Businesses are competing at breakneck speed today. As a result, many leaders are tempted to take shortcuts in their decision-making process. Because the focus is often on the results and not the means, the result is corruption, exploitation, even fraud in the workplace.

But it is possible to be an ethical leader and still come out as the winner. The secret lies on intention. Leaders just need to decide to be ethical. Having the discipline to do what’s right positions an organization to greatness.

Why does it matter anyway? Ethics translate to sustainable business growth. It also builds a productive culture that sees fairness and honesty as central to corporate life. When leaders are ethical, the organization is also inclined to follow.

Here are some pointers that can help you practice ethical leadership in your organization.

Set an example

It always starts with the leader. Be very exacting with your ethical standards and then be consistent. Be always fair in treating your people. Respect others and most importantly be real. This means being open with your struggles, discussing areas in ethical practice that is a bit difficult to navigate. This authenticity is rewarded by trust, the one thing that keeps the roll balling for values-centered leadership.

Write it down

To make sure there is a fixed reference for the organization’s ethical standards, an ethics statement must be written for everybody’s compliance. Leaders and employees at all levels need to subscribe to what it stipulates. The written code is also where complex ethical issues are settled, serving as a guide for everybody when they navigate a touchy issue that requires values-centered decisions.

It is important that everybody in the organization knows this values statement by heart. This should also be reinforced by learning programs and other culture-building activities inside the company.

Strict adherence is key

For ethical standards to have the ideal impact to the organization, a leader needs to make sure it is followed by all, himself included. Everybody needs to be accountable for it so that there will be no room for excuses.

Ethics is a journey

Ethics is not a program to be implemented for a couple of days, or when someone feels like it. It is an encompassing standard of action that entails fairness, respect, and honesty. It is a year-round pursuit of doing the right thing. Leaders who see the necessity to adhere to it and make it an endless campaign for the organization will succeed in reaping the rewards of leading an ethical business.