Integrity and Unethical Rule Followers
You can be an unethical rule follower. All organizations have rules and regulations people must follow. But many organizations fail to consider that we can all be unethical rule followers. Just because we do not break the law or a corporate regulation does not make us a person of Integrity.
West Point teaches the Three Rules of Thumb that are meant to guide cadets and officers toward wise and honorable decisions. Because every decision we make in life will not be specifically covered by rules, regulations, or laws, these Three Rules of Thumb can help all of us as we evaluate our motives prior to taking action.
- Does this action attempt to deceive anyone or allow anyone to be deceived?
- Does this action allow the gain of privilege or advantage to which I or someone else would not otherwise be entitled?
- Would I be satisfied with the outcome if I were on the receiving end of this action?
As we examine our decisions through the lens of the Three Rules of Thumb, it becomes clear that Integrity goes beyond just knowing the rules and following them. We need to consider if deception or gaining an undeserved advantage might be involved.
The Bottom Line:
Following the rules others set for us is easy. Having Integrity is hard. There are plenty of unethical rule followers in business, in politics, in athletics, and in academia.
We must examine ourselves and decide whether following the rules is good enough or will we hold ourselves to a higher standard than the people we complain about.
Honestly, the unethical rule followers that I hear people complain about in today’s political system are present in every walk of life. Each of us need to be careful to not throw stones in glass houses.
The Three Rules of Thumb will test our commitment to being Leaders of Character who exercise Integrity. Try using them for a week and see how much of a challenge true Integrity is.
Your character will grow and the people you lead will notice!
Question:
Which Rule of Thumb is the most challenging one?
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the first is the most difficult i would say as its really a judgment call because you do not know the other persons perception or knowledge of any given situation
I guess it is really a heart check. Don’t we know if we are trying to deceive another person, or allowing them to be deceived?