decision-Making

How often do you consider ethics, morals and values when making decisions?

Is it a conscious line of thought?

By definition, integrity means 'the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles' however this is subjective and will certainly look very different to us all.

Showing up with integrity, leading with integrity, and running your business with integrity.

How do you consciously ensure that you make this happen?

When we explore integrity in our decision making we can see that this impacts us both personally and professionally and can influence long-term success in life and in our work.

I often talk about being values and purpose led, and ensuring that our values are aligned. In today's dynamic environments, it is equally important that we are ethical in our decision making too.

Understanding Ethical Decision-Making: Frameworks and Models to Use.

There are two frameworks that I share with clients when we are discussing decision making.

1. Ethical Decision Making Model
2. National Decision Making Model

The Ethical Decision Making Model is a common leadership framework used to help make decisions. What we define as ethical can be subjective so this model helps the decision maker to explore the various elements within the model

The model?has roots in moral philosophy and has been developed by various scholars and organisations over time. It’s not attributed to a single creator but has evolved from the fields of ethics, psychology, and leadership studies. The model is often adapted to specific industries, such as business ethics, healthcare, and public service.

The model has a structured approach used to guide individuals and leaders in making ethical choices, especially in complex situations where the right course of action may not be immediately clear.

While there are different versions of this model, they generally involve the following categories or steps:

1. Recognising an Ethical Issue

• The first step is to identify that an ethical issue or dilemma exists. This involves recognising a situation where there is a conflict between values or a decision that may have significant moral implications.

2. Gather Information and Facts

• To make an informed decision, it’s essential to collect all relevant information. This includes understanding the context, stakeholders involved, potential outcomes, and any legal or organisational constraints that may influence the decision.

3. Evaluate Alternative Actions

• At this stage, decision-makers explore different options and evaluate each based on ethical principles such as fairness, justice, and harm minimisation.

As part of the evaluation of potential actions the following five sources of ethical standards?are explored.

The Utilitarian Approach

• Focus:?The greatest good for the greatest number.
• Summary:?This approach considers the consequences of actions, aiming to produce the maximum benefit for the majority while minimising harm. The ethical choice is the one that leads to the most positive outcome for most people, even if it involves some negative consequences for a smaller group.

The Rights Approach

• Focus:?Respect for individual rights.
• Summary:?This approach emphasises protecting and respecting the moral and legal rights of individuals. It asserts that every person has inherent dignity and rights—such as the right to privacy, freedom of speech, and due process—that must not be violated, regardless of the outcome.

The Fairness or Justice Approach

• Focus:?Fair and equal treatment.
• Summary:?This approach centres on fairness, treating all individuals equally and without bias. Ethical actions are those that ensure people receive what they deserve based on their contributions or needs. Any unequal treatment must be justified, ensuring that it is reasonable and not discriminatory.

The Common Good Approach

• Focus:?Well-being of the community.
• Summary:?This approach emphasises the importance of the community's well-being and the idea that ethical actions contribute to the common good. It promotes actions that enhance the collective welfare of society, supporting institutions and systems that benefit all people, especially the most vulnerable.

The Virtue Approach

• Focus:?Acting with moral character.
• Summary:?The virtue approach is based on moral virtues such as honesty, courage, integrity, compassion, and fairness. It encourages individuals to act according to their best moral character, asking, "What kind of person will this action help me become?" It focuses on the inherent goodness of the individual and their intentions, rather than the outcomes of actions.

4. Make a Decision and Test It

• After weighing the pros and cons of each alternative, a decision is made. It’s important to consider whether the decision aligns with personal and organisational values. A common question asked is, “Would I feel comfortable if this decision were made public?”

5. Act and Reflect on the Outcome

• The decision is implemented, and after the action is taken, it’s crucial to reflect on the outcomes. This allows the individual or leader to learn from the situation and consider how the decision impacted stakeholders and whether it was truly aligned with ethical principles.

If you are a reader of this blog with experience in the public sector, you may already be familiar with this framework. In the public sector, decisions are frequently examined, underscoring the significance of making decisions that are accountable and transparent.

One such model is the National Decision-Making Model (NDM)?used by police forces in the UK.

The NDM was introduced by the College of Policing?and is designed to help officers make ethical decisions that stand up to scrutiny. It incorporates principles of ethics, legality, and proportionality, all while emphasising integrity.

The NDM?follows a similar five-step process, emphasising:

• Gathering information and intelligence
• Assessing the threat and risk?involved in a situation
• Considering powers, policy, and the law
• Identifying options and contingencies
• Taking action and reviewing outcomes

Both the general Ethical Decision-Making Model and the NDM aim to ensure that decisions, particularly in leadership, are grounded in values and are ethically defensible, even in high-pressure situations.

This provides leaders with a framework to align their actions with their values, promoting ethical and principled leadership.

Both models are excellent frameworks for all leaders, regardless of sector, and they also translate well to life decisions.

You can see example diagrams of both these models online.

Ethical dilemmas in life, leadership and business are common. Some you will move through with ease, others will potentially keep you awake at night. Having a framework that helps you to consider the options available to you can make a significant difference.

Throughout my time in the police, the National Decision-Making Model was the framework we used to explore, discuss and finalise decisions. The Police has its own code of ethics that we also refer to and I would often refer to this as well as consider my own personal code.

Does this decision 'sit right' with me? Would I be able to explain my decision to others.

What happens when your personal code conflicts with the standard operating procedure, or process you are supposed to follow? What happens when the instruction you are told to follow doesn't 'sit right' with you? How do you express this? How do you record this?

There will be times when you are unable to control or influence the outcome and the decision you want to make is not an option.

Documenting what you wanted to do, and the constraints and options you considered can help you to process the situation.

Keeping a record of your decision and recording what your thought process was, what you considered and why you made the decision you did can help you in future conversations.

Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Business and Leadership

You will face ethical dilemmas in business and in leadership. There will be times when what you would choose to do as an individual is not an option to you in leadership and business.

Finding employment in a company that has values that align with our own does help to reduce this. Running your own business also helps as often you will shape the values and ways of working as the business owner.

Often the desire for short-term gain can sometimes conflict with long-term values and we must be conscious of the bigger picture to help us to pause, and take a step back before deciding, to avoid compromising our principles.

Taking a moment can help us to 'respond' rather than 'react' and this gives us the time we need to reflect, rationalise and consider different perspectives before making the decision.

Aligning Your Decision-Making Process with Your Core Values

In life we will make decisions based on our beliefs, needs and values. As a leader and a business owner we need to be aware of how our individual frame of reference can influence the decisions we make and often it is not just about us and what we feel is 'right' We need to consider others in the decision-making process and the wider needs of the business.

Being conscious of this can be beneficial when making a decision.

Knowing what your personal values are, what your company values are, where they align - and where they don't.

Using the ethical decision making model can help to take a step back and make a decision based on the bigger picture rather that from a personal viewpoint.

Becoming a Principled Leader: The Path to Authentic Leadership

What is a principled leader?

What is authentic leadership?

What is the leadership legacy you want to leave with those you have worked with?

As a leader you will have an impact on those you work with. You are in a position of influence as well as authority.

How do you want people to remember you as a leader? How do you want people to feel working with you?

Do you give this thought? Do you reflect on whether you are making this happen?

Are you using your emotional intelligence to 'read the room' and the habits and behaviours of your teams to see what influence you are having?

Are you asking your team for feedback, or suggestions of how you can be a good leader for them? - Are you listening, learning and making changes?

Are you a leader who prioritises integrity and ethical decision-making?

In order to establish trust, credibility, and make a lasting positive influence on your teams and your business, it is essential to actively focus on these aspects.

Evaluate Your Integrity Today

Reflect on their own decision-making processes.

What is working well?

What is not working well?

What would you like to do differently?

If you are looking for support and development in this area then you can book a clarity call to discuss how you can strengthen the alignment between your actions and values.

Coaching support can provide the guidance needed to make consistently ethical decisions in both life and business.

You can access information and resources on the website. zoethompson.uk

In Conclusion:

Integrity is the cornerstone of ethical leadership, business ownership and decision-making.

Being principled in life, leadership and business, requires consistency and commitment to your personal values, especially during tough times. It also requires an awareness and consideration to the ethics, values and principles of others.

What can you do differently to lead your life with integrity?