SLC 300 (601) Fall 2024 Leading with an Ethical Perspective

In the article “Personal Values and Corporate Strategy” I learned how personal values can influence corporate decision making and what their overall strategy is. While reading the article the alignment of values stuck out to me the most. Understanding the importance of aligning personal values with corporate strategies as this will increase motivation and drive. Understanding the values that are mentioned in the article is very important as we can see how those influence our decision making and culture. Having different values can flourish into different things that could lead to ethical considerations. I have experienced this in a team dynamic as each member had different personal values. We had to create an item that we thought would fascinate our target market and had to market our product. The group consisted of 5 people and each of us had a different personal value. While having different values, we had to communicate better and figure ways out that would work for us to get our product done in time. It was nice to experience everyone having a different value as it challenged each one of us to explore things in different ways and learn along the way. I believe this made our group stronger and allowed us to have a good relationship that created a positive group environment. After reading this article, I see how important personal values are to a group environment as that can determine how decision making could be done. Overall this article taught me to have a values approach that can make sure we have long term sustainability and ethical practices within organizations. 

https://hbr.org/1965/09/personal-values-and-corporate-strategy

In “Do the Kind Thing” Daniel Lubetzky underlines the transformative power of kindness: “Kindness is not just a feeling; it’s a practice that leads to action”. This outlook has really made a lot of sense in my life, especially when I was working at BurgerFi. When one is in the fast world, one really needs to create an atmosphere of mutual support and encouragement among the people working on the team. I indeed, have worked in an effective teamwork environment while getting over the challenges of the busy shift, while making sure customers get good service. Also just being kind to coworkers on the job creates a good atmosphere down the road and helps yourself down the road, especially when you need someone to cover your shift.

The theory of Lubetzky actually parallels global trends in society. Recently, in the last couple of decades, programs that encourage random acts of kindness and social responsibility have grown in popularity. These movements, such as the “Random Acts of Kindness” movement, foster the development of love towards all human beings and the creation of a community and cooperative behaviors among people. For example, a business with large amounts of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy creates a loyal customer base, and employees experience enhanced job satisfaction. This does not make the challenge go away when trying to scale up. Many organizations genuinely promote values of kindness and generosity but struggle with systemic issues in actually putting into practice what they preach.

Guth and Tagiuri in their article, “Organizational Values and Corporate Strategy,” talk about how “An organization’s culture is largely determined by the personal values of its members”. This observation really echoed my experiences in group projects during my academic career. But when team members share values and objectives, collaboration thrives and high-quality outcomes follow. I can still remember how integrity and excellence shared by my group has kept the atmosphere accommodating and drove us into impressive results in every group project where this has been the case. In contrast, it always falters in a team whose members have different values that thereby cause friction and misunderstanding.

On a larger scale, this connection of values with culture speaks volumes about the real dynamics within organizations. Organizations whose cultures are aligned with their core values tend to have better employee engagement and customer loyalty. For example, companies such as Patagonia have embedded their environmentalist values into the core of their cultures, hence fostering a closer connection with customers and reinforcing brand identity. The end result is a loyal group of workers who show pride in their ability to contribute to the company mission.

Anne Loehr highlights the importance of self-awareness in leadership in her article “How to Live With Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership,” writing that “the best leaders are deeply aware of their personal values and how those values influence their decisions, actions, and interactions with others.” This idea is essential while coaching a professional sports team, as the culture and performance of the club may be greatly influenced by the coach’s principles. Professional coaching entails not just controlling player performance but also setting an example and creating a cohesive atmosphere that inspires players to achieve at their highest level. Coaches may establish a clear vision for their team if they are aware of their basic principles, which may include integrity, discipline, or resilience. For example, a coach who emphasizes hard effort and responsibility would probably inculcate such values into the team’s everyday operations, affecting how players practice, act on the court, and handle failure. By fostering qualities like sacrifice, collaboration, and respect for others, legendary coaches like Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs have created winning cultures. The possible dangers, meanwhile, are also brought to light by Loehr’s observation when a coach’s principles clash with the atmosphere of the squad. Underperformance and conflict may result if a coach maintains strict control over a group of players that are very autonomous. Unlike the article’s advice to think and adapt, professional sports might not have the time to realign ideals; instead, they frequently need temporary solutions like roster or coaching changes. In the end, Loehr’s focus on coordinating personal values with leadership choices highlights the significance of intentional, values-based leadership in sports by showing how a coach’s personal convictions may either favorably or unfavorably affect team culture.

Jaffe and Scott emphasize the significance of integrity in a team setting in their article “How to Link Personal Values with Team Values,” writing that “trust is eroded, and the team’s overall performance suffers when personal values are not aligned with the group’s values.” In the context of Jontay Porter’s cheating incident, where he was charged with violating team rules and ethics during his NBA employment, this concept may be related to the NBA. Any professional sports team is built on the principles of responsibility, honesty, and trust. Athletes like Jontay Porter who transgress these fundamental values not only reflect poorly on themselves, but also jeopardize the cohesiveness of the team as a whole. In this instance, Porter’s behavior went against the team’s principles, which include respect for teammates and the organization’s reputation as well as discipline and transparency. His behavior damaged the organization’s trust, diverted attention, and could have had an impact on team relationships. Porter’s predicament and Jaffe and Scott’s claim are clearly related: when individual values, such as a player’s willingness to take short cuts or break the rules, conflict with the ideals that a team upholds, the effects are felt across the company. Teams depend on its members to maintain the same moral principles, and a transgression can cause morale and concentration issues. However, the NBA frequently responds to such violations with punitive measures, including bans or contract terminations, which may not always restore confidence but are meant to set an example. This contrasts with the article’s emphasis on realigning ideals through organized communication. This demonstrates how difficult it is to balance team and personal ideals in the competitive world of professional sports.

file:///Users/grantwilson/Downloads/Why%20Ethical%20People%20Make%20Unethical%20Choices.pdf

Jaffe and Scott clarify in their essay “How to Link Personal Values with Team Values” that values are the guiding principles that determine our priorities and how we act in different circumstances. This idea has a clear connection to collegiate basketball, where team dynamics and achievement rely significantly on individual values being in line with the team’s overarching objectives and ideals. College basketball players, for instance, frequently come from a variety of backgrounds and have personal goals, including getting into the NBA or becoming well-known. Successful teams, on the other hand, create a setting where individual goals are balanced with the group ideals of respect, discipline, and cooperation. As seen by collegiate schools like Duke or UConn that have won championships, striking this balance is essential to team success. These teams place a strong emphasis on the principle of selflessness, and individual virtues like tenacity and development complement the group’s overall objectives of winning and fostering unity. On the other hand, internal conflicts may arise when individual ideals, such as ego or self-promotion, collide with team values. For instance, a great player who puts their numbers ahead of teamwork may upset the balance and perform poorly even if they are talented. The main distinction between this story and actual situations is that, although the article proposes a methodical approach to value alignment, in the high-stress environment of collegiate basketball, alignment frequently occurs naturally through coaching leadership and shared experiences on the court, making it a continuous struggle rather than a one-time occurrence.

The CNBC article “Fyre Festival: How a 25-year-old scammed investors out of $26 Million” reminded me that I watched a documentary about Fyre Festival in high school. I watched the Netflix documentary Fyre in a marketing class. It was so interesting to see how powerful marketing can be. While Billy McFarland failed in so many ways one successful thing he did was market the event. With virtually nothing to show in an advertisement, he thought outside the box and created a viral marketing campaign that set the expectations of the event very high. Using the supermodels Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, and Allesandra Ambrosio brought a sense of legitimacy to the festival that unknown models would have never accomplished. He also used social media to help the event go viral. While it was all fake and a disastrous situation was brewing, McFarland’s tactics were smart. He understood the target market and how to convince them to trust him. He masterly frauded people, betrayed their trust, and acted extremely unethically. He defrauded thousands of people and knowingly spread mass misinformation. McFarland also ran the marketing campaign without the capital to support it. The false advertising of the festival also went on too long. It was not enough for McFarland to create a fake story but he also continued the lie until it put people’s lives at risk. McFarland had the power to shut down the festival before it began and own up to all of the false advertising, but he failed to do so.

The CNBC article “These are the 10 best CEOs in America in 2019, according to Glassdoor” was shocking to me. I was not shocked because of the companies listed, I was shocked because nine out of ten CEOs mentioned were men. Lynsi Snyder the CEO of In-N-Out Burger was the only female listed in the top ten in 2019. I was pleasantly surprised that Snyder was in the top three CEOs in America in 2019, according to Glassdoor. It is shocking to see how few women can make it to the top when being rated like this. The article links to the top 100 list for 2024. To my surprise, Lynsi Snyder was still in the top ten but she had slipped to sixth place. Snyder has been joined by Abigail Johnson the CEO of Fidelity Investments in the top ten. Johnson ranks tenth. Snyder and Johnson are the only two women listed in the top twenty. It is very exciting to see that more women have made their way to the top of the list in the last five years but it is still startling to realize. When considering the number of female CEOs compared to the male CEOs it is exciting to see that women are beating the odds, but I look forward to checking back next year to see if any more women have cracked the top ten or even the top twenty.

With the perspective this class has given me already, I wondered how Lynsi Snyder uses ethics in her business decisions. From what I have learned about her, she stays committed to the foundation her family set for In-N-Out. I believe she makes decisions based on faith, family, and commitment to quality. Snyder is highly regarded for her dedication to the well-being of In-N-Out employees and commitment to company culture. All of these reasons are probably why she remains in the top ten.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/19/glassdoor-top-10-us-ceos-2019.html

https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm

The Forbes article, The World’s Most Reputable CEOs 2019, discusses the most admired CEOs globally, according to surveys on leadership and reputation. Leaders like Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Johan Thijs (KBC), and Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) top the list, known for their ethical leadership, innovation, and positive impact on company culture. Their reputations are built on trust, responsibility, and consistent performance. This connects to leadership as it highlights how being a reputable leader involves not just financial success but also integrity, fairness, and building strong relationships with employees and society. The list demonstrates that leaders who focus on ethical practices and creating value for all stakeholders gain long-lasting respect and loyalty, both inside and outside their organizations. The article emphasizes the idea that leadership is about more than just achieving financial goals. These top CEOs are admired because they prioritize the well-being of their employees, deliver value to their customers, and make positive contributions to their communities. Their leadership styles reflect a blend of strategic thinking, moral responsibility, and a focus on sustainable success, which makes them highly respected figures in the business world. To connect this to leadership more broadly, being reputable as a leader means demonstrating consistent actions that align with ethical standards. It’s about building trust by making fair and transparent decisions, and being accountable not only to shareholders but also to employees and the broader public. Leadership that goes beyond personal or company gain to consider the wider impact of decisions helps cultivate a positive reputation that leads to long-term success and influence. The list of reputable CEOs from this article highlights how leadership in today’s world must be multifaceted, balancing business acumen with a commitment to corporate social responsibility. A leader’s reputation has become increasingly tied to how well they manage both the human side of business and the bottom line. Leaders who are seen as ethical, compassionate, and forward-thinking are those who stand out as role models for others to follow.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/vickyvalet/2019/05/21/the-worlds-most-reputable-ceos-2019/#679d09aa4e7a

The Glassdoor Top 10 U.S. CEOs 2019 article highlights the leaders of major companies who earned the highest ratings from their employees. This ranking focuses on CEOs known for qualities like transparency, engagement, and the ability to inspire their teams. Leaders such as VMware’s Pat Gelsinger, who topped the list, and Charles Butt of H-E-B are praised for fostering strong, employee-friendly cultures. Their high approval ratings come from their commitment to open communication, innovation, and building environments where employees feel valued and motivated. These CEOs exhibit traits that reflect the essence of effective leadership, particularly in the modern workplace. For example, Pat Gelsinger’s success is often attributed to his ability to listen to employee feedback and drive a culture of innovation at VMware, while Charles Butt’s leadership at H-E-B is marked by his focus on creating a customer-first and employee-friendly culture. Both leaders emphasize the importance of inclusivity and personal integrity, creating spaces where employees feel heard and empowered. Additionally, the list includes CEOs like Lynsi Snyder of In-N-Out Burger and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, both of whom have been recognized for their ability to build cohesive, mission-driven teams. These leaders prioritize work-life balance and maintain a personal connection with their employees, which fosters loyalty and commitment. Their success shows that good leadership is not just about driving profits but also about investing in people and ensuring their well-being and growth within the company. Why this article might be a favorite in terms of leadership is because it emphasizes the core values that make great leaders stand out, integrity, transparency, empathy, and the ability to inspire and engage people. It sheds light on the human side of leadership, showing that leaders who prioritize their employees and workplace culture are those who achieve long-term success, both for their companies and for their teams. These CEOs are seen as approachable and relatable, and their leadership styles reflect a deep understanding of how to cultivate positive, high-performing work environments. In essence, the Glassdoor Top 10 U.S. CEOs list provides a strong example of how modern leadership is evolving. Rather than being solely focused on profits or output, the best leaders today are those who focus on the growth and satisfaction of their employees. These leaders are role models for others, showing that success is deeply tied to the health and happiness of the people who make up the organization. This makes the article particularly valuable for those who admire leadership that is rooted in human connection and the development of a supportive workplace. It reinforces the idea that great leaders don’t just manage; they inspire and uplift their teams to achieve more together.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/19/glassdoor-top-10-us-ceos-2019.html