Creating ethical cultures in business: Brooke Deterline at TEDxPresidio

TL;DR

Building courage is a skill that allows us to act on our values in the face of fear, and it can be developed through practice.

Transcript

Translator: Ilze Garda Reviewer: Maricene Crus So I got an e-mail last week from the conference organizer; it said, "Good news! You're going after Van Jones." (Laughter) I thought, "In whose alternate universe is it a good thing to follow Van?" (Laughter) And then I remembered I'm here to talk about courage: our ability to act from our hearts in th... Read More

Key Insights

• 😨 Courage is the ability to act on our values in the face of fear.
• ❓ Ethical dilemmas require individuals to make difficult decisions, even when it involves personal sacrifice.
• ❓ Ethical fading occurs when operational objectives overshadow ethical considerations.
• 🤳 Courage can be developed through practice and self-awareness.
• 🆘 Recognizing patterns of behavior and actively challenging oneself can help develop courage.
• 😨 Social Fitness Training can retrain our brains to override fear responses and act consistently from our values.
• 😨 Practicing situations that scare us creates muscle memory for courageous action.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the importance of courage in acting on our values?

Courage is vital in allowing us to act on our values, as without it, we may compromise our integrity and fail to make a positive impact.

Q: How can individuals develop courage?

Courage can be developed through practice and self-reflection, recognizing patterns of behavior and actively challenging oneself to act in a courageous manner.

Q: Why is it difficult to do the right thing in business?

In the business environment, the focus on operational objectives and external pressure can lead individuals to ignore ethical implications, known as ethical fading.

Q: How can we create ethically courageous corporate cultures?

By becoming pattern interrupters and creating a pause button in our own behaviors, we can disrupt harmful patterns and encourage ethical actions within our teams and organizations.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Life without courage results in a lack of integrity, as seen in the Enron fraud case.

• Courage can be cultivated through personal experiences, such as the story of Ted who exposed illegal activity in his department.

• Ethical dilemmas in the workplace require individuals to take action, even when it is challenging.