Petraeus’ Derailment Invites Focus on the Heart of Leadership
The Week in Ethics
Petraeus’ Derailment Invites Focus on the Heart of Leadership
Too many assumptions are made about leaders once they reach the highest levels of their organization: that they are at the top of their game, operating out professional clarity, and have themselves figured out. Ivy league educated, storied-career David Petraeus is a poignant illustration. As director of the CIA, and one of the most acclaimed […]
read more »How "Family" Backfired at Penn State
When leaders refer to their organizations as a “family,” it can be dangerous when they don’t also have a full understanding of the implications and expectations of that metaphor. While presumably their reference is to a functional family, the question is… what kind of unremitting vigilance is required to spot and address the dysfunctional elements […]
read more »Why UCI is Wrong and Armstrong Can’t be "Forgotten"
What International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid said at a news conference October 22,2012 revealed more about UCI’s culture than it said about Armstrong: ”Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling. This is a landmark day for cycling.” Granted UCI (cycling governing body) has an embarrassment […]
read more »Disney, RAN and the Rainforest
When companies are criticized by activist groups for social responsibility failings it can be hard to determine what the degree of the problem is from media coverage and press releases. The ultimate resolution may represent sweeping change in corporate policies that would not have happened at all or as quickly but for the activist group’s […]
read more »Arbitrage, When There is Never Enough
How much is enough? That was a central question John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group, posed several years ago about Wall Street. It is also an underlying question in Arbitrage, Nicholas Jarecki’s recently released film. Richard Gere plays Richard Miller, a billionaire hedge fund manager whose greater cause is seeing himself as the orbit […]
read more »Seriously? No Qualified Women for European Central Bank Board
When it comes to issues like gender diversity on corporate boards and in C-Suites, we’ve seen glacial progress. It has led some countries to impose or threaten quotas. While laws force progress, so also can the voice of a leader using his or her position and personal authority to hold others accountable. Sharon Bowles, chairwoman […]
read more »Accountability and the NCAA
Who holds a governing body accountable for clear, consistent, equitable administration of its rules, and when merited, punishment that doesn’t exceed its mission or oversight authority? If you are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and can shut down athletic programs, take away scholarships, impose fines, and require consent monitors among other things, accountability is […]
read more »Goldman Sachs, Not Criminal, Just "Deceptive and Immoral"
Update: October 21, 2012, Former Goldman VP Greg Smith was interviewed on 60 Minutes about why he left Goldman seven months ago. For more than two years, Goldman Sachs’ reputation has been under fire for its alleged role in the financial crisis. August 9, 2012, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced it won’t prosecute Goldman […]
read more »NCAA, Culture, and Leader as Bystander at Penn State
July 23, 2012, Penn State University accepted the far-reaching sanctions in the Consent Decree imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA indicated it relied on the investigation and findings of the Freeh Report issued July 12, 2012. The report addressed Penn State’s role in not protecting the young boys sexually abused by […]
read more »How to Start a Culture Shift at Penn State
July 12, 2012 Penn State University trustees, administrators, faculty, students, staff, and alumni began to digest the 267 page report by former FBI director Louis Freeh. Freeh was hired by trustees as special investigative counsel to look at Penn State’s role in a former assistant coach’s child sex abuse scandal. The report offers more than […]
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Gael developed a very effective research-based professional development program using creative real-life scenarios to help business coaches better understand when to recognize potential ethical conflicts. Her program energized and enlightened both new and “seasoned” coaches. The event was recognized as the highlight of the year.