What do the FBI and leaders have in common?

I recently had the chance to speak with my colleague, a highly accomplished leader, and we briefly discussed the code of conduct. We all concurred that the code of conduct embodies the fundamental principles of a family, a team, or a business.

What rules of conduct apply to you?

Do you operate under a code of conduct?

My colleague, who works in criminal science, brought up the FBI’s way with the expectations of their FBI agents. He said that previous counterintelligence director Frank Figliuzzi developed a book with a code that required absolute internal perfection from everyone at all times. He refers to it as the Seven Cs and the FBI’s Way (Code, Conservancy, Consequences, Clarity, Compassion, Credibility, Consistency).

A code of behaviour has been developed by the FBI, and it’s upheld by teams and all workers.

Everyone in your team or firm follows to the same basic values, which are reflected in this code.

Basic rules of conduct must be established in any group or organisation. A clear and exact code is necessary to prevent actions that can jeopardise the principles you uphold.

Conservancy is a communal effort to conserve and maintain the true worth of a place or thing, much like stewardship. By joining a conservancy, members formally commit to acting as stewards for something bigger than themselves. It is a conservancy, the FBI.

Here, accountability is crucial. Additionally, everyone in the FBI has a line of authority, and the higher up you are, the more authority you have.

A code devoid of compassion is short-lived. Consequences and compassion go hand in one. Sometimes showing compassion entails taking a hard look in the mirror to examine how you or a broken system contributed to the bad decision or improper behaviour.

What may otherwise be an unkind and frigid process is balanced by compassion. People need to have faith in their leaders to treat them with respect as well as assurance that they have established clear guidelines for behaviour.

Because of this, effective leaders analyse penalties holistically by considering an employee’s overall performance, the circumstances around their mistake, and their ability to right their wrongs.

When it comes to the results, there shouldn’t be any shocks. A code must contain penalties for violations or it is merely “text on paper.”

A code that is not upheld soon turns into a falsehood that compromises your entire team. People need to understand that there are consequences for endangering the team since you can’t just will them into abiding by the rules.

The foundation of a values-based organisation is credibility. And it holds true for the entire squad. People must trust us and the principles we uphold.

Values’ ability to endure past the personalities of specific leaders depends on their believability.

When the procedure is standardised, impartial, and thorough, the principles are preserved in a credible manner.

When a process is codified, it must not only be documented in writing but also be simple to access, clear to understand, and taken seriously.

Being trustworthy is what makes someone credible, not being perfect.

Intentionality is key to consistency. It aids in protecting what is truly important.

The process of creating a rhythm had a beauty and simplicity that went beyond simple habit. In your life, at business, or in your studies, create a system that you can stick with. If it works or adjust if it doesn’t.

Follow a reliable system.

Sometimes being consistent means changing your entire strategy to be true to your values.

People should not experience change as something that occurs “to” them; rather, it should occur “with” them. Everyone concerned must realise that adjusting does not imply giving up on ideals or a mission. Instead, the suggested adjustments must demonstrate how they are both compatible with and essential to upholding your beliefs.

We all inevitably need to adjust, adapt, and transition to new ways of conserving and promoting what we hold dear to maintain our essential beliefs.

And the FBI’s biggest errors primarily result from its leaders breaking their own rules.

As in life.

This post was written by Mario Bekes