With all that is going on in this country and the world, I find myself grappling with internal struggle. How about you? Protests. Parades. The shootings of lawmakers. What is the right thing to do –and who are we called to be? These are tough questions, and there are no easy answers.
As leaders, we are often confronted with ethical choices – some small, others significant –with moral dilemmas attached. What is a leader to do?
Recently in a conversation with friend and colleague Wendy Lawrence, we reflected on her father, Vice Admiral Bill Lawrence, and what he might say about the challenges we face today. As Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy during my time there, he was revered for his steadfast leadership. A Nashville native (read Tennessee Patriot for more of his story), Naval Academy graduate, test pilot, and six-year Vietnam POW, Admiral Lawrence continued to lead even in captivity. Despite enduring inhumane torture, he became known for his unwavering resistance to his captors.
He often told his children, “Do the hard right versus the easy wrong.”
Sometimes our decisions lead to great personal consequences. Sometimes they do not. While most of us will never face the horrors of torture, the choice to do the harder right is always present. Here is an example.
Last night my family and I watched the new Netflix documentary “Titan: The OceanGate disaster.” It is about the implosion of the Titan submersible during its expedition to the Titanic. The CEO and four others lost their lives. It is a difficult and essential case study for every leader – and engineer. Throughout the documentary I kept reflecting on the difficult choices made by OceanGate’s engineers, HR professionals, and even interns. Many of them spoke up. And then, they were silenced
The warning signs were all there. The data made it clear that the carbon fiber construction and engineering “workarounds” would ultimately lead to catastrophic failure. Several team members voiced their concerns to the CEO. But he would not listen. Ultimately, some team members made the painful decision to leave the company rather than stay silent. Their integrity wouldn’t allow them to compromise safety or ethics. They chose the harder right.
In corporate life, we may not face life-or-death scenarios, but we do face ethical crossroads every day. Moments where doing the right thing isn’t easy—but necessary.
What will you choose when it’s your turn?
Working to Fly high,
Barbara
Want to know more? Need a help clarifying your decisions? Connect with me at CaptainBarbaraBell.com and of course check out my book, Flight Lessons: Navigating Through Life’s Turbulence and Learning to Fly High. #coaching, #ethicalleadership, #leadership, #veterans
