In my business school ethics class a long time back, I recall an experiment conducted by our professor. Before class, he privately asked me to say something provocative in our class discussion. He would then get angry and throw me out of the class!

The purpose was to observe my classmates’ reactions. He wanted to see how many would protest his unfair treatment and how others would justify not being bothered.

The drama was successful. I was thrown out, and a few classmates protested. But the most important question that arose in the ensuing class discussion was, “How do I know what is right?”

This question has always bothered me. It wasn’t about our own wrongdoing as much as remaining silent when we see something wrong.

In discussions about leadership, ethics is often overlooked. We focus on capability, executive presence, and influence, but we also need to consider the impact of leadership actions on the organisation.

In my opinion, leadership is an ethical undertaking. Navigating the complex terrain between effectiveness and justice, self-interest and the greater good, is what leadership must tackle.

No map can provide absolute guidance on what is right, but we will know when something feels off. That unease and internal friction are not distractions; they are the beginning of good judgement.

One of my former classmates explained why he didn’t show empathy to me. He said the university rules allowed students to be expelled from class, and as long as the professor did not break any rules, he was fine with it. His inner voice told him to follow rules!

So, how do we know what is right? My suggestion is to always apply decency as our internal guideline. If we want to build meaningful lives without betraying ourselves, we need to look for decency in ourselves as well as those around us.

If we think it is decent for our classmate to be expelled for disagreeing with the professor, that is our yardstick. Many would disagree and think it is indecent, so they would be more empathetic. Likewise for any doubtful behaviour we observe in our colleagues or bosses!

Ultimately, it comes down to the kind of life we want to live. If it is a decent life we wish to construct, we should apply those internal standards to ethical matters just like we do to everything else!

Worth thinking about 🤔