1st Edition
Leading with Integrity Creating Positive Change in Organizations
Thanks to global news and social media, we are the most informed and socially conscious generation in history. But what are the sources of inner inspiration that guide our daily conduct and motivations in the workplace?
Far from the old Machiavellian dictum that "the ends justify the means", the reverse is often the case: the means determine the ends. This book presents the stories of business leaders who have aimed to build trust in the economy, and have delivered value through integrity, cooperation, stewardship, purpose and sustainability. It proposes the eight Cs of trust which can define the culture of organizations: contracts, covenants, competences, character, conscience, conviction, courage and change.
The book makes the clear link between personal decision-making and global outcomes and demonstrates how positive decision-making can lead to change inside organizations and beyond.
1. Why this book
2. Skin in the Game
3. Narrowing the world's rich-poor gap
4. Banking on the brink
5. Banking on change
6. Creative Connections--Person to Person
7. Conscience Capitalism
8. Five Pillars of Trust
9. Beheading the Snake of Corruption
10. The Silent Crisis: Meeting Environmental Challenges
11. The Impact Generation: "Furry Animals" of Social Entrepreneurship
12. Thinking Heads: the Wise Owls of Academia
13. Health and Welfare: the Human Face of Business Leadership
14. Culture of Trust
15. Time for Self-Reflection
16. Takeaways from this book
Biography
Michael Smith is a freelance journalist on the topic of values in business and the economy. His articles have appeared in the Financial Times, the Guardian and Guardian Weekly, The Times, the Independent, the Scotsman, the Herald (Glasgow) and the Pioneer (New Delhi). He serves on the Swiss steering committee of Ethical Leadership in Business forums and was Head of Business Programmes at Initiatives of Change, UK, from 2010 to 2017.
"True stories in the book are highlighted because they're motivated by personal integrity and a commitment to doing the right thing. He writes about a world where the emphasis is on relationships rather than human resources. This is an intriguing concept, as many companies have departments devoted to the latter.... This is a remarkable book that's ideal for both corporate leaders and politicians; they need to read, digest, learn and implement the suggestions in it."
Lanka Monthly Digest of Sri Lanka
"This excellent and practical book builds on Mike Smith’s personal engagement with and study of leadership. In it, he distils the product of many meetings with leading individuals and workshops and conferences he has led addressing the subject."
Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, UN Global Compact Foundation and Former Chairman of Shell Group
"Mike Smith has been pursuing an urgent conversation on the new leadership for longer than most companies have realized they needed it. If you want to understand where leadership in the business world is going, you could ask for no better global guide."
Margaret Heffernan, Texan entrepreneur, Huffington Post blogger and best-selling business author of Wilful Blindness and A Bigger Prize
"Mike Smith shares profound insights into the DNA of good business. His easy, narrative style makes these insights both accessible and persuasive. A thoroughly recommended read for all those who care about a better business ethos."
Professor Roger Steare FRSA, Corporate Philosopher, Cass Business School, City of London
"Some people write about the failings of capitalism and some people write about the achievements of individuals. What Mike Smith does uniquely well is to tell inspiring stories of individual achievement in a manner that points the way towards a better capitalism".
Mark Goyder, Founder, Tomorrow’s Company
"Mike Smith’s work on ethical business is both extremely well researched and enormously timely. We are in an age when business as usual is no longer an option, either for the planet or its populations. Leading with Integrity tells the stories of some of the businesses that are making most difference and leading an ethical revolution. It deserves a very wide readership."
Tony Bradley, Lecturer in Social Economy & Enterprise and Lead Researcher in Sustainable Business, Liverpool Hope Business School
"Taking ‘time out’ to contemplate what is right action going forward is a transformative leadership habit. Mike Smith shows us, through many powerful stories, how leaders tapped into their own values compasses to create ethical and sustainable businesses."
Anita Hoffmann, founding CEO of Executiva, and author of Purpose & Impact: How Executives Are Creating Meaningful Second Careers
