Welcome back to the Sunstone Way!
We’ve just completed the most basic action in a democracy – an election. I’m writing this before the votes have been counted, so I’d like to talk about something that should be basic no matter who wins what office.
It’s called ethics. Or more specifically, it’s acting ethically. Elected officials, appointed officials and public servants of all kinds need to have a code of ethics to follow.
At All Levels
For the most part, regular voters like us don’t get to see the day-to-day actions of the nation’s top leaders. Yes, we vote for president, for senators, congressmen and the rest, but we have to rely on the media and what our leaders tell us they are doing to have any idea what’s going on.
We have to rely on the code of ethics those elected leaders follow. And for the most part, I believe that they act in what they believe is an ethical manner to do what’s best for our country.
Unfortunately, there are those who have other motivations. Any code of ethics is less than an afterthought. And our only recourse seems to be joining protests and/or waiting until the next election to “vote the bums out!”
Act Locally
History has proven that people have more impact on policy at the local level – state, county, city or town. Moreover, movements that begin on the local level have a way of bubbling up to have an impact at higher levels of government.
It’s a lot easier to act as watchdogs at the local level, too. Being able to look your mayor or council member in the eye plays a big part in enforcing a code of ethics. In some cases, there’s even the opportunity to shape that code.
Who should be expected to act ethically? It’s easy to say everyone – that’s how we relate in a civilized society, right? But we’re currently talking about how leaders use the power they have for the good of all instead of their own gain.
I will argue that that applies to top management at every level of government as well as the elected officials. In most cases, the elected folks decide on policy while the “hired hands” do the work to carry out those policies. It’s key that they act in an ethical manner, too – there might be even more opportunity for malfeasance at the level of taking action than when setting policy.
Talking It Over
A couple of weeks ago, Long Beach hosted what organizers claim is the world’s largest gathering of city managers and other municipal leaders from around the world. It was the ICMA Annual Conference – ICMA stands for International City/County Management Association. Good government was the theme and goal, and we were honored to hear from Jon Meacham, the renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author about how to survive these turbulent times.
Mr. Meacham talked a lot about how ethics plays a big role in the survival of democracy. I’d like to share just a few of my takeaways from his talk.
The most important statement in American history, he said, is “that all men (and women) are created equal,” the crux of the Declaration of Independence. Everything else should flow from that, he said.
Once that axiom is accepted, it’s easy to see that we need to see those who disagree with us as rivals and opponents instead of enemies; we need to treat each other as neighbors, maybe opponents, instead of believing we need to destroy enemies.
With that belief in hand, Mr. Meacham said, our code of ethics can rest on two things – candor and empathy. Ethical action is based on telling the truth. You must tell the truth to constituents, and tell the truth to yourself.
When you believe that we are all created equal, empathy for one another comes naturally. Asking how your action is going to impact others should be a first consideration, not an afterthought. Treating each other as neighbors is vital to maintaining democracy.
Teaching Ethics
There is a place at California State University, Long Beach, that is all about ethics. The Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership has spent the last 21 years teaching about, and studying, ethical leadership. It works across the entire campus to include ethical leadership in every part of the university.
I’m privileged to be affiliated with the center as a member of its Governing Council. This week, we celebrated the annual Nell and John Wooden Ethics in Leadership Award (awarded to Darick J. Simpson) and another year of education about ethical leadership.
Think of it as another reminder of the Golden Rule – treat others as you would want to be treated by them. That’s the Sunstone Way!
Remember to always be a (ethical) Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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