When Leaders Fall from Grace: A Lesson of Ethics in Leadership from Steve Smith, Australian Cricket Captain

Watching the press conference with the disgraced Australian cricket captain Steve Smith crying about his misdemeanour of ball tampering, I wondered how he would have acted if he never got caught. Were his tears remorse for his actions, or due to the resulting consequences of being found out?

Whilst I am not a cricket fan, and I don’t understand the game, what I do understand is that Steve Smith had a position of responsibility, not just for his team but as a representative of his country, and he blew it. He carried out an act of dishonesty, and he got caught out.

When a leader does something dishonest either for personal gain, or for the gain of the organisation, there is a risk that things could go the wrong way. But yet, they go ahead and do it anyway. When we look at some of the great leaders that have fallen in recent times, we might question how on earth could they be so dishonest.

Does the desire for power and prestige outweigh their moral compass?

Do leaders set out to be unethical, or do they lose their integrity along the way? Is it that they start out wanting to further the cause and make a difference, but then get caught up in the trappings of their success? Does their desire for power and prestige far outweigh their moral compass?

Some people can become so consumed in winning, that they will do whatever it takes, with little or no regards to the consequences. Or, the pressure to perform and get outstanding results might cause some to think irrationally and in doing so, all thoughts of reason, integrity and ethics go out the window.

Do unethical leaders believe they are beyond reproach?

There is a myriad of reasons as to why leaders resort to behaving unethically in order to gain an advantage. Whether it’s the 5 KPMG Executives and PCAOB employees who were charged with fraud in an attempt to improve inspection results, or the recent embarrassment to Facebook following the data scandal with Cambridge Analytica, or even Enron that was once held in such high esteem, it seems that not a month goes by where unethical behaviour is reported about leaders.

Maybe they got away with it in the past and became complacent in their arrogance, believing that they are beyond reproach. Or maybe, having crossed that boundary, they have reached the point of no return and so continue in their unethical ways. Cheating leads to more cheating and ultimately, the company loses. And when leaders cheat, they inevitably get cheated on.

Leaders have a duty to be ethical and act with integrity, and I believe, to act with humility. Exercising humility means they don’t let ego get in the way, and they place those that they lead above profits. This in turn allows the organisation to progress.

Humility reminds us that because of the privilege of our position, we are of no more importance than those that we serve. Humility keeps us grounded, preventing us from becoming too egotistical and arrogant. Humility reminds us that we represent a cause that is bigger than us.

What would have happened if Steve Smith hadn’t got caught?

If Steve Smith hadn’t been caught, we would have woken up to a completely different story. If the Australian team had won as a result, we would be seeing him held up in high esteem and lapping up the limelight of leading his team to achieve glory.

His country would be celebrating him, the world would be admiring him. He most definitely wouldn’t be seen on the TV screens of homes across the globe sobbing about how his actions have affected his parents and the pain brought to Australia, the fans and the public.

If he hadn’t got caught, would his conscience have played on him, or would his ego be raised even more? Would getting away with it have given him the confidence to go and do it again? For some people, engaging in unethical acts, can lead to what is known as the cheater’s high. Feelings of overconfidence because they think too highly of themselves, can get in the way of initial ethical intentions.

What difference does it make between the continually unethical leader and the habitual pick pocketer stealing from people on the streets?

Leaders are held to a higher standard than others

We need to be able to trust our leaders, but how can we be sure whether or not they lack integrity? Whilst with some, their actions will reveal their unethical ways, what about the covert lack of integrity, or those who like Steve Smith appear to be sweet, innocent and honest?

Self reflection is a good way to increase self awareness about ethical boundaries leaders may be in danger of crossing. Helping them to see how this conflicts with their moral compass and goes against the organisation’s values. Self reflection enables leaders to step back when the pressure is on and see things from different perspectives.

But how many leaders regularly make time for this? With the busyness of their daily routines, allocating self reflection time in their busy schedules and giving it priority like any other appointment should be a matter of importance.

Leaders should accept that they are held to higher standards than others, and as such be mindful of when their actions are becoming self serving instead of serving others.

As unethical acts amongst leaders increase, what measures can be put in place to ensure that people in positions of responsibility act with integrity and don’t go about furthering their aim in unethical ways? 

#ethics #leadership #unethicalbehaviour #humility #stevesmithcricketcaptain #ethicalleadership

ABOUT ME:

I am The Coach for High Achieving Introverted Women, an Executive, Career, Business Coach, Writer, Speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice UK 2017 and the founder of Abounding Solutions . With over 25 years coaching and leadership experience, I help women (with a particular emphasis on introverted women) to be authentic, bold, confident leaders and excel in their careers and businesses.

I also help organisations develop the talent pipeline of female employees so that more women make it to senior management roles.

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